Dale from Dresden, TN asked:
Brad I have a question on aging meats in a vacuum seal bag versus aging in a cooler. Will they both work?
Thanks for the question Dale! Aging meats is one of my favorites! Yes you can age meats both ways. When you age in the vacuum bag, that's called wet aging. When you hang your meats in the cooler, this is called dry aging. The major difference is flavor. When you dry age the body moisture from the carcass evaporates, thus changing the flavor. When you wet age the meat proteins still break down, making a tender product. However, the evaporation process can not occur so there's a flavor difference.
I prefer the dry aged flavor that comes from hanging in the cooler, but either process will work for tenderness. Standard aging times for most game animals will range from 5-7 days.
Thanks again for the great question!
