how long does it last?

[rawrock2]

I'm about to order a lot raw meat and have it sent to my home.  Since this is going to be a habitual thing, I want to order my raw meat monthly.  My question is how long does raw meat last?  I called up the supplier and she told me that different meats last for different amounts of time before they 'spoil' but she said I was looking at about 7 days for organ meats and about 3 weeks for muscle meats  Well, since shipping charges to Hawai'i START at $40 I insist on buying only once a month.  Also, I remember reading about a guy who said he ate raw meat that was a year old and was fine.  So, I inquired further.  She did mention that there were people she knew of that ate meat past the 'spoil' date she gave me.  She said that basically if you could plug your nose and eat it then you would be fine.  (because the smell would be bad) 

I got to thinking.  I wonder what methods our ancestors used make their kill last for long periods of time.  They didn't have refrigerators back then.  There has to be ways that we can make it last for long periods WITHOUT refrigerators. (i'm only referring to methods that would keep the meat RAW and would not involve cooking it or adding anything unnatural to it like preservatives etc.) 

Also, if there are ways to make it last much longer then maybe we could get away with ordering all meat (muscle meats AND organs) every 2 months or every 3 months.  Who knows, maybe some of you are already ordering every 3-4 months....   
What are your thoughts on:
1. Methods of making it last?
2. how long can we make it last? (how often should we order?)   

[TylerDurden]

A way  to preserve raw meats include drying(eg:- in sunshine with a covering to prevent any flies getting in). Storing meats in ground(doesn't preserve them, but it's what the Eskimoes did (in frozen ground) to make stinky high-meat). Pickling might be an option. Plenty of websites available online re both subjects.

When I first started, I couldn't face eating any raw meats that weren't absolutely fresh(ie they had to be less than 2-days old). As time went on, I got lazy and didn't eat them immediately and found I'd got used to the taste of meats aged for longer. I'm now so used to it all, that I don't mind eating very stinky organ-meats(though some long-timers prefer organ-meats reasonably fresh). Why don't you just freeze some of the meats, and keep enough unfrozen meats to last 7-10  days - then you can work out what works best for you.

[rawrock2]

Wouldn't drying them in the sun be kinda like cooking them hence defeating the purpose of eating them raw?  I won't be putting them in the ground here in Hawaii, too hot.  

Why don't you just freeze some of the meats, and keep enough unfrozen meats to last 7-10  days - then you can work out what works best for you.

I'm trying to get away from utilizing a refrigerator if possible.

I'm now so used to it all, that I don't mind eating very stinky organ-meats

That's it then!    So, I guess the guy who ate meat that was a year old was valid.  In that case, maybe I'll consider ordering enough meat to last me for two or three months.  I don't mind eating stinky meat either.  Actually I have eaten raw pork that was pretty foul but I only did it once since I wasn't sure if doing that was safe or not.  Nothing to worry about now though with this new found info and all.  Great!   (I'll probably use a fridge anyway hehe)

[TylerDurden]

Wouldn't drying them in the sun be kinda like cooking them hence defeating the purpose of eating them raw?  I won't be putting them in the ground here in Hawaii, too hot.   I'm trying to get away from utilizing a refrigerator if possible. 
That's it then!    So, I guess the guy who ate meat that was a year old was valid.  In that case, maybe I'll consider ordering enough meat to last me for two or three months.  I don't mind eating stinky meat either.  Actually I have eaten raw pork that was pretty foul but I only did it once since I wasn't sure if doing that was safe or not.  Nothing to worry about now though with this new found info and all.  Great!   (I'll probably use a fridge anyway hehe)

Oh, yes, of course, Hawaii might be a problem re drying. Some RPDers use dehydrators at 100 degrees fahrenheit to dry their meats.

Re fridge:- Every RPDer uses a fridge, unless they are "outside society" with their own farm full of livestock etc. Most of us live in cities etc., where people object strongly to the smell of aged raw meat.

Re stinky meat:- Just because I'm a long-term RPDer and don't mind stinky meats, here and there, doesn't mean that I eat raw meats a year-old. I don't mind eating "high-meat" that's a month to 6 weeks old(if it's ox-tongue or ox-heart), but that's not my primary food, usually, it's just an extra bacterial supplement, AFAIAC. I loathe the taste of aged, raw meat past a certain point(5-6 weeks?) - some organs such as liver become a liquid bacterial soup after some weeks, which I find disgusting. So, eat the meats mostly fresh and freeze as much as you can - as, otherwise, you may find that you'll have to throw most of your meats away. So buy once a month, like many RAFers do.

[rawrock2]

So buy once a month, like many RAFers do.

I have experienced the liver liquid as well so buying once a month sounds good.

freeze as much as you can

I have been told not to eat meat that has been frozen only refrigerated (chilled)...?

[TylerDurden]

I have experienced the liver liquid as well so buying once a month sounds good. I have been told not to eat meat that has been frozen only refrigerated (chilled)...?

If you put the fridge at a very high setting, I suppose it's fine. It's just that a month's supply usually is too large and has to be put in the freezer.

[William]

Drying.

Rendering for fat.