Does butcher paper need to be waxed?

[jlovie]

I need to get another roll of wrapping paper for this year's hunt, hopefully. I've always used paper that was waxed on one side but was recently given 2 large rolls of butcher paper that is unwaxed. Would I be better off getting the usual waxed paper or will the unwaxed stuff work as well? The goods I'd be wrapping would be in the freezer for up to a year.

 

[JohnnyPython]

Waxed is better for that application.

I use unwaxed for wrapping meat during smoking.

 

[valczer]

I, have used both, waxed and unwaxed. To be honest, did not have issues with either in the freezer for almost a year.

 

[FatCatsDad]

Waxed for the freezer, stops things from sticking, unwaxed for smoking meats

 

[billdick]

Plastic then unwaxed paper is the right way. Both on the same stand and tear both at once lay down and wrap with the plastic then paper.

 

[jlovie]

Thanks for the replies fellas. I did a little googling and it does seem unwaxed is more for smoking. I do like the idea of plastic wrap first, I've done that with backstraps and it seemed to work well, might just incorporate plastic wrap into everything now. My dad and I are the only ones who like venison, so anything to help prolong it in the freezer is a good thing.

 

[scruffee]

I wrap everything in Saran wrap prior to wrapping in butcher paper, then unwaxed butcher paper. The meat stays nice for as long as it's frozen!

 

[45CAT]

I vacuum seal everything

 

[Suther]

Plastic then unwaxed paper is the right way. Both on the same stand and tear both at once lay down and wrap with the plastic then paper.

I wrap everything in Saran wrap prior to wrapping in butcher paper, then unwaxed butcher paper. The meat stays nice for as long as it's frozen!

This. If you wrap it in saran wrap first you can get ALL the air out, helps reduce freezer burn.

I vacuum seal everything

Me too. At least, I vacuum seal everything that is going to be in the freezer for more than a month or two. Saran+paper is a very close second for avoiding freezer burn though.

 

[savagelh]

I get the big rolls of sunspun saran wrap from wholesale club. Wrapped in that and then paper, mest is good in the freezer for way longer than you'd think it should be. Just had a moose roast from 2019 last week and there wasn't a thing wrong with it.

 

[Longwalker]

I'm also a fan of paper over plastic wrap. Plastic film does the actual sealing and protection from oxidation/freezer burn then paper wrap over top to protect the plastic. Any paper works for that top layer. This combination is cheaper than vacuum pack bags and works just as well in my experience. I would never wrap fresh meat in plain unwaxed paper alone. Storage time would be short and the packaging would be messy when thawing in the fridge etc.

 

[45CAT]

never buy the vacuum bags. Go to Amaz** and buy the rolls,way cheaper and you can cut to size

 

[Butcherbill]

Ran out of the coated butcher paper a few years back and the wife bought a roll of the plain paper, I wrapped a bit of cuts with it and it sucked. It stuck to the meat when I unwrapped it, as soon as I started using it I switched back to the coated paper. No sticking or freezer burn, I don’t bother with saran wrap. The proper butcher paper keeps things protected longer than I keep meat frozen.

 

[Canuck65]

I need to get another roll of wrapping paper for this year's hunt, hopefully. I've always used paper that was waxed on one side but was recently given 2 large rolls of butcher paper that is unwaxed. Would I be better off getting the usual waxed paper or will the unwaxed stuff work as well? The goods I'd be wrapping would be in the freezer for up to a year.

If you use waxed, your meat will keep better in the freezer. That waxed paper is amazing - I've seen meat last just as long in waxed paper as it does in the vacuum bags.

 

[DGY]

We plastic bag everything that then butcher paper wraps, we use “waxed”’paper, but I think unwaxed would be fine since we plastic bag first!

 

[freddyfour]

100%, we used non waxed paper one year and meat dried out and was freezer burnt within a few months.

I see a few of you guys wrap in plastic first. I have never had any problems with just waxed paper keeping meat good for up to two years. Do you guys keep meat even longer or just like the added comfort of it being double wrapped? Kinda like fooling around with the town bicycle, one wrap probably be good enough but two puts your mind at ease.

 

[Petrock]

If the stuff is free, use it up. I don't really find a difference between waxed and plain.

 

[trevj]

I wrap everything in Saran wrap prior to wrapping in butcher paper, then unwaxed butcher paper. The meat stays nice for as long as it's frozen!

This right here!

Plastic wrap, THEN Brown Paper! Once the wrap is on,it doesn't matter all that much! And turn the temperature as cold as it will go in that freezer. Like, hurts your hands cold!

Been anywhere from 25 to 50 lambs a year done that way by my Butcher for the last 10 or so years. Me, I get to eat the ones that are mostly two years in the freezer. And I got no complaints!

 

[Odin6]

I vacuum seal everything

I was wondering why that isn't a default setting?

 

[Petrock]

I was wondering why that isn't a default setting?

The plastic can be expensive and so is the initial purchase of the machine.

I will be experimenting with canning deer meat this year, if I can get the stuff together in time. It's not easy to find used jars, when you wait till prime canning time of the year lol.