Alternatives to soaking in salt water?

[aclumpkin]

I normally soak my geese and ducks in salt water for 24 hours before I vacuum bag them and put them in the freezer.

With my geese, I have never had any issues. That said, I typically put them in a marinade before cooking or putting them in the crockpot.

This past weekend, I took a few ducks out of the freezer and upon cooking them, they tasted a tad on the salty side. Perhaps I put in too much salt when I soaked them?

I have heard people using milk, water and brown sugar, or nothing / just water for their brines before freezing. I love the taste of duck so I am looking to preserve that taste. Any thoughts / recommendations?

[Rick Hall]

I love the taste of duck so I am looking to preserve that taste. Any thoughts / recommendations?

In that case, don't soak, just rinse, dry, vacuum seal and freeze.

[California Sprig]

I love the taste of duck so I am looking to preserve that taste. Any thoughts / recommendations?

In that case, don't soak, just rinse, dry, vacuum seal and freeze.

This^^. The only time I soak ducks before cooking or freezing is when I hunt divers in salt water bays around where I live. They can be a little gamey.

[likesbigspreads]

Have used salt and baking soda for years. Rinse well before freezing and have never had a salty taste? Heard buttermilk works as well.

[ohio mike]

^^This^^ Rinse real good in cold water. I actually let them stand in cold water about a hour before freezing.

[Boatman]

Let them hang a couple days if the temp is right or lay them on cold concrete on there back a couple days then skin or Fillet them.

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[Baymen Moe]

Leave the skin on. I used to breast my birds out without leaving the skin on. Big mistake. Nothing better than skin on cast iron cooked duck breast.

[sthwht24]

You could try a short dry brine. Just cover fairly liberally with salt and throw them on a cookie rack or something so they don’t sit in their own juice. Would think an hour or so would do it. Rinse, dry, season & cook.
Just did this with some deer meat and I was impressed as I normally soak everything too.

[Boatman]

Leave the skin on. I used to breast my birds out without leaving the skin on. Big mistake. Nothing better than skin on cast iron cooked duck breast.

The Biologist in our state tell us to skin the ducks before cooking because they claim all the contaminants are stored in the fat and skin on a duck.

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[kahunna]

I love the taste of duck so I am looking to preserve that taste. Any thoughts / recommendations?

In that case, don't soak, just rinse, dry, vacuum seal and freeze.

Or...don't rinse at all.

[aclumpkin]

Thanks for the input. I just got back from a hunting trip and have some ducks to vacuum bag.

I have decided to do kind of hybrid of the suggestions on this batch. Instead of doing multiple salt water baths, I am going to do one short salt water bath for about half a day and then do the cold water for around a day. And then still wash and dry them well before finally bagging them.

I definitely plan to try dry aging at some point as well.

[cluckmeister]

soak the meat in apple cider for 24 hours