What was your prep of the day?

[Inor]

Every prepper site HAS to have a "prep of the day" thread. So I'll start one here.

Last Sunday and Monday I tried out a new recipe for venison sausage and broke in my new propane smoker. Both worked out better than I had hoped. So now we have another 15 pounds of venison sausage in the freezer!

BTW: For any of you guys that are meat-heads and into making sausage, I found that using a 50/50 mix of bourbon and water, instead of just water for mixing in the spices gives it a really nice smokey flavor throughout the meat. I used Maker's Mark because that is what I had on hand. I do not know how cheap bourbon would work. But I expect it would be fine since all of the alcohol is cooked off during smoking; what we are after is the "aged" flavor that comes from aging it in the casks.

[RWalls]

Bought some ASE today.

[Just Sayin']

The hardest thing I've found about getting my venison sausage right is the ratio of fat to lean meat and how the temperature can affect that. My smoker has to be constantly tended to to keep the temp in the 170-180 range, so I typically start mine in the oven and then finish it on the smoker.

My prep today was putting 4 cases of beans, flour, and quick oats into the supply from the LDS Store. The highlight today was explaining to my daughter all the different reasons we might need such a supply. And the icing on the cake, was when she went to the pantry to get some mac & cheese, and someone had used the last of it, pulling some out of our backups. I think she understands a little better now.

[MrsInor]

Finished canning twenty pint jars of split pea soup and 4 jars of ham.

[BugMan]

Got a new Bow. According to RWalls it's junk, but I'm pretty sure I can kill with it.

[BugMan]

Oh yea, and I got some Silver. RWalls just needs to drop it off.

[Inor]

The hardest thing I've found about getting my venison sausage right is the ratio of fat to lean meat and how the temperature can affect that. My smoker has to be constantly tended to to keep the temp in the 170-180 range, so I typically start mine in the oven and then finish it on the smoker.

I use at least 20% fat by weight. Then I also leave them in the fridge for 12-24 hours after I have stuffed them but before I smoke them. But, try the bourbon trick. It is awesome!

I know what you are saying on tending the smoker. My big wood smoker has to be constantly baby sat. I have also found that it is MUCH easier to control the smoker temp, when the outside temp is 40 degrees rather than 80. The final test of the new smoker is tomorrow. I am doing ribs. I do not expect there will be a middle ground with how they turn out either. They will either be as good as the Commissary place you took me to when I was in Memphis last spring or they will suck worse than Dickies.

[Inor]

Got a new Bow. According to RWalls it's junk, but I'm pretty sure I can kill with it.

Inor's Archery Safety Rule #7: Never hit anything with your bow. You could mar the finish.

[RWalls]

Got a new Bow. According to RWalls it's junk, but I'm pretty sure I can kill with it.

Its junk...

[rice paddy daddy]

My prep for the day is ongoing at the moment. One of our Delaware hens is brooding. I don't know how many eggs she's sitting on, that is The Wife's department.
Delaware's are good layers, brown eggs, plus they are a medium bodied hen, good for meat when the laying days are over. Large bodied breeds don't do well in the North Florida heat, it is already pushing 100 degrees in the shade some days and August is yet to come - that brings 107+ in the shade with 90% humidity.
We just lost a hen to natural causes earlier this week, most likely heat.