You get a deer cape already frozen, when is the best time to turn the ears? Do you receommend thawing, turning the ears, salting, pickeling, etc. Or would you thaw, salt the hide , place in the pickle and then turn the ears?
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but I thaw mine with a real wet towel around the ears and muzzle. Then I turn everything, eyes, lips,nose and ears. Then I salt for 24, re-salt for 24, then rehydrate, then pickle.I found that the wet towel helps to get the ears real moist and that helps me when I turn them. I like a real wet ear, for me it turns easier.
when they are submerged in the pickle.
Thaw the cape, turn and split everything, remove big chunks of meat or even beam the cape, salt, pickle.
I believe if you don't turn the ears prior to pickling you increase the chance of hair slipping in that area.
The ears are the first to thaw out, not much flesh to freeze there.
Its there is the search button.
Thanks for the advice on turning the ears, now I have another question about this. Do you go ahead and remove the cartlidige at the time you turn the ears or after the pickle.
You can do it either way. If sending to a commercial tannery I would say leave the cartilage in as it protects the ears during the tumbling process.
With in-house tanning, where I had control over the entire process I used to like to remove them when they were green but that was just my preference.