How To Choose Venison

Buck-venison is in season from May to Sep-tember; and doe-venison from sheend of September till the end of December or January. When the clefts of the hoofs are wide and tough it is old; when close and smooth it is young. The sweetness of venison may be generally discovered by the smell: but if you would be more certain, put your finger or knife under the bone that flicks out of the haunch, or shoulder, or the most fleshy parts of the sides; and if the smell is sweet, it is good, if rank, bad. Besides, when it begins to taint, some parts will look greenifh, or more than ordinarily black.

How To Roast Venison

Take a haunch of venison and put it on the spit; then roll four sheets of white paper about it, well butter'd; tie the paper on with a small string, firing, and baste the haunch well all the time it is roasting. Take care that the fire be very good and brisk; and then it will be sufficiently done in two hours; if the haunch be small, an hour and a half; if large, two hours and a half. When it is enough take off the paper, and drudge it a little to make a froth. But you must be as quick as you can, to prevent the fat from melting and dripping away. Put some very good gravy in a boat or bason, and sweet sauce in another. A neck and shoulder must be roasted in the same manner, and will take an hour and a half.

To keep Venison sweet, and to recover it when tainted.

To keep venison sweet, you only need to wipe it clean with a dry cloth, and hang it in a place where the air can come to it freely. If it is necessary to keep it a considerable time, then it will be proper to rub it very well with dry clean cloths, and to rub it all over with beaten or powder'd ginger, hanging it in an airy place as before. When it is musty, or smells strong, take some luke-warm water, and wash it well and clean. Then take some new milk and water, make it luke-warm and wash it again. Afterwards dry it very well with clean cloths, and rub it all over with powder'd ginger. It will be necessary to hang it in an airy place, till the time of use, which must not be long. When it is roasted, rub it with a clean cloth, and paper it as above.