I must say fresh is best, but it's nice to have a little stash in the freezer for a Christmas snack or gift. I'll usually will smoke 5 to 10 batches this time of year and vacuum it up for the winter months.

I'll pick out all the bones I see to prevent puncture in the freezer from being stacked on to of eachother, vacuum and then date for stock rotation. seems to turm out better if I smoke if a bit longer than normal. good luck! and happy smoking!!