How to preserve fresh sinew?

[kiltedcelt]

I have a buddy who is going deer hunting (he's already gotten one buck so far), and he will keep any sinew for me but he needs to know how to preserve the stuff. I've never done it - any suggestions? Also, he should just save the leg tendons for me, correct? I've heard backstrap isn't as good for bows?

[HoBow]

I lay them on the grill (with it off) and put the lid on it. I've also strung the up and tied the string to saw horses.

[Eric Garza]

You want to scrape away as much of the meat, membrane and fat as you can, then lay the sinew out on a surface where air can reach as much of it as possible so it dries before it rots.

Back sinew (backstrap, as you call it) is, in my opinion, far superior to leg sinew.  It is easier to clean, easier to dry because it is thin, easier to tear into usable sized threads, yields longer threads more generally, and every bit as strong, per unit mass, as leg sinew based on some stress tests I'd done a few years back.  I personally only gather back sinew now.  I do not bother with leg sinew.  If all you can get is leg sinew, then I guess you're stuck with it.

[wodpow]

I break my leg sinew down to free all the tendons from each other and also use the tendons from the front feet and back  .I put them all but the back one's in the oven with just the pilot light for heat and will dry them in 24 hours easy I have about half a five gallon bucket full as I get the legs and cut out the tendons. l get them from three processors this is just from one years and last year was a bad year. Before that all I got was the tendons from deer I killed or was given or roadkill lots of that around here.

[wally]

Having used and prepared both leg and back sinew I would say that back sinew is far easier to seperate, gives longer strands and is just as strong as leg sinew. I preferably use backstrap but find it harder to get than leg sinew because it is normally cut through to get the meat joints.
I am chasing up (well not literally chasing, cos' I wouldn't catch them) Ostrich leg sinew to try. There is a farm near me but I'm having challenges persuading farmer to sell them to me.
Anybody heard of it being used?

[JW_Halverson]

Getting the sinew scraped clean of all fat and meat is critical.  Laying it out flat on cardboard will also help it dry faster if you live in a humid climate.  Mine dries overnite here without any help at all. 

When I don't have time to process them thoroughly, I just wad 'em up, put 'em in a ziplock bag with some saltwater and pop'em in the freezer. 

[JW_Halverson]

Oh yeah...and if you are blessed so that you can toss out the leg sinew and take just back sinew for projects....SAVE THE LEG SINEW ANYWAY.  You can make the finest hide glue in the world with a big pot of leg sinews.  No skimming hair bits, less fat, less amell, clearer glue in the end, awesome stuff.