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Freezing Meat |
| By Ellen Brown |
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Selecting High-Quality Meats: Select fresh, high quality meats from a reputable butcher, meat packer or grocery store. Cured meats such as ham and bacon can only be frozen for a short period of time (1 to 3 months) because the salt in them hastens rancidity. Organ meats, like liver, tongue, heart, etc., may lose some of their texture during freezing.
Preparing for Freezing: Package meat in convenient, meal-size portions and remove as many bones as possible to save freezer space. Place two layers of freezer paper or wrap between slices or patties of meat so they are easier to separate when frozen and speed thawing. Large game like deer and moose can be frozen the same way as other meats. Small game should be skinned and dressed appropriately before freezing.
Suitable Packaging: Package the meat in freezer paper or wrap, using either the drugstore or butcher wrap. Freezer bags or containers can be used for ground beef, stew beef or other meats frozen in small portions. Store-bought meats need to be wrapped with additional protection. The clear packaging they normally come packaged in does not provide sufficient moisture-vapor resistant protection for freezing. Meats from a meat packer should come in heavy-duty wrapping, but double check to make sure. If it does, it will not require additional wrapping. Make sure the wrapping is sealed tightly and labeled.
Maximum Storage Time: If possible, meat should be left in its original packaging when frozen and wrapped again in vapor resistant heavyweight plastic wrap, foil, freezer paper or freezer-grade plastic bags.
| Meat Type | Refrigerator | Freezer (0ºF) |
| Bacon | 2 weeks | 1 month |
| Corned Beef | 5 to 7 days | 1 to 2 months |
| Canned Meat | 3 to 4 days* | 3 to 4 months |
| Chops, Pork & Lamb | 3 to 5 days | 4 to 8 months |
| Cooked Meat | 2 to 3 days | 2 to 3 months |
| Frankfurters | 3 to 5 days* | 1 to 2 months |
| Ground Meats & Stew Meat | 1 to 2 days | 3 to 4 months |
| Ham, Canned | 1 week* | 3 to 4 months |
| Ham, Fully Cooked | 2 weeks | 3 to 4 months |
| Lunch Meat | 3-5 days* | 1 month |
| Pickled Meats (vinegar) | 2 weeks* | |
| Roasts, Beef, Bison & Pork | 3 to 5 days | 9 to 12 months |
| Sausage (fresh) | 1 to 2 days | 1 to 2 months |
| Sausage, Breakfast Patties/Links | 1 week | 2 months |
| Sausage, Smoked | 1 week | 1 to 2 months |
| Sausage, Summer | 2 to 3 weeks* | 6 months |
| Small Game (rabbits, squirrels, etc.) | 2 days | 9 to 12 months |
| Steaks, Beef & Bison | 3 to 5 days | 6 to 12 months |
| Tofu | 4 to 5 days | 6 to 8 weeks |
| Variety Meats | 1 to 2 days | 3 to 4 months |
| Veal | 1 to 2 days | 4 to 6 months |
| Venison (ground) | 1 to 2 days | 2 to 3 months |
| Venison (steaks, roasts) | 3 to 5 days | 9 to 12 months |
* opened
Thawing: All meats should be thawed in their packaging in the refrigerator. For microwave defrosting, remove packaging and refer to your manufacturers recommendations for settings. If meat is in a waterproof package and you need it quickly, run it under cold water or submerge it in a cold water bath for faster thawing.
Tips & Shortcuts: Freezing tends to damage the texture of organ meats like live, heart, brains, tongue, and kidneys. If freezing these meats is necessary, trim all excess fat, wrap in an airtight package and freeze as rapidly as possible.
Refrigerating Meat: Ideally, meat should be stored in its original package. Once it has been opened, it is necessary to rewrap tightly in plastic wrap or foil, or pack it in an airtight container.
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RE: Freezing Meat
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Post By paul. (Guest Post)
(06/20/2008)
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How safe is it to re-freeze thawed meat?
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RE: Freezing Meat
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Post By gerald powers (Guest Post)
(04/28/2008)
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Can sausage be refrozen?
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RE: Freezing Meat
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Post By JC (Guest Post)
(08/24/2007)
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Um... what about chicken? It's not on the table...
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RE: Freezing Meat
Don't forget to write the date on your packaging! - I use sandwich bags and have meat and leftovers from months ago...(note to oneself...must have a clean out soon!!!)
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RE: Freezing Meat
Buy in bulk and then wrap in plastic wrap (cheap stuff works just as well as "name brand") to cover ALL of the meat, NO air pockets, then wrap in freezer paper. Label and freeze. If you miss a spot then there will be air on the meat and you will get freezer burn on that spot. Meat wrapped this way can stay good in the freezer for 3 or 4 years.
Note: the more fat in the meat the less time in the freezer it will stay fresh. For example: pork tastes old faster than venison...more fat throughout the pork.
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RE: Freezing Meat
When buying meats, especially with summer barbequeing season approaching, utilize sales. Buy extra and use freezer paper and freezer tape to save extras. 1/4 the cost of expensive freezer papers and no freezer burn!
c.j.cox
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