How To Properly Freeze Your Meat

If you find a great deal on meat, you might be tempted to order as much meat as possible and simply freeze it. Then, you can keep your meat in storage and simply thaw it out and start cooking when the time comes. Meat that is kept in the fridge doesn't last that long, but meat can be stored in the freezer indefinitely. However, you'll want to make sure that you store it properly.

Microbes Living in Your Meat

There are two types of bacteria that can affect your stored meat. One is pathogenic bacteria. This type of bacteria does not have a taste or smell. However, they are the source of diseases that can make you sick. The other type of bacteria that changes how your meat tastes are referred to as "spoilage bacteria." 

The bacteria that can spoil your food and even make you sick is inactivated when stored in the freezer. That way, you won't have to worry about your meat not tasting right even if you cook it for long enough.

Freezing Your Meat

You'll want to seal out moisture as much as you can. Doing so will allow you to avoid freezer burn. Your food will taste fresh for longer when you eventually defrost it before you cook it. You'll also want to freeze the meat when it is as fresh as possible to preserve the taste and nutrients. For example, you won't want to leave your meat in the fridge for a day or two before putting it in the freezer. 

Thawing Your meat

For your meat to taste its absolute best, you'll want to thaw it properly. The best way to thaw your meat is in the fridge. If you thaw it at room temperature, you will allow bacteria to grow on the meat more rapidly. Another option is to place the meat in a leakproof bag and submerge the bag in cold water. 

Be careful not to allow the thawing meat to drip on anything else and sanitize anything that meat juices have dripped on. If you do not use all of the meat, you can place some of it back in the freezer once again as long as you thawed your meat properly the first time.

One way to ensure that you have enough meat is to have meat packages delivered. Then, you won't have to worry about storing meat for as long because you won't be holding onto as much. 


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