Frozen Meats, How Long Can They Be Kept?
We all know that fresh meat is a very perishable food. Having frozen meats allows us to extend their shelf life while maintaining their quality and nutrients. Of course, as long as we take into account some important aspects that will allow us to enjoy the quality of a good piece of meat for a longer time.
Freezing preserves food for long periods of time because it prevents the growth of pathogenic microorganisms that can cause spoilage or diseases. In this way, frozen food can last a long time in the freezer without spoiling.
In any case, there are always limits to respect for the situation. It is important to understand that, although frozen, food does not last forever.
How long do frozen meats last?
The length of time food lasts in the freezer varies greatly, depending on the type of food. Frozen meats tend to last less time than vegetables, for example.
One of the main reasons why freezing times are different is the amount of fat in each type of meat. We tell you the average times that different types of frozen meats can hold:
- Very fatty meat and cold cuts will keep in the freezer for 1 to 2 months.
- Burgers and other preparations with fresh minced meat, from 3 to 4 months.
- If we talk about veal chops and fresh lamb and pork, we can freeze them for 4 to 12 months.
- Chicken, turkey, and other poultry they support from 9 to 12 months.
At low temperatures we stop bacterial growth, but not oxidation reactions. And although it happens slowly, the fat continues its rancidity process.
This persistence of the process by which food becomes stale is one of the main causes of the loss of nutritional value of meats.
This is stated in an article published in the journal Food Science and Technology. Its flavor, texture and color are affected. Although we do not notice it with the naked eye at first, we must know what will happen at some point if we do not use the meat.
Tricks to keep the quality of the meat intact
To avoid that the quality of frozen meats is affected and we lose part of its nutritional value, we must take into account some small tricks that will help us to maximize its good condition:
- The right freezer temperature: since it makes it easier for meat to freeze more quickly.
- Vacuum freeze food : it should be wrapped in film or in suitable containers. Otherwise, we run the risk of losing water, absorbing bad odors, drying out or burning.
- Freezing meat in packages or small portions: when we freeze very large pieces, the center of the product takes longer to freeze and it loses quality. In addition, ice crystals can form in the food that, when thawed, break its structures and spoil its characteristics.
- Separate the visible fat from the pieces: as we have seen, freezing does not stop the rancidity of the fats and could spoil it.
- Freeze cooked meat or stews with meat in airtight plastic or glass containers: we should wait until they are cold before putting them in the freezer.
If we want our freezer to not be a mixed bag, it is important to mark the content and the freezing dates of each package well, as well as trying to maintain order in storage. This way we will avoid having to discard the meat that may have been hidden and is not in the best condition at the time of use.
Know how to defrost properly
It is as important to look at the freezing conditions of meats, as knowing how to defrost them in the correct way. It will be useless to have preserved the meat well if at the time of defrosting we spoil it.
Frozen meats should be thawed cold. It is not a good idea to leave them at room temperature, nor near a heat source to speed up the process.
This can promote the growth of bacteria that are pathogenic for health, according to research published in the journal Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases.
The best way to do this is to leave it in the refrigerator for about 24 hours. And if we have not been able to plan in advance, it is an option to use the special function of the microwave to defrost.
What we do have to keep in mind is that once defrosted, the meat must be cooked immediately. When it approaches temperatures close to 4-6 degrees, the bacteria that could be present before freezing begin to multiply.
If once cooked we see that we will not consume it soon, we can re-freeze the cooked pieces of meat. But never refreeze raw food.
Use freezing to increase the shelf life of meat
If we want to enjoy quality frozen meat, it is much better to buy fresh meat and freeze it ourselves. We can make a bigger buy of meat and freeze it following the tips that we have discussed above. We will always control the quality of the product better than if we buy frozen meat directly.
