It’s a question of time, or how long pork can be stored: in the refrigerator, frozen and thawed

Knowledge about the rules and shelf life of meat such as pork will always come in handy, since many different dishes are prepared from it.

It is important to comply with the storage conditions, taking into account the main nuances for each type of product - fresh, cooked, chilled or frozen.

Only compliance with storage principles will allow you to subsequently prepare a good, tasty dish without harm to health.

We'll tell you later how long pork can be stored - in the refrigerator, frozen, thawed.

Shelf life

If fresh pork does not need to be frozen for long-term storage, it can be placed on the top shelf of the refrigerator.

To prevent the meat from absorbing foreign odors and becoming airy, It is recommended to wrap it in cling film or paper, or pack it in a bag. Pork in this form will remain fresh for 2 days, but no more.

It can be stored in a plastic container or plastic bag. It wouldn't hurt if the packaging had small holes for air circulation.

Cooked pork can be stored in the chamber for a short time. Maximum up to 5-6 days. If the meat is wrapped in cling film, this period is reduced to 3 days. In this case, the condition must be met that it will lie in the coldest place in the refrigerator.

Shelf life largely depends on how it is prepared. pork:

1. The stew will last up to 5 days maximum.
2. Fried pork in oil or baked can be left in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.
3. Pork broth will retain its properties for up to 2 days, then you need to prepare the first dish from it. There is no point in continuing to store it.
4. Borscht or soup made with pork will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to one day.

Nevertheless, it is better to eat ready-made dishes fresh, because the taste is lost over time during storage. But if there is a need to leave the product in the refrigerator, then you definitely need to monitor the timing.

In the freezer

Pork meat with skin can be left in the freezer for up to 8 months. If stored without the natural shell, then it will last 6 months.

Before sending for freezing, in order to preserve the taste and beneficial properties of the product for a long time, It is important to prepare him for this correctly:

1. Cut large pieces of meat into small ones. Based on one serving for preparing one dish. Once defrosted, it will be convenient to use it immediately.
2. There is no need to rinse pieces of pork before storing them. It would be better to do this immediately before preparing the dishes.
3. It is recommended to wrap each part tightly with cling film or place it in a bag. For convenience, the packaging can be signed. For example, one package will be intended for preparing main courses, the next, with a bone, will be for soup.
4. After preparation, the pork is carefully placed in the freezer, having determined its place. There is no need to mix it, for example, with fish, frozen fruits or vegetables.

How long does fresh food last at room temperature?

In order to cool, raw fresh meat must be kept naturally in a cool place. You should not put it in the refrigerator or in packaging.

Keep pork pieces fresh in a dry place just below room temperature without refrigeration. three days, but no more.

Thus, the product “ripens” and becomes more juicy. In this form, it is easily absorbed by the body, since protein synthesis occurs during this period. The meat of a young pig can be stored without freezing or refrigeration for no more than 1 day in any place where it is dark and cool.

Conditions

Pork is often purchased by housewives for future use and in considerable quantities. Because this meat is quite in demand and is used in preparing many dishes. Therefore, it is important to comply with storage conditions.

Before preparing and determining the expiration date, The product should first of all be chosen correctly:

1. You need to pay attention to the color. Stale meat will be darker in color compared to fresh meat.
2. Fresh product should be pink, evenly colored, with a shiny surface.
3. The layers of fat in the meat of a young animal are white. You should not buy pork if it is yellow in color.
4. Fresh pieces of meat have a delicate pleasant smell and good elasticity. A product with a strong sour aroma is hazardous to health.
5. When you press on the fillet, the original shape of the fresh one returns, while a dent will remain on the spoiled one.
6. Large quantities of mucus and moisture should not be present on the surface of the pork product.
7. Fresh meat will not look torn and flabby.

Temperature pork storage:

• You can keep meat in the freezer at -18°C, the relative humidity should be 95-98 percent;
• at a chamber temperature of -25°, pork can lie in it for up to 12-14 months;
• if the temperature in the refrigerator is from +5° to +7°C, then the chilled meat should be stored in it for no more than 12 hours;
• at a temperature of about 0°C the freshness period will last up to 24 hours;
• When the temperature drops from 0° to -3°C, the product can be stored for up to 2 days.

How to store meat, video tip:

After defrosting

It is recommended to defrost meat naturally. To do this, you need to remove it from the freezer and move it to the refrigerator, leaving it in a container on the bottom shelf for several hours.

You can complete the defrosting process at room temperature until completely thawed.. This procedure will take some time, so it is better to remove the product from the freezer in advance. The best solution would be to move the pork into the refrigerator in the evening.

If the product was purchased frozen and cooking from it is not expected in the near future, then it should be immediately placed in the freezer. For cooking, the pork must be gradually thawed, after which it must be completely used.

Therefore, when buying frozen meat, you need to choose a piece so that you can use it up in one go. After all, it is not always clear how and for how long the product was stored before sale.

You should also choose it carefully:

• It is better not to buy frozen pork if it is covered with a lot of ice and the fillet is hard to see;
• Even packaged in a bag, the meat should look fresh, be traditionally pink in color and have white fatty layers.

Pork thawed in the refrigerator can be stored for 12 to 24 hours. It is important to choose the coolest place in the chamber. The temperature should be maintained between +2° and +4°C

It's important to know that The more hours defrosted meat sits, the more it will lose its juiciness., and later after cooking it may turn out to be dry and tough.

It is advisable to start cooking pork immediately after defrosting. If it continues to lie, then the process of moisture loss will be delayed and a tasty, rich dish will no longer be possible.

If the product was defrosted in a warm place, in a microwave oven or under running water, then you need to start cooking it immediately. Because after 2 hours after defrosting using these methods, the meat will no longer be suitable for consumption.

Semi-finished products

Certain dishes made from pork meat can be frozen:

1. For example, made dumplings or cutlets are laid out on a cutting board and sent to the freezer.
2. After the blanks have hardened, they can be placed in a bag.
3. Stuffed cabbage rolls and meatballs are stored in the same way.

Frozen semi-finished pork products are very convenient to use. It is enough to remove the finished components from the freezer, then cook or fry them. Semi-finished products in a frozen state can retain their quality for one month, and sometimes two.

If you plan to prepare minced pork meat, then the fresh product must be twisted and frozen in portions, placed in bags. Minced meat will be preserved much better in its pure form without impurities.

Shelf life of semi-finished pork meat products (boneless, large or small pieces, with or without salt):

1. From paired raw materials. At t from +2? up to +6? C using a vacuum - 7 days, without it - 3 days.
2. From a chilled product. If a vacuum is used - storage at t from +2? up to +6?C will be 5 days, without it - 2 days.
3. Frozen products are stored at t - 12°C for a maximum of 30 days.
4. At t -18? C, semi-finished products will last up to 90 days.

Conclusion

Pork is used to create a variety of dishes because it is tasty and healthy. If you take a responsible approach to choosing meat and subsequently follow the rules for storing it, then its excellent taste characteristics will not be lost, and the impression of the prepared food will never be spoiled.