How correctly and for how long can you store meat in the freezer of a home refrigerator?

Like any perishable product, meat must be stored properly. Refrigerator shelves are best suited for this purpose.

But if you need to freeze a large amount of product for future use, a freezer will come to the rescue.

Sub-zero temperatures help keep meat fresh for a long time. But only subject to the rules of preparation for freezing and compliance with storage periods.

We will tell you further how long meat can be stored in the freezer and at what temperature.

General recommendations

Shelf life meat in the freezer depends on a number of factors:

• type of meat:
• quality and freshness of frozen products;
• freezer capabilities.

Industrial-style chambers allow you to store meat for up to 12 months or longer. Household freezers familiar to most buyers cannot boast of the same.

Not every device is equipped with a multi-level freezing system. Therefore, their contents are not stored as long as in industrial products.

Storage duration is determined by temperature:

• from - 8 °C - up to 120 days;
• from – 10 to – 12 °C – up to 240 days;
• from - 20 °C - up to 360 days.

Storing different types of frozen product

In order for meat in the freezer to retain its quality, you need to know how long it can lie in the freezer without spoiling.

The air humidity in the freezer should not be less than 85%. There should also be air circulation in the freezer.

Shelf life of minced meat and offal

Brain, liver and other offal, as well as minced meat, should be stored at -18 °C.

Under such conditions, they can remain on freezer shelves for up to 3-4 months.

Chopped and molded products are stored under the same conditions:

• cutlets,
• meatballs,
• beefsteak, etc.

Frozen goulash

Goulash and barbecue meat are stored at -18 °C. At this temperature they can remain on freezer shelves for up to 3 months.

Semi-finished products, sausages

The shelf life of semi-finished meat products on freezer shelves is indicated in the table:

Sausages and sausages are stored in the freezer at a temperature of -18 ° C for up to 2 months. After this period, the products lose their taste, become tasteless and hard.

Preparing for storage in the freezer

Before meat goes into the freezer, it must be properly prepared. For this, housewives It is useful to take note of the following recommendations:

1. Meat must be sorted by type.
2. If the piece is too large, it needs to be cut into smaller pieces for convenient storage and further defrosting.
3. Before putting the pork in the freezer, it needs to be wrapped in foil. After this, place in vacuum packaging.
4. Each bag must be labeled with the name of the product and the date of freezing. Before sending a bird for freezing, it must first be gutted.
5. Duck or goose meat is also placed in a vacuum bag before being sent to the freezer.
6. Before placing meat products in the freezer, shelf or storage box, you need to prepare and clear the area. To do this, it is better to choose compartments in which the temperature is the lowest. If there are other products here, it is better to remove them a few hours before putting the meat products in the freezer.
7. It is better to pre-package minced meat that will be sent to the freezer into portions of 300-500g.
8. In chambers where the freezing mode is started separately, it must be activated in advance. If this mode is not provided, the regulator is set to the coldest level.
9. During harvesting, you need to cut off the fat layers from the muscle fibers.Fat spoils quickly, which means meat with fat should be used sooner.
10. Meat intended for freezing should not be washed. The shelf life of the washed product is reduced. Air and water are the main enemies of meat stored on freezer shelves.
11. Larger pieces cool more slowly. As a result, the structure of the fibers of the product will change and when defrosted, it may lose its appearance and taste. Small pieces will take up less space in the freezer and the product will stay fresh longer. Small pieces freeze faster and more evenly, making them more convenient to use for preparing a specific dish.
12. Prepared products should be placed tightly, trying to leave as little space as possible between the pieces.

Does frozen meat spoil in the freezer?

It is believed that frozen meat does not spoil. But even if stored at sub-zero temperatures, the product may change - its weight decreases, its color changes.

This occurs as a result of the action of ice crystals on the muscle fibers of the meat. Cold temperatures practically do not change the protein content of the product. Enzymes are also preserved in frozen meat.

The speed at which meat is frozen is of great importance. The faster the product cools, the less it suffers from the negative effects of ice crystals.

The processes of oxidation and color change depend on the volume of fat in the product and the degree of its contact with air. This is why it is better to vacuum seal meat before freezing.

Even frozen food must be stored according to its expiration date.. You should not exceed these figures. Otherwise, the product will lose its taste and external qualities, and will become dry, bland and porous.

How long can cooked food be stored, at what temperature?

It is recommended to eat cooked meat as soon as possible. If for some reason this is not possible, the prepared product can be frozen.

Before placing the cooked product in the freezer, Some recommendations should be taken into account:

1. Use sealed packaging. This way the workpiece will not come into contact with air or water. It is better to freeze finished offal or meat in vacuum bags or plastic containers.
2. It is better to divide the prepared product into small portions. Such culinary products cannot be frozen again.
3. When storing finished products, it is important to maintain temperature conditions. Heat-treated meat is stored in the back of the chamber. You should not store ready-made dishes near the door - here the temperature will constantly change as the door is opened.
4. Regardless of the type of food you prepare, you should only freeze it when it has completely cooled down. To speed up this process, it is better to place the container with the product in a cool place (but not on the refrigerator shelves). It is better to lower the packaged workpiece into a basin of cold water.

Cooked meat has a shorter shelf life than freshly frozen meat. The exact timing depends on the temperature in the freezer. To ensure that the finished product does not lose its quality during the specified period, it is important to maintain the temperature from -18 °C to -20 °C.

Under these conditions, thermally processed meat stored for the indicated expiration dates:

• fried chicken - up to 120 days;
• poultry dishes - up to 180 days;
• fried or boiled lamb, pork, beef - up to 90 days;
• ham - 120 days;
• bacon - 30 days.

Video on the topic of the article

A life hack for freezing meat is presented in the video:

Conclusion

Meat should not be stored in the freezer longer than the period specified for a particular type of product.

A carefully packaged product can be stored on shelves for several months.. Compliance with all the rules will allow the product to retain its freshness and taste after defrosting.