A capricious perishable product, or what are the conditions and shelf life of lamb

Meat is a perishable product that requires special storage conditions.

Depending on the required preservation period, lamb, its offal and ready-made dishes can be preserved without loss of quality from several hours to a year.

We’ll talk about the conditions and shelf life of lamb further.

How long can you store?

Lamb is a perishable product. Only compliance with storage conditions and time allows you to preserve meat, offal and products made from it without loss of quality. The shelf life of lamb is determined by the type of meat and its temperature.

To prepare for storage take into account the thermal state of meat:

1. Fresh - meat after slaughter, is considered so for 1.5 hours, it is recommended to wait for more than 24 hours for use.
2. Chilled – after being kept in a refrigeration unit with an internal temperature of +4°C, with elastic fabrics and a dried surface.
3. Frozen - only the top layer of carcass is frozen, up to 4 cm in depth.
4. Frozen – the meat is frozen throughout the entire volume, the temperature of the internal part does not exceed -8°C.

At room temperature

At room temperature, fresh lamb and lamb meat can be stored for no more than 3-4 hours. Pathogenic microflora develops very quickly on it.

The decomposition process begins, which is accompanied by:

• unpleasant odor;
• the surface is covered with a slimy coating;
• the meat loses its original color and becomes more faded;
• Green mold spots form on the surface.

If lamb has any of the signs of decomposition, the meat must be disposed of. To reduce the recycling rate, livestock farms use refrigeration equipment and freezers.

In a refrigerator

The refrigerator chamber provides a longer life - in it at t-5°C the meat will remain fresh:

1. Cut into small pieces – no more than 2-3 days.
2. In one large piece or as minced meat – up to 4 days.

Pickled

Some recipes require marinating the meat before cooking. This semi-finished product is kept in the refrigerator at t 0/+5°C:

• if t > +5°C, it activates the growth of microflora and the semi-finished product will deteriorate;
• if t < 0°C, then the moisture contained in the fibers begins to crystallize, inhibiting the pickling process.

Storage time for marinated lamb in the refrigerator depending on the composition of the marinade:

• mineral water – no more than 12 hours;
• lactic acid marinade (kefir, ayran, sour cream, etc.) – no more than 48 hours;
• wine and vinegar marinades (without herbs and onions) – up to 5 days;
• mayonnaise with spices – no more than 72 hours;
• soy with honey and mustard – no more than 72 hours;
• vegetable (fresh tomatoes, onions, herbs, etc.) – up to 48 hours.

Only fresh and high-quality products are used for marinating.

How to marinate lamb ribs, video recipe:

In the freezer

To increase the preservation period, lamb is frozen. In industrial freezers, carcasses are stacked or hung. During the freezing process, meat loses some of its moisture, so to reduce the shrinkage rate and preserve the quality of meat, the required level of humidity is maintained in freezers.

For lamb, the optimal rate is 95% - practically this is achieved by covering the lamb carcasses with an icy cloth.

Shelf life of lamb depending on the depth of freezing:

Unlike industrial freezers, where lamb can be stored for quite a long time, home freezers are not able to provide similar conditions.

Several ways to increase the shelf life and preserve the quality of lamb at home:

1. Blast freezing – the meat is cut into portions, placed on a tray in one layer and placed in the freezer. Once the pieces on top are frozen, transfer them to a bag and put them in the freezer for further storage.
2. Freezing in vacuum bags – removing air from bags of lamb prevents the processes of rotting and fermentation from occurring. In this case, the meat can be placed in the freezer in pieces of any size - but will retain its properties for a long time.
3. Freezing – used when meat needs to be transported over a short distance. To prevent the meat from spoiling during transportation, it is divided into pieces and placed in the freezer for 5-6 hours. The finished semi-finished product will survive the trip without damage.

This video will tell you about storing lamb:

Methods for storing lamb depend on the length of time for which the meat needs to be preserved and the available conditions.

Raw

A piece of lamb needed to prepare dinner can sit in the refrigerator for a day or two without harming the quality. The minced meat will last the same amount of time. For quality storage minced lamb should not be mixed with anything.

Meat purchased for future use should be stored in the freezer. The condition for long-term storage is the absence of air in the bag with the tenderloin.

In the absence of refrigeration equipment

There are alternative ways to preserve meat products for future use. These include:

1. Salting – 2 methods are used: dry (rubbing the lamb with a dry salt mixture) and wet (preservation in salt brine). The shelf life of corned beef is up to 4 months.
2. Drying – strips of meat blanched in boiling water are salted, seasonings are added and dried. Dried lamb can be stored for up to 2 months.
3. Preserving lamb in jars.

Short term

Raw meat if necessary can be protected from damage in several ways:

• place the piece in a container and cover it with ice, then close the container and wrap it well;
• put in a piece in a thermal bag or thermal bag - it can be stored for up to 15 hours;
• coat the lamb tenderloin with fat, wrap tightly in paper and put in the coolest place - can be stored for up to 96 hours;
• scalding - boil small pieces of lamb in a saline solution for 3-4 minutes, cool, place in a container and place in a cool place - preserved for up to 48 hours;
• pieces of lamb can be salted and wrapped in nettle, horseradish, sorrel leaves - if you change the leaves every 7 hours, you can store up to 48 hours;
• rinse the meat, dry it and treat it well with 9% vinegar, wrap it in a cloth and repeat the procedure every 7 hours - it can be stored for up to a day;
• roasting – quickly roast the cut pieces until crusty, cool, place in a container and close tightly – preserved for up to 48 hours, etc.

Ready meals

Prepared foods left over from lunch should be saved. This can be done in several ways. Storage time for lamb cooked in different ways:

Nuances

The meat of sheep and lambs is characterized by fibrous and finely grained dense fatty tissue - marbling is practically never found in lamb.

The structure of meat determines storage features:

1. When stored refrigerated, the tenderloin should be covered with a damp cloth to reduce moisture loss.
2. Before cooking a frozen piece, it should be defrosted slowly (preferably in the refrigerator). Lamb preserved in this way will remain juicy and tender.
3. The purchased frozen piece of lamb should be immediately placed in the freezer. If the tenderloin has melted, you won’t be able to re-freeze it without losing quality; it’s better to cook it.
4. Excess fat from a piece of lamb should be removed before freezing.
5. The best results when stored in the freezer are obtained from pieces of meat that are pre-wrapped in foil or packed in thick polyethylene.

Conclusion

The choice of storage method for lamb depends on the period for which the product needs to be preserved and the capabilities (availability of refrigeration equipment). Long-term storage of lamb without loss of quality is provided by freezers.

You can store both raw and cooked meat in the refrigerator., but for a short time - no more than 48 hours.

For outdoor storage or in case of failure of refrigeration equipment, you can use folk remedies with positive results for up to 48 hours.