Freezing Meat for Your Family Meals
By Brenda Hyde
Freezing meat to have on hand is almost a necessity
when you have a family.
It certainly helps with the budget when you buy items on sale and
freeze
extra for another week. I try never to pay full price for meat by
shopping the
sales and buying double. You will want to keep your freezer neat
and
orderly or you will end up losing track of what you have,even in
a small freezer.
Label everything with dates and the contents.
When you buy meat from the market remove it from the
store wrapping and
rewrap it properly before freezing. You can use freezer bags, coated
freezer
paper, heavy-duty aluminum foil or plastic freezer containers. Make
sure the
wrapping or container is clean and free from tears or holes. When
packing
several pieces in one package, place two layers of freezer paper
between the pieces.
Trim the meat of any fat before freezing-this will help it keep
better. Also,
if you are freezing meat for stew or soups, remove as many of the
bones as
you can-this will cut down on space.
Freezing does not kill bacteria, nor does it stop
the spoiling if the meat is not
fresh. So, freeze your meat or poultry as soon as possible to avoid
problems!
Keep the meat and everything that touches it, such as your hands,
kitchen
items and work surfaces) VERY clean while working with the meat.
Maintain
your freezer at 0 degrees Fahrenheit or less, and keep it at a consistent
temperature. Do not place items in the freezer until they have cooled
off! This
will warm up the freezer and could cause problems. Freeze only the
amount of
fresh meat or poultry that will freeze within 24 hours-this will
work out to be
approximately 2 to 3 pounds for each cubic foot of freezer space
you have. In
other words, don't freeze an entire freezer full of food in one
day.
Bacon and cured hams have a short freezer life and
should be used within
one month. Freezing is usually not recommended for hot dogs and
lunch meats
because they can become rather soggy. However I freeze hotdogs and
shaved
ham for 1 to 2 weeks and they are fine. The ham is a little watery,
but it tastes
great! I freeze small freezer bags of cubed ham for omelets, pizza
toppings and
other dishes, plus bags of shaved ham for sandwiches. What I have
found
is the "cheap" brands of hotdogs or lunch meat that tend
to be softer, and not
as "meaty" don't freeze well.
Cooked meat that has any type of liquid should not
be frozen longer than three
months. Frozen ground meat should be used within 3 months also.
Pork can be
frozen for 6 to 8 months. Beef, lamb, veal or venison will be fine
for 8 to 12 months.
Fresh poultry will last about 12 months. (Watch for bone-in turkey
breasts and
young chickens on sale to freeze-these
make great crockpot meals!)
Seafood varies-it it's a lean fish it will last about
4-6 months, but if it's a fatty
fish like tuna, smelt or swordfish it should be used within 3 months.
Shellfish
is also recommended at 3 months.
Always thaw your frozen meat in the refrigerator or
in the microwave before cooking.
Do not thaw it on the counter! I know our mothers always did this,
but it simply is
not a safe or healthy way to thaw meat. Remember, you are freezing
to save time and money-so you want quality meat that will work well
for your family and not go
bad before you can even use it.
