How to properly store meat at home

Storing meat is not at all difficult, the main thing is not to miss a single important detail in this process. Then it will be able to remain juicy and suitable for consumption for a long time.

How to store meat in a refrigerator

Meat is stored in the refrigerator (in the lower compartment, it is usually colder there) only if it is planned to be cooked a day, maximum two, after purchase. Naturally, you need to buy a product from trusted people, otherwise you cannot be sure that it is fresh.

Raw poultry meat Can be stored in the refrigerator for only 2 days, and cooked for up to 4 days. Raw pork and beef Do not store in the refrigerator for more than 5 days, and cooked for 4 days. Ground meat can stand in suitable condition in a refrigerator for no longer than 2 days.

How to store meat in the freezer

The optimal freezer temperature for storing meat is -18 °C. The most important process before freezing meat is pumping out the air from the product bag.It’s good if you use a special device for this – a vacuum sealer. It would also be correct if you wrap the package of meat in foil before putting it in the freezer.

Large pieces cannot be placed in one bag. It is better when each portioned piece is wrapped in cling film. In order to know exactly how long a particular container or package of meat has been in the freezer, it is necessary to make an inscription on it with the corresponding date.

Throughout the whole year can be stored in the freezer chicken, duck, goose, whole turkey. Bird, divided into parts, has a shorter shelf life - no more than 9 months.

Large pieces beef, veal, pork and lamb meat will be able to remain in the freezer in suitable condition until 12 months. Small pieces - up to six months.

Frozen minced meat cannot be stored longer than 4 months. Cooked meat in the freezer it will retain its properties from 2 months to six months.

Storing meat outside of the refrigerator and freezer

There are alternative ways to store meat. After all, in times when there were no freezers and refrigerators, housewives managed to store meat for a long time without them. A more common method is canning raw and cooked meat.

Less known, but still considered practical, is the method salting. By rubbing with salt (to improve the taste of meat, you can add herbs and spices to the salt) it is possible to destroy bacteria, and thereby extend the shelf life of the product. It will need to be soaked in water before cooking.

Some housewives have meat dried, cutting it into thin slices. But not everyone will like the taste of such a product.

It is important to remember that you should never eat expired meat, otherwise you can be seriously poisoned.