How to properly freeze minced meat in the freezer

What is the best minced meat to use for freezing?

Minced meat suitable for freezing is the one that was prepared on the same day. That is, it should be fresh, without a rotten smell.

It is better not to freeze minced meat purchased at the store at all. If, however, such a need exists, then check its expiration date.

There is an opinion that it is best to freeze only minced meat, without any additives in the form of onions or bread soaked in milk. It is worth approaching this issue wisely, because frozen cutlets are sold in the store with all the additives. Of course, if it is possible to freeze minced meat without fillers, then it is better to do so.

Minced meat without additives behaves better when defrosted.In addition, a dish prepared from defrosted minced meat with the addition of fresh onions and spices will be much tastier, but you should not exclude the possibility of freezing minced meat with impurities.

How to freeze minced meat: methods

Freezing minced meat in bags

Freezing minced meat in one large piece is extremely inconvenient. To defrost a small part later, you will need to sweat, because a piece that has set in the cold is practically impossible to cut.

To avoid this, you can freeze the minced meat in bags for exactly one serving. To do this, approximately 200-300 grams of minced meat are plucked from a large piece, rolled into balls and frozen in the freezer. If necessary, take out one or two balls and use them in cooking.

However, it is worth noting that minced meat frozen in this way takes quite a long time to defrost, in order to speed up the process as much as possible, the minced meat is flattened before freezing.

To do this, the minced meat is placed in a bag. The minced meat in the bag is pressed with the palm of your hand so that a thin layer is formed, no more than 2 centimeters thick. To further achieve the fastest defrosting of the workpiece, you can use a rolling pin. A thin layer of minced meat defrosts 2 times faster.

How to freeze minced meat in portions

If, in the future, you may need very small pieces of minced meat, then press the finished layer into pieces with a knife or thin stick. In the future, it is very convenient to break such minced meat into separate slices and use only the required amount of minced meat in a dish.

You can learn more about this method by watching the video from the Nestlé channel. Healthy choice!” - Minced meat that is not afraid of frost!

How to freeze minced meat in molds

Another way to freeze minced meat is to freeze it in ice cube trays.To do this, line the container with cling film, and place a small amount of minced meat in each well. Cover the top of the mold with the remaining film and send the workpiece to the freezer compartment of the refrigerator.

See the video from the Morning-Inter channel - How to properly freeze minced meat

An original modernization of the above method is the freezing of minced meat in silicone molds of various themes. For example, minced meat for Valentine's Day can be frozen in the shape of hearts. And so that the desired appearance is not lost before frying the molding minced meat, the frozen figures should first be immersed in boiling water.

How long does minced meat last in the freezer?

Undoubtedly, storing frozen minced meat in the freezer is very convenient, but we should not forget about the shelf life of this product. Thus, minced meat that is packed as tightly as possible can be stored in the freezer for up to 4 months, while minced meat that has periodic contact with fresh air is stored for no more than 2-3 months.

It is important to periodically inspect frozen pieces of minced meat. And use the workpiece in a timely manner, preventing it from weathering.