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If your food budget is strained to the max month after month, save some money by keeping a frozen supply of your favorite cuts of meat and poultry on hand at all times. Because frozen meat lasts for months, stocking up when you find a sale and storing some extra in the freezer will ensure that you’ll always have a backup supply at the ready. Freezing meat at its peak quality will give you the option to make a quick, delicious dinner or to throw together a last-minute feast. So find a bargain, stock up, and get to freezing!
Steps
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Store your meat in the refrigerator until it is ready to prepare for freezing. You should store fresh, raw meats in your refrigerator for no more than 2-3 days before freezing them.
- Your refrigerator’s temperature should be kept at 40 degrees F or below at all times to ensure peak freshness and safety of all foods. [1] X Trustworthy Source Food Safety and Inspection Service of the USDA Food safety information provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Go to source
- Be ready to prepare the meat quickly so it will stay cold until you freeze it.
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Remove the meat from its store packaging and place it on a cutting board. The packaging from the grocery store is not resistant to vapor or moisture, so just discard it.- Freezing the meat in the store packaging may cause it develop freezer burn more quickly. [2] X Trustworthy Source National Center for Home Food Preservation Publicly-funded center dedicated to educating consumers about research-backed safety practices for preserving food Go to source
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Cut the meat into individual portions. Use a sharp knife to cut the meat. Remove any unnecessary bones, as they take up freezer space. [3] X Trustworthy Source National Center for Home Food Preservation Publicly-funded center dedicated to educating consumers about research-backed safety practices for preserving food Go to source
- When cutting poultry, keep the deboned meat separate from the meat with bones.
- If you are freezing ground hamburger, you can divide it into 1 pound increments, or form it into quarter pound patties.
- Do not rinse the meat before freezing. It isn’t necessary, and can cause crystallization on the meat when it freezes. If you want to rinse the meat, do it right before cooking. [4] X Trustworthy Source Food Safety and Inspection Service of the USDA Food safety information provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Go to source
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Place the meat in the center of a large piece of freezer paper or plastic wrap. If you are using freezer paper, make sure that the paper side is touching the counter and the meat is resting on the waxed side.
- Freezer paper is similar to wax paper. It has a plastic or wax coating on one side, which helps keep meat juices from leaking out. Meat markets and grocery stores use this paper to wrap raw meats in. [5] X Research source
- If you can’t find freezer paper, regular wax paper, parchment paper, or even plastic wrap will do. [6] X Research source
- If possible, use freezer bags. They're usually thicker and protect the meat while reducing the amount of ice crystals.
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Pad any bones with small pieces of paper towel so they won’t pierce the wrapping. If any bones pierce the wrap, air will get into the packaging and compromise the quality of the meat.
- Wrap small pieces of paper towel around the bones, then continue to wrap as instructed.
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Wrap each piece of meat tightly. Bring the top and bottom of the freezer paper or plastic wrap together over the meat, then fold the freezer paper down towards the meat, making small folds, each 1 ⁄ 2 to 1 inch (1.3 to 2.5 cm).
- Push all the air out of the bag before sealing it. That is key to preserving the texture of the meat.
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Tuck the ends of the freezer paper or plastic wrap around the package. Smooth to remove as much air as possible. If wrapping in freezer, wax, or parchment paper, use freezer tape to seal the paper securely around the meat.
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Wrap the meat again, this time in aluminum foil or a zippered plastic bag. This step is optional, but double-wrapping will help keep air away from the meat and cut down on the risk of freezer burn. [7] X Research source
- If storing the meat in a plastic bag, make sure to push all air out of the bag before closing.
- In the plastic bag, place each individual patty or piece of meat between two pieces of freezer paper to help keep them separate when they’re frozen. This will make them easier to quickly grab from the freezer, and it will also speed the thawing process. [8] X Trustworthy Source National Center for Home Food Preservation Publicly-funded center dedicated to educating consumers about research-backed safety practices for preserving food Go to source
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Prepare a whole bird for freezing by tucking in its wings, tying its legs and removing the inner organs. Then you can place it into a large plastic freezer bag, or wrap it tightly in freezer paper and tape it closed to seal.
- Store the giblets, heart, and liver separately in a large plastic zip-top bag for freezing.
- If you’re storing the chicken right in a plastic bag, be sure to force all of the air in the bag to escape before zipping it closed.
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Label the wrapped meat with the date and its contents in permanent marker. The date lets you know how long each piece of meat has been frozen, and the contents let you know what cut of meat you’re grabbing from the freezer without opening the package.
- Permanent marker works on freezer paper, plastic bags, parchment paper, wax paper, and aluminum foil.
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Place the wrapped meat in a freezer set at 0 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. This is the ideal temperature for keeping meats safely frozen. The refrigerator freezer will work just fine. [9] X Trustworthy Source Food Safety and Inspection Service of the USDA Food safety information provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Go to source
- Avoid freezing large quantities of meat together, as it will slow down the freezing process.
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Place the meat in the coldest area of the freezer. Separate the pieces or bags to allow the meat to freeze faster. Once the meat is completely frozen, you can rearrange the layout of the freezer.
- If the meat doesn’t freeze quickly enough, ice crystals can form in the meat. These crystals contribute to freezer burn and to the loss of juices while the meat is thawing out.
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Avoid opening and closing the freezer repeatedly. Your freezer should maintain a temperature of 0 degrees or lower at almost all times in order to keep the meat at its best.
- If you’re only freezing your meat for a short amount of time (a couple of weeks), it’s okay if the freezer’s temperature fluctuates a little from the door opening and closing. Just be sure to eat the meat quickly.
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Store your meat and poultry at a constant temperature of 0 degrees Fahrenheit to maintain their quality. Freezing will keep foods safe almost indefinitely, however the length of time the food is frozen can have an effect on its quality. [10] X Trustworthy Source Food Safety and Inspection Service of the USDA Food safety information provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Go to source
- If you want to freeze your meat long-term (over a month), but your refrigerator freezer can’t maintain at least 0 degrees, you may want to consider buying a small, separate freezer for long-term cold storage. [11] X Trustworthy Source Food Safety and Inspection Service of the USDA Food safety information provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Go to source
- Well-wrapped meats can be frozen for 6 months to a year. [12] X Trustworthy Source FoodSafety.gov Online portal combining food safety information from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Food Safety and Inspection Service, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Go to source
- Frozen meats can be stored for up to 3 months with almost no breach in quality, but after 3 months, there is a higher chance of developing freezer burn. This is especially true if they are kept in a freezer that doesn’t maintain 0 degrees F. [13] X Research source
- Chicken that is wrapped well can be frozen for up to 9 months. [14] X Trustworthy Source FoodSafety.gov Online portal combining food safety information from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Food Safety and Inspection Service, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Go to source
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Scrutinize your meat to see if you can detect freezer burn . Look for browning on the meat, smell it for a sharp frozen smell, and look for any ice crystals.
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Store cured meats for 1-2 months only. The extra salt in cured meats causes the meat to turn rancid more rapidly, so they must be eaten more quickly. [15] X Trustworthy Source FoodSafety.gov Online portal combining food safety information from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Food Safety and Inspection Service, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Go to source
- This is true for meats like ham and bacon.
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Refreeze your refrigerated raw meat safely. If you thaw your meat out and decide not to use it all, you can safely refreeze the raw meat, as long as it has thawed inside of the refrigerator.
- Keep in mind that the quality might not be as good after refreezing the meat, as thawing causes loss of moisture. [16] X Trustworthy Source Food Safety and Inspection Service of the USDA Food safety information provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Go to source
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Refreeze any cooked meats within 3 to 4 days. Never refreeze anything left outside of the refrigerator for more than 2 hours. [17] X Trustworthy Source Food Safety and Inspection Service of the USDA Food safety information provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Go to source
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Expert Q&A
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QuestionCan I freeze ground beef in a ziplock bag?Taylor DeCosta is an Executive Chef and Founder of Taylor Made Cuisine in Orange County, California. With over 10 years of professional experience, Taylor and her team offer event catering and meal delivery services to clients all over Southern California, including Los Angeles and San Diego County. Taylor and her team have been featured in many publications including the Los Angeles Times, Goop, and Orange County Business Journal. Taylor received her Associate of Arts and Sciences (A.A.S.) degree in Culinary Arts and Chef Training from Orange Coast College.Sure, but my recommendation would be to flatten the meat prior to freezing to ensure an even and faster defrosting, as the increased surface area allows for better heat distribution. Flattening the meat also allows for easier storage in your freezer, making it simpler to stack and organize your frozen items.
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QuestionI want to buy a piece of meat for New Year's, how long will it keep? Until New Year' Day even?Community AnswerIt depends on when you buy it and how you are storing it. Meat will only keep for a few days in the refrigerator, but can keep for several months in the freezer and even up to a year if wrapped properly.
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QuestionCan I freeze meat in aluminum foil?Community AnswerI don't recommend it, the last time I did that my aluminum foil stuck to my meat and the flavor did not turn out very well when I cooked it.
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Tips
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Things You'll Need
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board
- Paper towels
- Freezer paper
- Zip-seal plastic bags
- Plastic wrap
- Wax paper (optional)
- Freezer tape
Expert Interview
Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about freezing meat, check out our in-depth interview with Taylor DeCosta .
References
- ↑ https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/freezing-and-food-safety
- ↑ https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/freeze/meat.html
- ↑ https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/freeze/meat.html
- ↑ https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/freezing-and-food-safety
- ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/what-is-freezer-paper-211401
- ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/freezer-savvy-the-best-way-to-freeze-and-thaw-meat-177355
- ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/freezer-savvy-the-best-way-to-freeze-and-thaw-meat-177355
- ↑ https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/freeze/meat.html
- ↑ https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/freezing-and-food-safety
- ↑ https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/freezing-and-food-safety
- ↑ https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/freezing-and-food-safety
- ↑ https://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/storagetimes.html
- ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/freezer-savvy-the-best-way-to-freeze-and-thaw-meat-177355
- ↑ https://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/storagetimes.html
- ↑ https://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/storagetimes.html
- ↑ https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/freezing-and-food-safety
- ↑ https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/freezing-and-food-safety
About This Article
Article Summary
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To freeze meat, remove it from its original packaging and cut it into individual portions, removing any bones as you go. Next, place the meat in the center of a large piece of freezer paper and wrap each piece tightly, tucking the ends around each package so air can't get in. Then, label the wrapped meat with the date and its contents in permanent marker and put it in the coldest part of your freezer, which it usually at the very back. For tips on refreezing thawed meat, read on!
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Reader Success Stories
- "This step-by-step is clear, concise, and has photos of individual steps. I didn't know about freezer paper or that storing packages lets in moisture. Thanks for this!" ..." more
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"This step-by-step is clear, concise, and has photos of individual steps. I didn't know about freezer paper or that storing packages lets in moisture. Thanks for this!"
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