How much meat is stored in the refrigerator: strict rules and domestic tricks

Meat and convenience foods have different storage conditions.

Meat is a perishable product. But if you have a fridge, save it is not a problem. You do not know exactly how to do it, so that it is not just not spoiled, but also retains all its useful and taste qualities? I will list all the ways of storing meat, depending on its type and degree of processing.

Fresh Meat Storage

Terms and conditions of storage of meat depend on its type and plans for processing / cooking. If a small piece “for tomorrow” is bought, this is one thing, and if 10 kg or a whole thigh is another matter. In the first case, it can be stored in the refrigerator, in the second - not to do without freezing.

But first things first.

Storage of meat of large animals

If you need to save a portion of meat without freezing - the maximum time you have will be no more than two days. And then at a temperature slightly below zero.

In the plate - more accurate data:

Temperature	Shelf life of chilled meat
0 to -3	48 hours
0 to +5	24 hours
From +5 to +7	12 hours

And these figures are relevant only for the meat of adult animals. For veal and piglet, they need to be divided into two.

But compliance with the temperature regime is not all. To keep pork or beef fresh, you need to:

• Free from store packaging;

Do not leave pieces in the film - they can "suffocate"

• Put in a bowl or container;
• Loosely close the lid, leaving air intake.

Do not place the product on a surface that absorbs the juice. For example, on a wooden board. And try to keep close to no dishes or spices with a pungent smell.

Now how to store beef and pork in the freezer. At first about terms:

Temperature	Maximum shelf life
From -18 to -24	1 year
From -10 to -18	8 months
From -8 to -10	4 months

The larger the piece, the longer it will lie, losing a minimum of useful properties and juiciness.

Pressed briquettes is better to cut into portions immediately.

But it is difficult and inconvenient to cut off the necessary portion of the frozen briquette each time, and to defrost each time means simply to spoil the product. Therefore, it is usually immediately with their own hands divided into several parts.

I advise you to do the following before freezing:

• Cut the meatby separating the pulp from the bones;

Flesh without bone is stored better.

• Wipe each pieceby removing excess moisture. But do not wash;
• Wrap tightly in foil or parchment.. Or put it in a plastic bag, letting the air out of it to the maximum;

The less air in the package, the less moisture will lose meat

• Sign each piece, specifying its purpose (for soup, goulash, etc.) and the date of freezing.

Self-made label, as in the photo, will help not to "miss" the terms of use

You can freeze portions in a different way. The instruction is:

• they are put in the freezer and turn it on for maximum freezing;
• when the meat hardens, you need to get it and quickly pour cold water on it;
• ice glaze formed on the surface will not allow moisture to freeze and will keep the product juicy.

In the ice crust portion portions less freeze out

All of the above applies to fresh or chilled meat. If you buy frozen, choose the one that has been subjected to shock freezing - that is, fast. It is always tastier and juicier.

Beef shock freezing juicier and tastier

During slow freezing, ice crystals formed in its structure break up the cells, which negatively affects the taste of the product. Therefore, when freezing, you should try to do it as quickly as possible.

To do this, the freezer is switched in advance to the mode of the lowest temperature, and returned to normal storage mode only after all the pieces are completely frozen.

As for defrosting before cooking, it is not recommended to use a microwave for this purpose or immersing meat in water. It is best to do this in vivo, at room temperature. And if you are not running out of time, then you can simply shift it from the freezer to the refrigerator.

In the refrigerator, frozen meat thaws for 6-10 hours, depending on the size of the piece

Bird and rabbit storage

How long a duck, chicken or rabbit can be stored also depends on the place of storage. But also from the fact that the whole carcass or its parts.

Kind of meat	In a refrigerator	In freezer
Whole carcasses	2 days	Up to a year
Portions	1 day	Up to 6 months

Untitled carcass kept longer

Temperature conditions and methods of freezing are the same as for pork or beef.

Storage of offal, convenience foods and ready meals

In addition to fresh meat, we have to preserve the giblets, minced meat, ready meals for some time. Such foods deteriorate in the refrigerator faster:

• Offal (kidneys, lungs, heart, liver) on the shelf in the refrigerator you can keep no more than 8 hours. And in the freezer - no more than 2 months, packed in film or foil;
• Minced meat, if it is without onions, garlic and greens, it can last a day in the fridge and 3 months in the freezer. Ready - it is stored less, moreover, without frost, it quickly darkens from onion juice.

Onion in the meat is better to add before cooking, so it gets dark

• Boiled or stewed and boiled tongue stored in the refrigerator for no more than three days, removing from the broth and letting the liquid flow. They are transferred to dishes and covered with a lid so that the product is not weathered. Whether it is possible to freeze boiled meat is a moot point. In principle, it is possible, if there is a lot of it, but after thawing, the taste qualities will not be the same.

The best utensils for storing ready meals - containers with ventilated lids

• Smoked products it is impossible to freeze, and in the refrigerator they keep freshness and taste within 10 days.
• Marinated Skewers it will stay for a week at a temperature of +3 to +5 degrees, if you do not add onions to the marinade, and keep the dishes covered with food film.

Skewers can be pickled a few days before a picnic, but without onions

If you store in the freezing and refrigerating chambers many different semi-finished products, be sure to sign each package, indicating both the type of product and the date of its bookmark. This will prevent their damage. The price of the question is your health and your loved ones.

If you do not rely on memory, it is better to write on the packaging and the deadline

Conclusion

In great detail, this topic is disassembled in the video posted in this article. And although each housewife has her own habits and secrets, the main recommendations on the shelf life and temperature should be strictly followed. I described them for each type of product, and it is easy to remember them.

Share your secrets of keeping meat in the comments, I will be grateful!