How long can you safely store different types of meat in the freezer?

How long you can store meat in the freezer is a broad question. Poultry, such as chicken, or meat of large artiodactyls (beef or pork) are kept in the freezer for an uneven amount of time. A separate situation applies to minced meat, chilled meat or chopped frozen pieces.

If you follow the basic rules, the shelf life of meat can be significantly increased, even if these are pieces of not frozen, but chilled meat or minced meat, which always spoils faster.

How many days can different types of meat be stored in the freezer?

Industrial freezers can keep any food for decades, but a standard home freezer is subject to stricter time limits and food must be purchased with caution.

1. Cattle product (pork, beef or lamb) should be kept frozen for 4 months to a year.
2. Poultry (whole chicken, goose, etc.) can spoil faster. It can be kept in the freezer for a maximum of a year, but after 8-9 months the taste is lost.
3. Poultry meat (chicken, turkey, duck), chopped into pieces, can sit quietly for up to 8 months.
4. It is more difficult to predict how long minced meat will last in the freezer even at the lowest temperature. Any chilled food (minced meat, offal) has already been in the store for some time. The approximate shelf life of frozen minced meat is 4 months, but you should always check the expiration date on the packaging and mentally subtract another month or so.Supermarkets often have the sin of re-sticking stickers with the date of manufacture if something is out of stock.

Advice

If you need to cook chicken that has been in the freezer for longer than the given time, you should boil it for at least an hour and a half. Various spices will help get rid of the unpleasant smell of old meat, but you need to be sure that the meat has not been defrosted more than once, otherwise it will no longer be suitable for cooking.

How long can meat be stored in the freezer at different temperatures?

It is best to store meat according to the temperature conditions presented in the table.

Advice

If the power is turned off in the house, nothing will happen in 2-3 hours, there is no need to worry. However, cutting off the power for a longer period of time may cause the bird to spoil. In such a situation, you need to remove the product from the freezer and rub it with vinegar or citric acid, and then put the food in the coolest place in the house.

Chicken or beef should not be stored for too long in the refrigerator at a temperature of 0°... +4°. In this case, you will need to place it in a special container: plastic, enamel or glass, and use a paper towel or napkin instead of a lid.

The answer to the question of how to store meat in the refrigerator is simple - a maximum of two days. During this time, it must be cooked or frozen, otherwise the product will spoil. If the product is minced meat or chopped pieces (especially poultry: chicken, duck, etc.), the storage time in the refrigerator is 12 hours - half as long as the first period.

Advice

If the meat cannot be kept in the freezer or refrigerator, to maintain freshness, it is recommended to wrap the product in a cloth soaked in a solution of salicylic acid, which can be purchased at the pharmacy. You can also dip a piece of poultry into ice-cold milk or sour milk to maintain freshness. Any of the presented methods preserves the freshness of the product for 10 hours, no more.

So, meat can stay in the freezer for quite a long time. Large animal meats, such as beef or pork, can be stored for a year or more, but poultry, such as chicken or turkey, can be stored at low temperatures for up to 12 months. The most important thing is to know exactly the “age” of food, especially those that have been chilled before purchase, such as minced meat or whole chopped pieces.

In case of emergency, we have provided tips for extending the shelf life using “folk” methods, but even here the time will be limited to 10 hours.