With these tricks, you’ll make sure that your meat is stored safely
Even though all food should be kept in the right place at the right temperature, some foods are just a little bit more dangerous to eat if not stored properly. One of those foods is meat. That is why you want to make sure that you store your meat safely.
The fridge
This might not come as a surprise, but the best place to store meat is in your fridge or freezer. But you can not just put it in the fridge and hope for the best. There are some methods that ensure that your meat stays fresh for longer. According to the founder and head butcher of Primal Supply Meats, Heather Marold Thomason, you should also pay attention to the way you put your meat in the fridge. She told Real Simple: “Butcher paper is great for the refrigerator, as it’s intended to store meat in for several days. If you want to freeze in butcher paper, drop the tightly wrapped paper package into a Ziploc bag to minimize the exposure to air and moisture.”
If you buy your meat at the grocery store, then you can save it in the packaging it comes in. Except for when you want to freeze it. Then you should wrap it in Saran wrap or special freezer paper and a Ziploc bag. Just to make sure it is wrapped airtight.
Re-wrap
If you have taken the meat out of the packaging and still have some leftover; wrap it up in cling film again. But don’t put it back in the freezer. According to Thomason, you will lose all the flavor and texture of the meat when you repeatedly freeze and thaw your meat.
If you need to thaw meat for dinner, make sure to plan ahead. Thomason said: “…move the meat from your freezer to your refrigerator. If you don’t remember to plan ahead, you can rapid-thaw meat in a bowl of cold water.” Just don’t thaw your meat in the microwave. That will negatively impact the flavor and texture of the meat too.
Limited time
If you haven’t stored your meat the right way, you should check whether it is still save to eat. And if you’re not sure, then choose the safest option and throw it out.
But even stored properly, meat doesn’t last forever. Thomason told Real Simple: “We recommend using fresh, paper-wrapped meats within three to four days of purchase. If meats are vacuum sealed, you want to use or freeze them within two weeks of the ‘packed on’ date. The sooner you cook meat, the fresher and more delicious it will be. But life happens, so if you’re not going to get to cooking something in time, wrap it up tight and freeze it for later. And then gently thaw!”
Read more: Symptoms that indicate that you might have meat intolerance
Source: Real Simple | Image: Unsplash, Kyle Mackie