Freezing meat – our top tips

Sometimes, we have more meat around than we can manage to eat. In order to stop it from spoiling, it can be useful to freeze it instead.

Of course, freezing meat is not without its pitfalls and there are many things which can go wrong. If meat is incorrectly frozen, then it can be spoiled or, more extremely, it can cause sickness. That is why it is so important to know how to freeze meat correctly. Taking this into account, we have put together our top tips for freezing meat:

Get the temperature right

The optimum temperature for a freezer should be 0°F (-18°C) or lower.

Add wrapping

Whether buying meat from an online butcher or the supermarket, it will probably already be wrapped and one may think that this is sufficient enough to protect the meat in the freezer, but it is actually recommended that fresh meats are wrapped in an additional layer of freezer foil or placed in an airtight freezer back in addition to its original packaging, By doing so, chefs can prevent the quality of the meat from deteriorating and they will be able to store it for longer.

Don’t stuff it up

It is important not to overstuff the freezer with meat, or any other food item, for that matter. Ideally, people should put no more produce in their freezer than they will be able to freeze within a day. They should also take care to spread out the meat being frozen, so that it is not all crammed together.

Don’t stuff up the meat either

Never stuff any fresh meat before you put it into the freezer, because it is possible for bacteria to form in the stuffing, which could be reawakened when the meat is thawed.

Give it a label

It is always a good idea to label any frozen meat before placing it into the freezer. Include both the contents and add the date on which it was frozen; this will give a guide on whether it is still safe to eat when it eventually gets thawed.

Individuality is key

By freezing meat in individual portions, it becomes much easier to simply thaw out the exact amount needed, leading to less food wastage over time.

Thawing tips

When it comes to thawing frozen meat, never simply leave it out on the side to thaw. When doing this, it could be the case that harmful bacteria will begin to grow on the outer parts of the meat as it defrosts.

Also avoid cooking meat from frozen, as it will never look or taste as good and different parts of the meat will cook at different rates. Instead, place the packaged meat in the fridge and let it thaw out naturally. This could take from 24 hours to a few days depending on the size, but it is also possible to thaw meat in a bowl with lukewarm water running from the tap –something worth considering for the pushed-for-time chef.