You can safely store meat for weeks, months, or even years if you follow the correct technique. Storing it in the cold, in the freezer, is the most obvious method; however, there are other processes for doing this, some of which have been in use for over a thousand years.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Freeze the Meat
Step 1. Prepare the meat before freezing it
To avoid oxidation and dehydration caused by low temperatures, prepare and store the product in special containers before freezing it.
- Red meat and poultry can be frozen inside the packages in which they are sold, but it is advisable to further wrap the package to avoid any infiltration of air. For this operation use plastic bags or thick aluminum paper, specially produced for use in the freezer (you can find these specifications on the package).
- Take advantage of a vacuum machine for domestic use, to eliminate the air from the packaging. This tool is available in many different models, with varying prices and uses special bags (sold separately) to store food.
- Get airtight containers, such as plastic ones, special freezer jars, or jars.
- Use packaging films, such as thick aluminum foil, plastic freezer bags, or polyethylene foil and containers.
- Eliminate as many bones as possible before freezing the meat, as they take up space and can contribute to the formation of freeze oxidation.
- Put specific paper or cling film between a slice or a meatball and the other, to make separation easy even after freezing.
Step 2. Find out about the maximum (and safe) storage times for frozen meat
This food cannot stay in the freezer forever.
- When raw (such as steaks and cutlets) it can be frozen for 4-12 months.
- Raw, ground beef is safe to consume within 3-4 months.
- Cooked meat can be kept for 2-3 months.
- Frankfurters, ham and cured meats can be frozen for 12 months.
- Poultry (cooked and raw) lasts 3-12 months.
- Game can remain frozen for 8-12 months.
- Be sure to maintain a freezing temperature or lower, which is -18 ° C or less.
Step 3. Remember to label all containers and packages
You need to know what you have kept and for how long.
- The label should state the type of meat (chicken breast, steak, ground beef, etc.), whether it is cooked or raw, and the date it was frozen.
- To find things more easily in the future, it is worth grouping food by type; for example, you can put all the chicken together, all the beef in another group, and the pork in a third.
- Use the older portions first, to avoid having to throw out expired foods or those oxidized by the cold.
Step 4. Use an electric freezer to store the meat
This is one of the simplest ways to keep it.
- You can use the freezer compartment of the normal refrigerator or choose a separate freezer.
- Freezers are larger than the cold room.
- Remember that these appliances consume electricity, so your bill could increase if you decide to have a freezer in addition to the refrigerator; the increase depends on the size of the appliance and its efficiency class.
Step 5. Use a camping refrigerator if you don't have an electric freezer
This container can be used anywhere and does not require electricity.
- You can use it when you are camping or if you need to store meat during a blackout.
- You have to fill it with ice to make the inside cold enough.
- Arrange some ice on the bottom, add the meat and then cover it with more ice.
- Make sure the food is completely surrounded by ice, to ensure even and complete freezing.
- If you are using a camping refrigerator, you need to replace the ice as it melts to prevent the meat from thawing prematurely.
Step 6. Learn to defrost meat
Correct procedure reduces the chances of food poisoning.
- Store it in the refrigerator. Plan for defrosting in advance, as large chunks of meat, such as a whole turkey, take up to 24 hours to complete.
- Thaw it by immersing it in cold water (wrapped in an airtight package); change the water every half hour, until the meat is completely thawed.
- You can also use the microwave, but make sure you cook it immediately. This appliance does not defrost meat evenly and may start cooking some parts.
- Before cooking, look for signs of freeze oxidation. These manifest as dark areas, but they do not necessarily make the meat inedible; cut these portions away before eating the rest.
- Use common sense: If the appearance or smell of the meat clearly indicates that it is spoiled, do not eat it.
Method 2 of 4: Preserving the Meat with the Salt
Step 1. Season it with salt
It is one of the oldest methods.
- Use a special salt that you can buy online, in supermarkets or specialty stores.
- Store the cuts in airtight jars or paper bags, making sure they are completely covered in salt. Alternate the layers of meat with salt to make sure you treat the entire surface of the food.
- Store the containers in a cool place (2-4 ° C) for a month, making sure that the meat does not freeze.
- Calculate how long you need to season the meat, using this formula: 14 days for every 5 cm of thickness. For example, a 6-7 kg ham, 15 cm thick, needs 42 days of curing.
- Salted meat stored in airtight containers - such as plastic bags - can last up to 3-4 months without having to store it in the refrigerator.
- You can rinse off excess salt before cooking.
Method 3 of 4: Preserve the Meat by Drying It
Step 1. Prepare the dried meat strips
You can also do this at home using just the oven and stove.
- Cut the meat into thin strips with a cross section of 1x1 cm.
- Boil them on the stove for 3-5 minutes to get rid of the bacteria.
- Remove the meat from the boiling water and let it drain until dry.
- Bake it in the oven (at the lowest temperature) for 8-12 hours.
- You can also use a commercial dryer instead of the oven.
- Well-dried meat is tough, sticky, or leathery.
- When treated in this way it can be stored for up to 1-2 months in airtight containers, without the need for refrigeration.
Step 2. Use the smoke to prevent the meat from spoiling
In this way, you also give the food an aroma.
- Season the cuts with salt before drying them to extend their shelf life.
- Smoke them by placing them in a special appliance (smoker) set at a temperature of 63 ° C for 7 hours or at 68 ° C for 4 hours; do not exceed 68 ° C, otherwise you cook them instead of drying or smoking them.
- Some cuts take longer to dry completely; for example, beef brisket needs 22 hours to be ready.
- Use a meat thermometer to make sure the food has reached a safe internal temperature for consumption before removing it from the smoker. Poultry should be 74 ° C, pork and ground beef 71 ° C, and steaks, roasts and cutlets should have a core temperature of no less than 63 ° C.
- Commercial smokers run on gas, electricity, charcoal or wood.
- Add wood such as mesquite, hickory, oak, or cherry to add flavor to the meat.
- Smoked meats can be stored for 1-2 months in airtight containers.
Method 4 of 4: Storing Meat in Jars
Step 1. Use the proper tools to seal the meat in jars
Make sure you have the proper containers and a pressure cooker.
- Use a pressure cooker to have, in fact, control of the pressure during the closing process of the jars.
- Choose good quality pots to store the meat in.
- The hot, high-pressure steam cooks, sterilizes and seals the meat in the jars.
- Fill the pressure cooker with 5-8 cm of water.
- It begins to calculate the "cooking" times from when the pressure gauge shows the desired value.
- When the process is done, remove the pot from the heat and wait for it to cool.
- Do not open it until it is completely cold and the pressure has naturally returned to ambient pressure; Forcing the process by wetting the pot with cold running water can cause the lid to warp and spoil the food.
- Canned food can be stored in a cool, dark environment for up to one year.
Step 2. Place poultry in jars for storage
You can use either the "hot" or the "cold" method.
- Hot method: Boil, bake or steam the meat until 65% cooked. Add 5 g of salt for each liter of jars, if you wish; fill the containers with the meat and boiling broth, leaving 3 cm of free space on the top edge.
- Cold method: add 5 g of salt to each liter of the jars, if desired. Fill the containers with raw poultry (without squeezing it), leaving 3 cm of free space on the edge; do not add any liquid.
- You can keep or remove the bones. If you decide to leave them, the times to seal the jars become longer.
- This technique is also perfect for rabbit meat.
- Remember that if you live in high altitudes, more pressure is needed to seal the jars.
- Leave the pots in the pressure cooker for 65 to 90 minutes, depending on the altitude.
Step 3. Store ground or shredded meat
Use fresh cuts stored at very low temperatures.
- Shape the mince into balls or meatballs and cook them until lightly browned.
- Minced meat can be stir-fried without shaping it into meatballs.
- Before sealing it in jars, drain it to remove excess fat.
- Fill the jars.
- Add some meat broth, tomato sauce or water, leaving 2-3 cm of free space on the edge of the container; add 10 g of salt for each liter of the jars, if you wish.
- Put the containers in the pressure cooker for 75-90 minutes, depending on the altitude you are at.
Step 4. Save the strips, stews or cubes of meat
First, get rid of all large bones.
- For this kind of cuts the "hot" method is to be preferred.
- Precook the meat rare by roasting it, stewing it or browning it in a small amount of fat.
- Add 5 g of salt per liter of container capacity, if desired.
- Fill the jars with the meat and add some boiling stock, cooking stocks, water or tomato sauce, leaving 2-3 cm of free space on the edge.
- Transfer the containers to the pressure cooker for 75-90 minutes depending on the altitude.
