How to Package Ground Beef for Freezing
How to Store Ground Beef the Safe and Easy Way
Plus, the best way to freeze footing beef.
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Basis beef is one of the most versatile ingredients out there—and it'due south also one of the nearly perishable. Eating improperly stored ground beef can make you dangerously ill. Hither'due south what you need to know to go on you and your family safe:
How Long Does Basis Beef Last?
Credit: Vasko/Getty Images
Vasko/Getty Images
Probably not as long as you think. According to the USDA, raw ground beef should actually only stay in your refrigerator for one to two days (yikes).
If you want to go on it longer, though, you lot tin can always store information technology in your freezer. It tin can stay in that location for around four months.
How Do You Know If Footing Beef Is Bad?
Credit: Arijuhani/Getty Images
Arijuhani/Getty Images
Utilize your senses to tell if your raw footing beef is past its prime:
- Expect for discoloration or mold. Skillful ground beef should be brilliant ruddy and not brown. Obviously, if it has mold, information technology should go directly into the trash. Also take a await at the expiration date—if it'southward USDA-canonical beef (it should be), the expiration and sell-past dates should be clearly marked.
- Olfactory property your ground beef. If it has a rancid, tangy scent, that's a sign it's past its expiration date.
- When you lot bear on it, information technology should feel cool, shine, and a little moist. Spoiled ground beef can feel sticky or slimy. (But, for the dear of God, wash your hands thoroughly later on touching raw meat).
Still unsure? When in doubt, throw it out.
Spoiled ground beef, fifty-fifty if information technology's cooked all the style through, is never rubber to swallow. It may contain harmful bacteria that cause foodborne illnesses. If y'all've eaten spoiled meat, you lot may feel fever, vomiting, stomach cramps, and diarrhea. These symptoms are especially dangerous for the very immature, the very former, and people with weakened immune systems.
How to Store Ground Beef
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AHPhotoswpg/Getty Images
Put your ground beef in the refrigerator as before long as you get home from the store. Raw meat shouldn't exist left at room temperature for longer than is admittedly necessary. In fact, it's best to choice up ground beef toward the cease of your shopping trip and caput directly domicile later y'all've made your purchases. If you lot don't live close to the grocery shop, y'all may want to bring a libation or thermal pocketbook to hold perishables on your bulldoze home.
Proceed ground beefiness in the coldest part of your 40° or beneath fridge (typically, this is toward the back in the main compartment) for ane to 2 days. If possible, store it on the lowest shelf to prevent its juices from leaking onto other foods.
Avert storing information technology in the door, every bit the temperature in this area fluctuates more.
What Virtually Cooked Ground Beefiness?
Refrigerate ground beefiness—including hamburgers—inside 2 hours of cooking.
Store cooked ground beef in a shallow, airtight container in the fridge for iii to four days.
How to Freeze Ground Beef
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skhoward/Getty Images
To freeze basis beef, simply wrap information technology tightly in heavy duty plastic wrap, foil, or freezer-prophylactic zip-top numberless (these reusable freezer bags have more than than 500 5-star reviews on Amazon).
You can salve storage by flattening the meat with a rolling pin later on it's been sealed in a bag, only make sure no juices leak out onto your counter or rolling pin.
Write the date on the packages and consume within iv months. The frozen meat will remain condom beyond that fourth dimension, simply it will lose quality.
Tip : Freeze beef in the portions you lot programme to cook with later. This manner, you won't take to thaw and refreeze the aforementioned meat multiple times.
How to Thaw Ground Beefiness
By far, the all-time and safest way to thaw frozen basis beef is in the refrigerator. Don't even recollect almost letting it sit down at room temperature.
Simply move it from the freezer to the fridge the nighttime before you plan to cook information technology.
If y'all need it thawed more than quickly, co-ordinate to the USDA, you lot can use the defrost setting on your microwave or put the meat in a water-tight plastic bag and submerge in common cold water, irresolute the water every 30 minutes.
Ground Beef Recipes
Credit: LauriPatterson/Getty Images
LauriPatterson/Getty Images
Looking for means to use all that properly stored ground beef? We've got you covered:
- 35+ Fabulous Footing Beefiness Recipes
- 10+ Easy Footing Beef Recipes With Few Ingredients
- 10+ Super Simple Ground Beef Casseroles
Source: https://www.myrecipes.com/how-to/how-to-store-ground-beef
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