How long can it be allowed to store meat in the refrigerator and freezer?

If you don't want it to be processed immediately after buying it, fresh meat and processed meat products such as sausages and corned beef must be stored in the refrigerator so that they last. However, is there a long time limit for storing meat in the refrigerator?

First check the condition of your refrigerator before storing the meat for long

To keep the meat fresh until it's time to process it, you must store meat food ingredients in the refrigerator or just freeze it inside freezer. However, you need to check the suitability of your refrigerator first.

The way to know if your refrigerator is still working is simple. Try to pay attention to the foods you store on freezer , for example ice cream.

If the ice cream still tends to be runny soft and does not harden after long freezing, this is the temperature freezer You are less cold to store food for long periods of time.

This is important because fresh food should last longer than it should when frozen.

If the condition of your refrigerator is not suitable, food will spoil more quickly because the temperature of the refrigerator is not cold enough to allow bacteria and fungi to contaminate the food.

How long can it be allowed to store meat in the refrigerator and freezer ?

Depending on the type of meat, long storage time in the refrigerator or freezer can vary. Here are the general rules.

1. Red meat

Raw red meat (beef, goat, lamb, pork, etc.) can be stored in the refrigerator for three to four days. If it is stored on freezer , raw red meat can last up to 4 - 12 months depending on the type of meat.

After removing it from the refrigerator, don't forget to check the condition of the raw meat again. If afterwards the meat turns brownish and looks no longer fresh, discard it and don't continue processing it.

Meanwhile, cooked red meat can be preserved in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, while if it is kept inside freezer can last up to 2 - 6 months.

2. Poultry

Unlike red meat, raw poultry can only last for a day or two in the refrigerator.

However, if stored inside freezer , cut poultry can last up to nine months. Whole poultry will last about a year if frozen.

For poultry that has been cooked, the storage time rules are not much different from red meat. The refrigerator can store processed poultry dishes for three to four days, and two to six months when stored inside freezer .

3. Seafood

Raw fresh fish and seafood products can be stored in the refrigerator for 1 - 2 days before processing. If you want to keep it longer, move it to freezer . Freezing fresh seafood keeps him alive for the next six months.

Even so, the FDA, the food and drug regulatory agency in America which is equivalent to Indonesia's BPOM, recommends that you store fish according to the fat content in the fish.

Fish with less fat, such as cod, flounder, tuna, and tilapia, can be stored in freezer up to six months. Meanwhile, anchovies, mackerel, salmon, and sardines, which are classified as fatty fish, are only allowed for two to three months to maintain their quality.

4. Ground meat

source: greensbury.com

Ground beef, whether it's beef, lamb, or chicken, can only stay in the refrigerator for one to two days. If stored in freezer , ground beef can last up to 3-4 months.

5. Processed meat

Processed meat products such as sausage, corned beef, bacon, ham, bacon, salami, and so on can last up to 2 weeks in a perfectly sealed package.

If it has been opened before, processed meat can only be stored in the refrigerator for 5 - 7 days. If put inside freezer , the shelf life of processed meat is one to two months.

Storing processed meat is much easier than fresh meat because the packaging has an expiration date written on it.

To make it easier for you, stick the label on the date you opened the package so you know when to take it out of the refrigerator and quickly process it before it goes bad.

The following points must also be considered in order to keep the meat fresh during storage

Apart from considering the length of time to store meat, some other things that are no less important for you to pay attention to before processing meat are as follows.

• It's best to chop the meat while it's fresh before storing it.
• Store raw meat in a clean and tightly closed (airtight) container.
• When buying packaged meat, follow the storage instructions listed on the packaging.
• Check the expiration date before processing packaged meat. Throw away immediately if it is stale or rotten.
• Keep cooked meat and raw meat separate when refrigerated.
• Label the meat with the date and name to find out when the meat began to cool down, as well as to make it easy to distinguish from other meats.

Do not freeze thawed meat again

After removing the meat that is stored or frozen in the refrigerator, immediately process everything so that there is no leftover that has to be frozen again.

Freezing raw meat that has been thawed can reduce the quality of the meat and make it spoil quickly.

So before putting it in the refrigerator, divide the portions first so that when you cook, you only need to remove and thaw as needed.

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