How Long is Thawed Meat Good For
posted on
January 18, 2024
Buying from our farm means getting used to planning ahead so your frozen meat is thawed in time to use. Ever wondered: How long is my thawed meat in my fridge good for? I'm here as a fellow home cook with A LOT of experience cooking with farm grown meat that's stored in the freezer. Here's my opinion based on my experience... If the vacuum seal is tight around the entire package of meat - use within 7 days. Vacuum seal loose? - YES it's still good! - use sooner, within 3-5 days. (Loose seal means air can get in contact to the meat, which could create an opportunity for bacteria to get in. Just use it sooner!) How do I tell if my meat is spoiled? In my experience, smell is the best indicator.👃 (Color change doesn't mean it's bad!) Of course, meat has a distinct smell and it's not exactly roses. The odor of spoiled meat will be much stronger, you can't miss it. 💡HOT TIP: Keep a Sharpie handy and write the date you pulled the package from the freezer on the white label. Then you know exactly how long a package has been thawed for. | |
Keep in mind - My observations here are for our meat, specifically packaged to be frozen. Freezing a package of fresh grocery store meat on a Styrofoam tray is different. 🚫 Loses freshness in freezer 🚫 Spoils faster when thawed What makes meat from the grocery store go bad sooner? 🌬 Packaging not sealed tightly to meat to keep air out 🚛 Shipping time to the store & time on the shelf 🧊 May be frozen and thawed more than once before being packaged for sale Grocery store meat is not bad. It's just different than meat direct from a farm. I hope this helps you grow into a more savvy shopper and home cook! -Kassi --- Since 2017, we've raised grass fed beef, pork and chicken from our family farm near Springfield, Missouri so our local customers can buy frozen meat directly from us instead of the grocery store. See our 200+ cuts available at bluesilobeef.com/store |