How Long to Keep Beef in Freezer

How Long Can You Safely Store Ground Beef in the Freezer?

Information technology's longer than you think—merely that doesn't mean you lot should be eating it.

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Say y'all're making meatloaf for an impromptu become-together and you demand ground beefiness. You don't accept time to run to the grocery shop, but you remember that in that location are several pounds stashed in your freezer.

You pull out the basis beef, and realize that you forgot to label and engagement it. You have no thought how old it is. What do y'all do? Presume the ground beef is probably fine, or throw it out just to be safe?

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Foodborne disease is no joke. And with the almost recent ground beef recall—which involved 2.one million pounds due to salmonella concerns—fresh on our minds, following safe handling practices is more important than ever right now.

Ideally, you should ever characterization and date any food that you plan to freeze. But if you meet something that doesn't have a appointment, yous may exist surprised to know that this doesn't necessarily mean it'due south unsafe to eat.

More Food Recall News:

• Recalled Footing Beef Linked to E. coli Outbreak Sold at Target, Aldi, Sam's Club
• Romaine East. coli Update: FDA Pinpoints Source, Says Outbreak Isn't Over All the same
• 91,000 Pounds of Basis Turkey Recalled Due to Potential Salmonella Contagion

What'southward far more than important is the temperature of your freezer. In order to finer kill any leaner, yeast, or mold, your freezer must be set to 0°F or colder. With that said, as long equally nutrient is continuously stored at 0°F or colder, it volition always be safe to eat.

In fact, the principal issue for properly frozen food is freshness and quality. Co-ordinate to the FDA's freezer storage guidelines, the optimal storage fourth dimension for frozen basis beef is 3 to iv months. The aforementioned goes for whatever type of ground meat, including hamburger meat and ground turkey, pork, veal, or chicken.

So, to reply the original question—aye, you technically can cook and eat the basis beef that's been sitting in your freezer, simply that doesn't mean that you lot should. Instead, learn the signs that your ground beef may exist past its prime so you'll be able to tell if the flavor and texture accept been compromised. According to the USDA's Freezing and Food Condom guide, three potential signs to look for are freezer burn down, color changes, and ice crystals.

With that said, don't hazard serving your dinner guests subpar meatloaf. If you're worried, toss it out and club pizza instead. But the next time you lot purchase fresh ground beef, keep in listen that you can safely store information technology in the refrigerator for i to 2 days. If you aren't sure you'll utilize it within that time frame, information technology'south all-time to become alee and freeze it.

Ground Beef Freezing Tips

• E'er label ground beef with the appointment and weight before freezing. Freeze big quantities of ground beef in half-pound or one-pound portions so you lot can defrost the exact amount you demand.
• Cheque the temperature of your freezer periodically to ensure that it'southward set to 0°F or colder. (If y'all don't ain a freezer thermometer, you lot tin can order ane from Amazon.)
• To prevent freezer fire, wrap the ground beef in wax paper or freezer paper.
• The safest style to thaw frozen ground beef is in the refrigerator. Never leave it on the countertop to thaw as this exposes information technology to the danger zone (xl°F to 140°F), the temperature range where bacteria can abound. Cook or refreeze the beef within 1 to 2 days.
• If you lose power, avert opening the freezer door. Depending on how total your freezer is, frozen nutrient lasts for 1 to 2 days (as long every bit the door stays airtight.)

Lastly, stay upwards to appointment on food recalls by subscribing to the Food Safety and Inspection Service's email alerts. For big recalls similar the recent ground beefiness 1, get into the habit of double-checking your freezer for the affected food, every bit this is an piece of cake identify to overlook.

For more information on rubber treatment practices for raw and frozen basis beef, bank check out the USDA'due south Ground Beef and Nutrient Prophylactic page.

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Source: https://www.cookinglight.com/cooking-101/how-long-can-you-freeze-ground-beef