21
Mar
For most people, a meal can never be complete without meat. Others believe that poultry is a healthy alternative to red meat. Seafood has now become ubiquitous in diets across the world even in areas that are thousands of kilometers from the source of such food.
Whatever your palate loves, you appreciate that these foods are perishable. Below is a guide detailing how to best store these different foods to cook fantastic and healthier meals. Take a look:
General Storage Tips
It is advisable to store meat and poultry in its original packaging to avoid freezer burn. For several pieces being stored over a longer period, buy different wrappings for each or alternatively buy vacuum-packed meat and poultry. Seafood should always be left in its packaging and in the case of live shellfish, poke holes in the wrapping.
Specific Meat Storage Tips
- Beef and Lamb
Different types of meats have specific durations for freezer and refrigeration:
- Chops: Refrigerate for 3 days and store in a freezer for 4 months tops.
- Roasts and loins: Store in refrigerator for 3 days and in a freezer for 6 months.
- Ground meat and premade patties: Store in refrigerator for 2 days and in a freezer for 4 months.
- Uncooked sausage: Store in refrigerator for 2 days and in a freezer for 2 months
- Steaks: Store in refrigerator for 3 days and in a freezer for 6 months
- Stew meat: Store in refrigerator for 2 days and in a freezer for 4 months.
- Deli and Processed Meats
- Cold cuts, deli-sliced: Refrigerate for 5 days and store in a freezer for 2 months
- Packaged cold cuts: Refrigerate for 2 weeks if unopened and 1 week if open and in a freezer for 2 months
- Hot dogs: Refrigerate for 2 weeks when unopened and 1 week if opened. Store in a freezer for 2 months.
- Cooked sausage: Refrigerate for 2 weeks when unopened and 1 week when opened. In a freezer store for 2 months.
- Cured sausage: When unopened, store up to 3 months and 6 weeks If opened. Do not freeze.
- Pork
Bacon can be refrigerated for 2 days up to 2 weeks depending on the type. Freezing goes up to 6 months. You have to appreciate that these durations vary depending on whether you are storing ham, sausage, stew meat or chops.
- Poultry
Includes sausage, whole, pieces and ground meat. Refrigeration should be up to 2 days and freezing can go up to 6 months.
- Sea Food
Includes shrimp (cooked and uncooked), oysters, lobsters, fish (fatty and lean), crabs, crabmeat, and clams. Refrigeration normally is up to 2 days and freezing ranges from 3 months up to 6 months. However, fatty fish should not be frozen.
The way you store your meat, poultry, and seafood is very important and even knowing your food suppliers storage procedures for these products are equally essential for your business. PT Puri Pangan Utama is a food supplier based in Bali, we make sure our meats and foods are at the best quality. Take a look at our meat products here. You can also contact us here for more information.