storage time of meat

[rufus1]

How long are you guys storing your meat in the deepfreeze? Are you storing it vacuume packed or just wrapped in paper or plastic. Is it lasting a few months or until the next season starts.
Reason Im asking is things are starting to get financially tougher for me and I was thinking of filling up a few freezers I have for the long term. I am wondering how long the meat would last before it went bad, and whats the best way you have found of storing it.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

I might get some freezer burn, but it will still be edible out 4-6 years or more.

 

[jak67429]

Vacume packing will reduce freezer burn. I have had venison that was 2 years old with no freezer burn.

 

[jim in Anchorage]

Never tried this with meat, but works good with fish. Fill your sink with water, put a zip-lock bag in open side up and submerge. Knock any air bubbles out, put the meat inside[underwater] Close the bag 95%, Squeeze out as much water as possible, then fully close[again, all underwater]. Freeze as fast as possible[don't cram the freezer all at once] Seems to last forever, and I hate freezer burn.

 

[moosehunt]

When properly wrapped (important) with high quality wrapping paper (important) one should have absolutely no problems for approximately 3 years. 4, 5, + years you may well get some freezer burn. No biggie--trim it off and the meat is fine.
Vacuum packaging is great, but quite expensive for not a lot of gain--provided you use quality paper and properly wrap.

 

[bswiv]

I own a reatil/aholesale seafood market. Been at that for near on 30 years. As part of that work we often purchase shrimp during the season and then freeze it for the off season. This is usually done with a glaze. Shrimp done this way will last for at least a couple of years.

For freezing meat, if you don't have one of the vacum sealers, a good way to do it is to set the meat in the freezer over night UNWRAPED. Next morning, after making sure it is frozen SOLID, you do what is called glazing. It's simple. Just set up a bucket with very cold water in it. We mix ice in the water till it stops melting and then scoop the ice out of the way.

Once this is ready you pull the SOLID frozen meat out of the freezer and immediately imerse it in the very cold water for a minute or so. You then return it to the freezer and do the next piece untill all the meat has been done.

Wait a while, a hour or so, and repeat this. In a while do it one more time except this time quickly wrap the meat in plastic, double, before returning to freezer.

What you will see is that a layer of ice will form completely surrounding the meat. This ice will protect the meat from buring.

Depending on how long you intend to store the meat you can build up the glaze more or less. In essence it's like making a candle by diping it in hot wax, except in reverse.

Note: It is very important to do the diping and wraping quickly so that the meat gets back in the freezer ASAP. You don't want the glazing to melt off while you mess about.........

 

[countertop]

I've never kept venison for more than a year. I usually try to finish out the freezer for the start of the next season. In fact, its not unknown for us to make a stew out of whatever venison is leftover, for the night before the season starts.

Have never had problems keeping it this long - and as others have said - if you get any freezer burn, just slice it off.

As for keeping it longer term - as long as its frozen, it should be fine.

 

[tango2echo]

I freeze fish and roasts in water. Good for a year. I freeze burger wraped tightly in butchers paper. Good for atleast two years. Steaks usually don't last long enough around my house to need to worry how long they've been in the freezer.

t2e

 

[kanook]

I use to cut off the freezer burn and cook it seperately for my dog (he's a good boy and turned 17 in May). Now I got one of the "vacuum sealers" and the meat doesn't get the burn so my good little boy gets meat that doesn't taste as funny.

 

[EatBugs]

I usually try to finish out the freezer for the start of the next season. In fact, its not unknown for us to make a stew out of whatever venison is leftover, for the night before the season starts.

That's what I do.... sometimes it's a stew, sometimes I make my Chicago style Italian venison(csiv) for sandwiches... mmmmmm... haven't make the csiv this year yet.... think I will do that by the end of this week if I have enough meat in the freezer...