Which Way to Go?
One of the beneficial things I look at on the blog are the search terms people use to get to my site. In these search terms I hope to see questions that I have answered or information I have provided. Sometimes, however, I see questions that went unanswered. While I can’t go give that person the info they were searching for, it does give me good motivation for a new post. That is the case here. The question was ‘How long does vacuum packed meat last?’, or something to that effect.
Well, this prompts me to write about several types of packaging and storing food.
The list of options I want to go over are:
- Store packaging
- Freezer bags
- Freezer or locker paper
- Vacuum bags
- Canning
First the packaging the meat comes in from the store. It is designed to keep the meat protected from contamination and contain any fluids, the meat itself might loose, in the package. This package generally is a styrofoam tray with resinite (or another typr of plastic wrap) stretched over the tray and sealed with a hot pad on the bottom of the tray. Inside there will sometimes be a soaker pad under the cut of meat to soak up the juices and keep it from making a mess. For a short stay in the fridge before cooking, this package will do fine. Even if the juices are finally more than the soaker can handle, in the short term it is easier to put the tray in a container then repackage it at this point. If however, you are looking to freeze the meat, even if just for a short time, I recommend repackaging it. The plastic is not as thick as you would want in the freezer and the juices in the soaker are a pain during thawing. The soaker might even come apart making the process slower than I, and I’m sure you, would want. This packaging does not seal the meat away from air, which is what causes freezer-burn. Forgotten, even for as little as a couple of months, you may be tossing that future dinner in the trash before you even get a chance to burn it. Just kidding.
Freezer bags are easy. Did I mention they were easy. They also have other advantages, like being easy.
What’s wrong with convenience? Nothing. We use freezer bags to get the food into the freezer quickly. We use them for foods we will definitely be using in the next two or so months. That gives us some leeway, in case it slips our mind. If you are expecting more than a few months from meat in freezer bags, you are, in my experience, on the wrong side of the odds for that bet. Freezer bags protect and seal fine but the air left in the bag with the precious meat will still cause freezer burn sooner than you think.
Butcher or freezer paper is a good choice. You should use two layers and at least the inner layer should be plastic coated. There are two main ways to wrap meat. At least I know of two major techniques. One is called Rolled wrapping and the other is called Drug Store wrapping. Both are effective and have the same objective. Wrap it good and tight. I personally use the Rolled wrap, while most of the wrappers who worked for me used the Drug Store wrap. The Rolled wrap is wrapped from the corner. The paper is laid with one corner closest to you, knd of kity corner. This corner is laid across the meat and the meat is rolled about half way across the paper. The two corners by each of your two hands are folded in at about this point as the meat is rolled in the paper. . At about the three-quarter mark a second layer is done the same way pushing the corner closest to you under the forth corner of the first layer. The two opposing corners are folded over the top and the last corner of the second layer is pulled across the top toward you. One piece of tape here and, if it is tight, your done. The Drug Store technique is done from the long side of the paper. The package is wrapped like a Christmas present with two separate layers. That’s why the Christmas presents I wrap look so bad compared with theirs. Getting it tight is how you seal it up. Either technique will give you a year or maybe longer in the freezer, if it is done well.
Vacuum bags are awesome. I don’t know how long they last without freezer burn. It’s like getting to the center of the Tootsie Roll Pop, I don’t know how many licks it takes. The meat we put in the freezer rarely stays there for even a year. Because the air is evacuated, it should be a good long time. The good news is you can see freezer burn developing and if you keep meat a really long time and want it kept raw this is the way to go. I know from friends and family it will last well over a year. Nothing lasts forever but I wouldn’t be afraid of meat kept this way even after a long time. Freezer burn will be obvious even before you thaw it and you can smell it after you thaw and open it if you miss the discoloration. As far as spoilage the questions here goes back to how the meat was cared for before packing it, how well did it get evacuated, and how well was it kept frozen. If those things are done right the risks are really low. However, if you don’t trust it, food poisoning really sucks. I had it a week and a half ago. Not from my cooking or preserving but from a deli. Pure misery. Just keep it all reasonable. Is there any good reason to be suspicious. Is it from the civil war, did the freezer quit a couple of times last year, is your vacuum sealer just makes an annoying noise and then seals the bag making a meat package pillow. All I can say is use loads of common sense.
Canning, in my opinion , is the king of all preserving techniques. It is time consuming but the food is cooked when your done. It’s not for every cut of meat but where it gives the result you want, it is excellent. Diligence and care are warranted because of the value of the meat, the time it takes to process, and the length of time it can last, you don’t want to take shortcuts. Having confidence in your process is very valuable down the road a few years when you wonder if it will still be good for dinner.
Picking a packaging option boils down to your needs for type and length of storage. No storage technique will make up for poor care of the meat before packaging. letting the meat get warm can cut it’s longevity by half in just a couple of hours. Allowing meat to thaw and refreeze also shortens its lifespan in the freezer. Both of these mistakes increase the bacteria level in the meat. Even if it is not at a level that will make you sick it can make the meat spoil surprisingly quick when you are ready to finally use it. Canned meat that is stored where it is warm will have a similar effect on the ability to keep the meat for a long time or use it at all when you want to. Pulling out a jar of venison from two years ago can go from sweet memories of how that hunt went to sorrowful memories of how you left it in the sunny window and now instead of being nice and concave on top the lids are about to pop like a balloon. If you need a reminder of the importance of good storage practices just go ahead and pop that top off. After a quick trip to the bathroom in obedience to your gag reflex you won’t take it for granted again, I’m sure.
Good procedures and good storage will leave you happy with the results every time. You can trust your technique as far as you can trust your own diligence. Enjoy and I hope this was a little helpful.
Brutus
