How much meat can be stored in the refrigerator, rules and expiry dates for different types
The habit of saving food for the winter applies not only to vegetables and fruits, but also to meat. When clogging the freezer with beef, pork, poultry and rabbit meat, it is important to remember how much animal meat and poultry is stored in the refrigerator. How long the product will stay fresh also depends on the type of processing - refrigeration or freezing. Different periods of storage of poultry and animal meat after cooking - smoking, frying, boiling, stewing.
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Requirements for GOST and SanPin
According to sanitary standards, at temperatures from -2 to +2 degrees, raw meat and meat products are stored:
- 48 hours - beef, pork, lamb carcasses, drumsticks, wings, poultry fillets;
- 24 hours - pickled semi-finished products, ground beef, pork, offal;
- 12 o'clock - ground chicken.
Shelf life under a similar temperature regime for ready meals:
- day - boiled, meat, boiled and fried offal;
- 36 hours - stew, fried pork, beef;
- 2 days - baked, fried and boiled poultry;
- 72 hours - smoked poultry carcasses;
- 5 days - vacuum-packed meats.
The humidity norm is 85%, the air circulation is 0.2-0.3 meters per second. The meat is stored in dark rooms. The longest shelf life is given to cooked meat - 10 years.
According to the state standard, the product, after opening the sealed package, must be sold and consumed within 12 hours.
Storage conditions and rules
Meat of animals and birds is stored at temperatures from 0 to -3 degrees for 2 days, and at -3 ... -5 degrees - up to 4 days.
Pork
At +7 degrees, the shelf life of pork is less than 24 hours, at -3-0 degrees - up to 2 days. Pork tenderloin, parts of the carcass for freezing are wrapped in foil. On the bottom shelf of the refrigerator, they are stored in a plastic bag with holes.
Beef
Shelf life at temperatures from 0 to +7 degrees in the refrigerator is 7 days, at -18 - up to six months. Beef tenderloin, steak is wrapped in parchment.
Mutton
Freshness lasts 2 weeks at temperatures down to -15 and 90% humidity. Freezing at -18 degrees will keep the meat for 10 months. Shelf life at -5 degrees - 3 days. The cooled product is stored in a container with ice, under a damp cloth, using foil and dense polyethylene.
Chicken
Refrigerated is stored for 5 days at +2 degrees, at 5 degrees of heat the chicken is 12 hours. At zero temperature, the product can be used for 14 days. Frozen chicken can be kept for 4 months at -12 degrees, 8 months at -18. During the year, poultry meat can be -25 degrees.Chicken is stored in plastic containers, plastic bags.
GOOSE
The goose carcass is wrapped in foil or parchment to protect it from foreign odors, and stored at 0 degrees for 2 weeks. Chilled goose is stored at +2 degrees for 3 days. Freezing will extend the shelf life up to 7 months.
Duck
Frozen poultry is stored for six months, at 0 ... + 4 degrees - 3 days. The meat is kept in an enamel bowl, under a lid. Wings, drumsticks and tenderloin pieces can be arranged separately in glassware or wrapped in aluminum foil. Polyethylene is only suitable for freezing.
Rabbit
Rabbit meat is stored for 5 days at temperatures from 0 to +4 degrees. Before freezing, a fresh carcass is suspended and kept for 8 hours at +5 degrees. Then the rabbit is cut up or wrapped whole in a plastic bag. At -18, the rabbit meat will stay six months.
turkey
A plastic bag, cling film is suitable for freezing. A whole carcass is stored for one year and parts for 9 months. Temperature conditions and shelf life:
- -14 degrees - a week;
- -4 degrees - 4 days;
- -2 degrees - 2 days.
For storage in chilled form, you need to separate the bones, since meat near the bones spoils first. You should also store turkey giblets separately, as uneviscerated carcasses spoil faster.
Minced meat
The product is stored:
- at + 4-8 degrees - 12 hours.
- -18 - 3 months;
- -12 - 30 days.
Refrigerated ground meat will spoil at room temperature in 2 hours. Therefore, it must be immediately cooked or frozen.Minced meat in a large volume is laid out in enameled containers, portions are wrapped in polyethylene.
Waste
Leaver frozen in blocks is stored for 4-6 days, and individually for 2-4 days at a temperature of -12-18 degrees. At a temperature of 0-2 degrees and a humidity of 85%, the liver is stored for 36 hours, at +8 degrees - per day. The offal is wrapped in polyethylene.
How to Pickle Properly for Long-Term Storage
Beef, pork can be preserved in a vinegar marinade:
- pour 8 tablespoons of water into a glass;
- dilute 4 tablespoons of 9% vinegar in water;
- pour a teaspoon of sugar into a bowl with meat;
- pour a solution of vinegar.
Marinated meat can be stored in cling film for up to 7 days.
Features of storage in the refrigerator
The average temperature maintained in the refrigerator is 0 to + 4-6 degrees. The coldest place is on the top shelf, under the freezer, where meat dishes are recommended to be stored.
Heat-treated meat can be stored for up to 7 days in an enamel, plastic or ceramic container.
Costs
At temperatures from 0 to -3 degrees, meat can lie for 2 days in enamel or paper. If there is no other container, you can put it in a plastic container. Fillet, chops, ribs are placed on a separate shelf to protect them from extraneous smells.
Boiled
Boiled pork, beef, poultry will keep longer in broth and in the pan in which it was cooked. The shelf life does not exceed 2 days.
Smoke
Shelf life of cold smoked products - 3 weeks, hot - up to 7 days. Smoked meats are wrapped in foil, parchment.After opening the original packaging, it is best to transfer them to a paper bag or aluminum foil and store them in the freezer for up to 3 days.
Thawed
After defrosting, food should not be returned to the freezer. The pulp should be thawed gradually in the refrigerator or at room temperature to keep the chops or goulash soft and juicy.
It's best to marinate leftovers and cook them the next day.
Jerky
The thin strips of beef are stored in zip bags, in a glass jar lined with paper towels. Beef jerky will keep for 3 months in the refrigerator. Towels in the pot should be changed every 3 days. Also for storage, the parts are rubbed with vegetable oil and wrapped in a cloth.
Stew
Opened canned stews cannot be stored for more than 1-2 days. The homemade stew must be emptied 3 days before.
Roast
The roast is stored in the refrigerator in a sealed package, foil, on the top shelf. The finished dish can be transferred to ceramic dishes with a tight-fitting lid. It is better to reheat once, since the alternation of heat and cold destroys useful substances in the product.
Ice
Storing beef and pork:
- from 0 to +2 degrees - 2 days;
- up to -2 degrees -12-16 days;
- -3 degrees - 20 days.
Chicken is stored at 0 degrees for up to 15 days, and at -2 frosts - 4 days.
Methods of preparing meat without freezing
Dried and salted meat can be kept for several months to 2 years without a refrigerator. Canning is also an affordable way to keep meat fresh.
Salting
There are salting methods:
- dry - pieces 2-3 centimeters thick are rubbed abundantly with salt from all sides, laid out in layers in enamel pots, alternating layers of meat and salt, put oppression on them and put in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks;
- wet - the parts are kept in an aqueous saline solution.
The finished corned beef is soaked in clean water to remove excess salt. The dry salted product will last up to 6 months at room temperature, wrapped in foil or parchment.
Drying
Types of treatment:
- cold - freezing, maintaining under vacuum for 6 hours until moisture and ice evaporate;
- hot - thin strips of pulp 0.5 centimeters thick are placed in a vinegar marinade, pressed tightly from above, insisted in a cool place for 10 hours, then kept in a convection oven for 8 hours at +60 degrees.
The shelf life of hot cured meat is 1.5 months, cold - 2 years at +25 degrees.
Canning
Homemade stew is prepared with the addition of fat from pork, beef, lamb:
- spices are placed at the bottom of sterilized jars;
- the meat is cut into cubes, salted, laid out in jars;
- add fat, filling internal voids;
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees;
- the container is covered with lids, placed in the oven on a baking sheet covered with coarse salt.
After 2 hours, they take out the finished stew and roll up the cans.
Signs of meat spoilage
In a spoiled product, various processes take place with characteristic features:
- rot - a gray, sluggish surface, an unpleasant odor indicate the breakdown of proteins and the accumulation of toxins;
- slime film - occurs as a result of the vital activity of bacteria, which are activated at high humidity and above zero temperatures.If you put the product in the cold, the activity of microorganisms will subside, but the formation of mucus will not stop;
- pigmentation - red, whitish and gray spots also appear due to the spread of bacteria, fungi;
- mold - the appearance of a fungus is accompanied by a bloom on the surface of the pulp.
The meat deteriorates if the storage temperature is not respected. External cleaning of mold, soaking meat in vinegar and marinade does not guarantee its complete safety when eaten.
How to extend the shelf life
Simple ways to keep beef, pork and poultry fresh a little longer:
- for storage in the refrigerator, cut into portions, put in a glass dish;
- at the first signs of deterioration, wash the pieces in clear water and soak them in a concentrated saline solution with a few drops of vinegar;
- put the meat in or under the freezer, in the lowest temperature zone;
- pickle;
- remove the bones, gut the bird;
- freeze.
To keep the meat at room temperature for 2 days, it is placed in a bowl of cold water. Also, the workpiece can be stored in the refrigerator if it is poured with milk and covered with a lid.
Common Mistakes
Violations when storing meat stocks:
- rinse the meat before freezing it;
- leave prepared meals on the stove at room temperature;
- store canned food on the balcony at subzero temperatures;
- freezing leftover thawed meat;
- keep meat and fish together.
When you freeze meat, you must indicate the expiry date on the packaging.Refrozen meat products lose their nutritional value and taste, as ice crystals destroy their structure. In case of prolonged freezing, the condition of the product should be checked. Gray spots due to shrinkage may appear on the pulp - cold burns. Damaged pieces should be thawed and cooked. Shrinkage occurs due to leaky packaging and evaporation of moisture. The effect is similar to weathering. Therefore, despite the stains, such meat is good for food.
Additional tips and tricks
Good to know about storing meat:
- polyethylene is not suitable for storing steamed beef, pork, chicken and rabbit meat;
- wood absorbs meat juices and metal leaves an aftertaste, so it is safe to store meat in enamel or glass containers;
- in order not to block the access of oxygen, it is better to cover the product with a towel;
- heat-treated meat is not stored in the freezer;
- after defrosting in the microwave, meat preparations become tough;
- a goose or duck carcass can be stored without a refrigerator, in the cellar for up to 5 days, wrapped in a cloth soaked in vinegar;
- you should not store a poultry carcass with offal, as the inside deteriorates faster than the meat;
- vegetables, dairy products should be stored separately from meat preparations;
- onions, carrots and other additives shorten the shelf life of minced meat;
- homemade stew can be stored in the refrigerator for a month without preservation.
When buying meat of dubious freshness, do not store it in the freezer for more than 2 days, and when cooking it, fry it well or cook it for a long time.To thaw meat preparations, they are placed on the lower shelf of the refrigerator for 12 hours.Reputable restaurants use fresh chilled meat in their kitchens. This example should be used in the preparation of meat dishes in the home kitchen.