How Long Out of the Freezer With Ground Beef Stay Good

How Long Tin can You Safely Shop Ground Beef in the Freezer?

Information technology's longer than y'all call up—but that doesn't mean you should be eating it.

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Say y'all're making meatloaf for an impromptu become-together and y'all demand ground beef. You don't have time to run to the grocery store, merely you remember that there are several pounds stashed in your freezer.

You pull out the basis beef, and realize that yous forgot to label and engagement information technology. You have no thought how quondam it is. What do you exercise? Presume the ground beefiness is probably fine, or throw information technology out just to be safe?

Eating healthy should yet be delicious.

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Foodborne affliction is no joke. And with the well-nigh contempo basis beef recall—which involved 2.i one thousand thousand pounds due to salmonella concerns—fresh on our minds, post-obit prophylactic handling practices is more than important than ever correct now.

Ideally, you should always characterization and date any nutrient that you programme to freeze. But if yous run across something that doesn't have a date, you may be surprised to know that this doesn't necessarily mean information technology'south unsafe to eat.

More than Food Call up News:

• Recalled Ground Beef Linked to E. coli Outbreak Sold at Target, Aldi, Sam's Club
• Romaine Eastward. coli Update: FDA Pinpoints Source, Says Outbreak Isn't Over Nevertheless
• 91,000 Pounds of Ground Turkey Recalled Due to Potential Salmonella Contamination

What'south far more important is the temperature of your freezer. In society to effectively kill whatever bacteria, yeast, or mold, your freezer must be set to 0°F or colder. With that said, as long equally food is continuously stored at 0°F or colder, it will e'er be safe to eat.

In fact, the chief issue for properly frozen food is freshness and quality. According to the FDA's freezer storage guidelines, the optimal storage time for frozen ground beef is 3 to iv months. The same goes for any type of basis meat, including hamburger meat and ground turkey, pork, veal, or craven.

So, to answer the original question—yes, you lot technically tin can cook and eat the footing beef that's been sitting in your freezer, but that doesn't mean that you should. Instead, acquire the signs that your basis beef may be past its prime so you lot'll be able to tell if the flavor and texture have been compromised. According to the USDA's Freezing and Nutrient Safety guide, three potential signs to wait for are freezer burn down, color changes, and ice crystals.

With that said, don't risk serving your dinner guests subpar meatloaf. If yous're worried, toss it out and order pizza instead. But the next time you purchase fresh ground beefiness, keep in mind that you tin can safely store it in the fridge for ane to two days. If you lot aren't certain you'll use it inside that fourth dimension frame, information technology'southward best to go alee and freeze information technology.

Ground Beef Freezing Tips

• Always characterization ground beefiness with the date and weight earlier freezing. Freeze big quantities of footing beefiness in half-pound or ane-pound portions then y'all can defrost the verbal amount y'all demand.
• Bank check the temperature of your freezer periodically to ensure that it'south set to 0°F or colder. (If yous don't own a freezer thermometer, you can order 1 from Amazon.)
• To foreclose freezer burn, wrap the ground beefiness in wax paper or freezer paper.
• The safest manner to thaw frozen footing beefiness is in the refrigerator. Never go out it on the countertop to thaw as this exposes it to the danger zone (40°F to 140°F), the temperature range where bacteria can grow. Cook or refreeze the beef within 1 to two days.
• If you lose power, avoid opening the freezer door. Depending on how full your freezer is, frozen food lasts for 1 to two days (as long equally the door stays closed.)

Lastly, stay upwards to date on food recalls by subscribing to the Food Safety and Inspection Service'south email alerts. For large recalls similar the recent ground beefiness one, go into the habit of double-checking your freezer for the affected food, as this is an like shooting fish in a barrel place to overlook.

For more information on condom handling practices for raw and frozen ground beef, check out the USDA'southward Ground Beef and Nutrient Safety page.

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

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