QUESTION: What Happens When Meat Freezes?

ANSWER: Freezing anything (especially meats) ruptures some of the cell walls, which is why many people complain that frozen food doesn’t taste quite as good as fresh.

When you freeze, defrost, and refreeze an item, the second thaw will rupture even more of the cells, leaching out moisture and flavor, and changing the integrity of the product.

So while your frozen food might still be “safe” to eat after multiple freezing / defrosting cycles, it certainly won’t taste as yummy. As far as I know, freezing meat will not change the nutritional value — so even if it doesn’t taste quite as good, you’re still getting the vitamins and nutrients from the meat!

That said, freezing is still the best, easiest, and fastest way to preserve meat, as it drastically slows the enzyme activity that can lead to the deterioration of food quality.

And yet today, we take our freezers for granted; the funny thing is, we don’t even know how to fully take advantage of them. Most of us will throw a piece of meat or chicken in the freezer to prevent it from spoiling in our fridge. But then what? How many times have you thrown out a frozen piece of meat because, well, you’re not sure how long it’s been in there — or how long the freezer can keep things fresh? You might be surprised to find that frozen meat can last in the freezer for a long amount of time.

We bet that a lot of good meat has been unnecessarily thrown out — and that’s just a shame. If you feel this might be you, take a moment to look over the meat guide below with information provided by the USDA.

And with the use of a zip-seal FREEZER bag and a permanent marker, you can avoid wasting your good food. Before you put meat in the freezer, you should always write the date on it — that way you don’t have to question how long it’s been frozen. And, believe it or not, some meats can last in the freezer for up to one year without suffering in quality.

And, believe it or not, some meats can last in the freezer for up to one year without suffering in quality.

Freezer times:

• Cooked poultry — 4 months

• Uncooked poultry parts — 9 months

• Uncooked whole poultry — 12 months

• Cooked meat — 2 to 3 months

• Uncooked roasts — 4 to 12 months

• Uncooked steaks or chops — 4 to 12 months

• Uncooked ground meat — 3 to 4 months