How Long Can Cooked Ground Beef Stay in the Freezer

How Long Can You Safely Store Ground Beef in the Freezer?

It's longer than you think—just that doesn't mean you should be eating it.

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Say yous're making meatloaf for an impromptu become-together and yous need basis beef. You don't take fourth dimension to run to the grocery store, only you remember that there are several pounds stashed in your freezer.

You lot pull out the footing beef, and realize that yous forgot to characterization and appointment it. You lot have no idea how old it is. What exercise you exercise? Assume the ground beefiness is probably fine, or throw it out only to exist rubber?

Eating healthy should still be delicious.

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Foodborne disease is no joke. And with the most recent basis beefiness recall—which involved 2.1 million pounds due to salmonella concerns—fresh on our minds, post-obit safe handling practices is more of import than ever right now.

Ideally, you should always label and date any food that you plan to freeze. Simply if you run into something that doesn't have a date, you may exist surprised to know that this doesn't necessarily mean it's unsafe to eat.

More Food Recall News:

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

What's far more than important is the temperature of your freezer. In order to effectively kill any leaner, yeast, or mold, your freezer must be set up to 0°F or colder. With that said, as long as food is continuously stored at 0°F or colder, it volition always be safe to eat.

In fact, the main issue for properly frozen food is freshness and quality. According to the FDA's freezer storage guidelines, the optimal storage time for frozen footing beef is 3 to 4 months. The same goes for any type of ground meat, including hamburger meat and ground turkey, pork, veal, or craven.

So, to answer the original question—yeah, y'all technically can melt and eat the basis beef that's been sitting in your freezer, simply that doesn't mean that you should. Instead, learn the signs that your ground beef may be past its prime so you'll exist 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 expect for are freezer burn, color changes, and ice crystals.

With that said, don't adventure serving your dinner guests subpar meatloaf. If you're worried, toss information technology out and guild pizza instead. Merely the adjacent fourth dimension you purchase fresh footing beef, continue in mind that you can safely store it in the fridge for 1 to ii days. If you aren't certain you'll use it inside that time frame, it's best to go ahead and freeze it.

Ground Beef Freezing Tips

• E'er characterization ground beef with the date and weight earlier freezing. Freeze large quantities of footing beef in one-half-pound or one-pound portions so you can defrost the exact corporeality you lot need.
• Bank check the temperature of your freezer periodically to ensure that it'southward set to 0°F or colder. (If you don't own a freezer thermometer, yous tin order one from Amazon.)
• To prevent freezer burn, wrap the basis beef in wax newspaper or freezer paper.
• The safest style to thaw frozen ground beef is in the refrigerator. Never exit information technology on the countertop to thaw every bit this exposes it to the danger zone (forty°F to 140°F), the temperature range where bacteria can abound. Cook or refreeze the beef within i to 2 days.
• If you lose power, avert opening the freezer door. Depending on how full your freezer is, frozen nutrient lasts for i to two days (every bit long every bit the door stays airtight.)

Lastly, stay upward to appointment on food recalls by subscribing to the Nutrient Safe and Inspection Service'due south e-mail alerts. For big recalls like the recent ground beef one, get into the addiction of double-checking your freezer for the afflicted nutrient, as this is an like shooting fish in a barrel place to overlook.

For more information on safety handling practices for raw and frozen ground beef, cheque out the USDA's Basis Beef and Nutrient Safety page.

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