The right way to freeze meat

Freezing meat sounds like the simplest of tasks, right? Simply buy your restaurant-quality meat for a great price from us and throw them in the freezer if you aren’t eating them straight away. Well, it’s not quite as simple as we’ve been led to believe. There is a right way and a wrong way to freeze your meat if you want to maintain the freshness and shelf life of your cuts. We’ve put together this cool freezing guide of the do’s and don’ts for you to improve your meat-eating experience.

What to do

• Separate your order into the meat you want to freeze and the meat you want to keep fresh. 

• Ensure there is enough space in your freezer to lay the fresh meat out so it is not touching, and air can circulate freely around each packet of meat - putting the fresh meat into the freezer stacked on top of each other means the meat in the middle will take two or three days to freeze. 

• The best way to thaw meat is in the fridge over a couple of days, that moisture is then retained in the meat providing a more succulent cut once cooked. Defrost your meat in the fridge a day or two before you need it

What NOT to do

• Don’t overload your freezer with too much fresh meat to freeze at once. Break it into smaller lots and freeze it over two days if required.

• Don’t thaw meat on the bench or with warm water. Use the fridge. If you thaw meat quickly on the bench it will lose all of the moisture inside the meat.
• Don’t leave the meat for a week before using it. Once thawed the shelf life is reduced, shelf life includes the time to freeze and the time to thaw, so it is shorter than you think.

Thawing takes longer than freezing. 8 to 15% of the moisture in the meat is lost when thawed. Only 3 to 5% of the moisture in the meat is lost when thawing in a microwave.

This list will maximise the taste, quality and life of your Online Meats orders. Now you know how to freeze and defrost your cuts like a chef, what is the first order you’re going to place? Why not check out our monthly specials for meat boxes and single cuts. Is your mouth watering too?