It is important to shop wisely when purchasing animal meat since it is perishable and may contain bacteria that grow tremendously, leading to food borne diseases when consumed. Ground beef is safe indefinitely if frozen carefully but the quality may deteriorate over time. To keep your ground beef juicy & to prevent cross-contamination, always package it in BPA free Tupperware freezer storage containers.
Should I Wash Ground Meat?
As per USFDA guidelines washing meat is not recommended as it facilitates cross-contamination. Bacteria found in meat can only be killed by intense cooking i.e. when meat reaches an internal temperature of 140F. Washing your ground meat can spread contaminants from its meat juices to sink & other utensils that is even more harmful. Although washing your ground meat is not recommended, few people find in an unsettling issue to consume meat without giving it a rinse. Therefore, if you must, rinse ASAP as you get meat home.
Tupperware Freezer: How should I Freeze & Thaw Ground Meat?
After giving it a rinse, put ground beef in colander so that all meat juice & water has been drained off. Once meat gets dry, you can convert it in one of the Tupperware freezer container. Be careful when choosing the size of freezer boxes since too big size will cause freezer burn and too small box does not allow enough room to expand in freezer that may lead to cracks & breakage.
Also Read: How to Thaw Meat Safely?
Make Small Packages of Ground Beef
It is advised to make small boxes of ground beef so that it thaws quickly. For this purpose Tupperware Freezer Mate Essential set comes handy. It features variety of stackable boxes with varying dimensions that allows you to store desired quantity of ground beef, chicken, steaks, fillets and even whole fish. Tupperware freezer essential set also helps your organizing your freezer and make you save space in freezing compartment. As common with original beef packaging, there will be no mess & leakage of meat juices when you choose specialised freezer boxes.
Thawed Meat: Grey-ish Brown. Is it still Safe?
Meat should only be thawed in refrigerator. If chosen to thaw it in cold water or in microwave then it should be cooked immediately and must not be frozen again. If upon thawing your meat you find it all grey-brown then it has turned spoiled. Usually ground beef looks bright red on the surface due to the air reacting with a substance called “oxymoglobin”. The inside of the ground beef may look slightly brown due to the lack of oxygen. However, if ground beef stinks and has a dull grey brown color, throw it immediately. Tupperware freezer boxes help you seal in meat juices while keeping the texture of the meat right. Freezing improperly or freezing your beef hours after purchase accelerate bacterial growth.
Also Read: Can I Refreeze Meat once Thawed?
