Here at Burts Catering Butchers, we think it’s incredibly important people are adequately educated on how to store meat at home.

Storing cooked meats incorrectly can have some severe consequences. You or a loved one could be fighting off a bacterial infection or suffering from food poisoning. The best-case scenario is that you just end up unnecessarily wasting what once was good food!

How to store raw meat in the fridge

Ideally, raw meat should be stored between -2°C and +2°C. Any higher than 10°C and the meat begins to rapidly decompose and bacteria grow. You should also aim to minimise the amount of air and moisture the meat is exposed to.

You should only use refrigeration methods if you’re intending to use the cut within a few days of purchase. Any longer then the meat should be frozen as soon as possible. This preserves the optimal quality and keeps the meat safe to eat.

It’s important to take into consideration how you organise your fridge. In order to maintain hygienic and sanitary food storage conditions, all your raw meat needs to be located on the bottom shelf. This prevents cross-contamination and bacteria from spreading to your other food items.

Our next blog will go further into the importance of organising your fridge in a hygienic way.

How to store raw meat in the freezer

If you’re looking to freeze raw meat then it is best to keep the meat in butcher paper and place the whole thing in a resealable Ziploc bag. It’s important you remove as much air as possible before putting it in the freezer as this minimizes the meat’s exposure to moisture.

If you’re planning on freezing your meat we recommend you do so as soon as possible. This way you still have time to thaw and cook the meat before it spoils. If you’re freezing meat as a last resort to avoid wasting it, you should label it so you know to cook it as soon as possible.

We always recommend you purchase from your local butchers. However, if you have a supermarket cut in styrofoam packaging we recommend you remove the meat, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap then put it into a resealable Ziploc bag.

How to store opened meat

If you’ve already opened meat and used half, your best bet is to tightly reseal and place the unused part in a resealable Ziploc bag. However, if you’ve already frozen the meat then we’d suggest you avoid doing so again. It is safe to do so but you will make a noticeable change to the quality. The process of thawing and freezing will result in a worse flavour and texture due to moisture being lost.

How long can I store meat at home?

Cooked meat will last one to five days in the fridge, depending on the meat and how it was cooked. Meat stored correctly in the freezer can last up to a year. Just note the less time the meat is spent frozen the better quality it will have held.

Get in touch

Are you looking to place an order for some premium, high-quality cuts of meat? Feel free to place an order from our home delivery service. If you’d like to talk to us about an order, to discuss your needs, or just to ask us a question about our processes, please either call 01424 730417 or fill in a few details on our enquiry form.