The refrigerator shelf life of ground beef is shorter than for steaks, roasts, and chops. In the grinding process more surface area is exposed to the air thus hastening drying out and spoilage of the meat, so one to two days is the maximum time that most ground beef should be stored in the refrigerator.
To keep the meat fresh, leave ground meat that has been prepackaged by the meat retailer in the original wrapper and store it in the coldest part of the refrigerator. Remove the market paper from ground meat no prepackaged and refrigerate it loosely wrapped in waxed paper.
However, if you have a home freezer, the storage life of ground beef can be lengthened to two to three months, but be sure to freeze the ground beef promptly after purchase before it has a chance to begin deteriorating. Wrap the meat tightly in any moisture vapor proof material and freeze the wrapped meat at 0 degrees or lower.
Ground beef may be thawed in the refrigerator or if tightly wrapped, under cold running water. The thawing method used usually depends on the amount of time you have. If time is really short, you can cook the ground beef without thawing it but be sure to allow a little extra time for cooking.
Although special sales on ground beef may sometimes seem irresistible, don’t purchase the meat unless you have freezer space to store it. Without freezer storage, the short storage life of ground beef in the refrigerator can soon turn a bargain into a disaster of spoiled meat.
If you have freezer storage, purchase ground beef in quantities large enough for several meals and shape the unseasoned meat into patties, meatballs, or the desired amount for loaves before freezing. It is then easy to thaw only the amount of meat you need for one meal. Many seasonings intensify during freezing so it is recommended that meat be frozen without seasoning.
To freeze meatballs, place the shaped balls on a baking sheet, then freeze. When frozen transfer the meat to a plastic bag. Seal and return to freezer. An easy way to freeze ground beef patties is to seal the individually wrapped patties in a round container or plastic bag, then freeze.
Many casseroles, skillet dishes, and soups containing ground beef can be partially cooked and then frozen in meal size portions. If you take advantage of this suggestion, the maim dish for a meal can be ready in the time it takes to reheat the frozen dish. This is also a good way to take care of leftovers. The family will think they are eating a new ground meat casserole if you store leftovers in the freezer for a few weeks before serving them for a second meal.
