freezing meat question

[anniemae]

I need help from the dis chefs! I bought ground beef from Costco and froze the individual packages. I put a pack in the refrigerator yesterday thinking I would make chili today. Well, plans changed and I don't need the ground beef tonight, and will not be able to use it this weekend. Can I put it back in the freezer to use at anther time?

 

[luvnwdwgal]

If it were me, even if you don’t plan on using it this weekend, I would still just go ahead and cook it and then freeze it again.

 

[Sinder]

If it is completely thawed I'd cook it and then freeze it.
If it is still mostly frozen then I'd stick it back in the freeze.

 

[anniemae]

If it is completely thawed I'd cook it and then freeze it.
If it is still mostly frozen then I'd stick it back in the freeze.

so I can cook and then freeze? I never froze cooked meat, but I think I will do that since it is completely thawed. I will probably use it next week, but out of curiosity, how long can cooked meat stay frozen?

 

[Sinder]

so I can cook and then freeze? I never froze cooked meat, but I think I will do that since it is completely thawed. I will probably use it next week, but out of curiosity, how long can cooked meat stay frozen?

Yes you can freeze it after it's cooked. I do it all the time, it's a great time saver when making chili
I have used it within a month after I froze it, but I'm not sure what the recommended time frame is.

 

[anniemae]

Yes you can freeze it after it's cooked. I do it all the time, it's a great time saver when making chili

what do you freeze it in? I have gallon size ziplock bags. Will that work?

 

[Sinder]

what do you freeze it in? I have gallon size ziplock bags. Will that work?

Yup, that is what I use.

 

[Kitty 34]

If it were me, even if you don’t plan on using it this weekend, I would still just go ahead and cook it and then freeze it again.

This is what I would do and have done.

 

[clh2]

I always thought the rule of thumb with meats is…you can freeze it raw once and only once, and you can freeze cooked meats once and only once. So, at this point, I would chop up an onion and fry it up, and then freeze it. (But then you can not freeze it again Ie if you make a big pot of chili, and want to freeze some later)

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

We have freezer and storage bags. Anything that goes in the freezer uses a freezer bag as opposed to a bag labeled as storage bag. If all you have is a bag labeled as storage a week in the freezer (depending on how much meat) will probably be okay with concerns towards freezer burn or tears in the bag just keep an eye out though.

 

[luvnwdwgal]

what do you freeze it in? I have gallon size ziplock bags. Will that work?

Yep. Press it flat and then it’ll thaw quicker or you’ll be able to bust it up easier to use, either way.

 

[NannyBeBe]

I would cook it and freeze it. I always have a batch of seasoned cooked ground beef in my freezer, ready to use for pasta sauce, chili, etc.

 

[John VN]

I always thought the rule of thumb with meats is…you can freeze it raw once and only once, and you can freeze cooked meats once and only once. So, at this point, I would chop up an onion and fry it up, and then freeze it. (But then you can not freeze it again Ie if you make a big pot of chili, and want to freeze some later)

r.e. bold -- OOPS!!!! I'm 71 and haven't abided by the rule since forever, guess I better start now or I might die young.

 

[EACarlson]

I always thought the rule of thumb with meats is…you can freeze it raw once and only once, and you can freeze cooked meats once and only once. So, at this point, I would chop up an onion and fry it up, and then freeze it. (But then you can not freeze it again Ie if you make a big pot of chili, and want to freeze some later)

This is correct. I worked 14 years in commercial kitchens, thawing and refreezing was a major violation.

 

[_19disnA]

I agree that following the rules used by commercial kitchens is the best way to go. Once something thaws, you don't know how long it was a room temperature or if the entire batch has thawed. Too many things can go wrong with refreezing. Food handling guidelines are there to prevent people from getting various foodborne illnesses. It isn't about 'how much can I get away with?' and the fact you might have successfully done something in the past, doesn't mean it won't make someone ill in the future.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I also vote for cooking it first, THEN freezing. I have always heard once something thaws you don't re-freeze it. If you cook it first though (before putting it back in the freezer), it should be perfectly fine.

 

[ronandannette]

Honestly, if it came straight home from the store into the freezer and you took the package out and straight into the fridge to thaw, what’s the rush to cook or refreeze it? It will keep just fine as-is until early next week when you’re ready to use it.

 

[luvnwdwgal]

Honestly, if it came straight home from the store into the freezer and you took the package out and straight into the fridge to thaw, what’s the rush to cook or refreeze it? It will keep just fine as-is until early next week when you’re ready to use it.

It wouldn’t take that long for it to thaw out and uncooked ground beef should not be kept refrigerated longer than 2 days.

 

[ronandannette]

It wouldn’t take that long for it to thaw out and uncooked ground beef should not be kept refrigerated longer than 2 days.

Good to know but I very often don't use it within two days of bringing it home. I know we could go back and forth all day about what practices are "officially" safe and which ones get done routinely without incident. Or maybe I'm the only DIS'er that doesn't cook hamburger instantaneously? Sort of like how nobody else but me carries a credit card balance?

 

[prairie_girl]

The rule of thumb for defrosting meat is that if it defrosted out of the fridge, it shouldn’t be refrozen, but if it has been defrosting in the fridge, it should be ok to refreeze.

The meat should be ok in the fridge, but I’d go with other posters and say cook it up and put it back in the fridge.