Ground Beef Help!

[Styx Fan]

Help! I bought 10 pds of ground beef from a reputable local butcher yesterday. It was not pre-packed, they put it in a large plastic bag for me. I pulled it out today to package and it has turned brown

Is this just from being exposed to the air and is it fine to go ahead and freeze? Or should I be taking it back to the store? I never know about ground beef....but it smells fine!

This could turn out to be a real budget buster if I have to drive the 10 miles back there So much for saving money!

 

[daughtersrus]

Help! I bought 10 pds of ground beef from a reputable local butcher yesterday. It was not pre-packed, they put it in a large plastic bag for me. I pulled it out today to package and it has turned brown

Is this just from being exposed to the air and is it fine to go ahead and freeze? Or should I be taking it back to the store? I never know about ground beef....but it smells fine!

This could turn out to be a real budget buster if I have to drive the 10 miles back there So much for saving money!

Did all of it turn brown or just the outside? I've bought ground beef before where the part under the clear plastic is more of a brown color and the part under the label is more red. I'd call the butcher and ask.

 

[Styx Fan]

It wasn't pre-packed, they bagged it up for me at the butcher shop, now it is pretty much all grayish brown.

 

[ellone]

It's fine. It's from the air. If you look deeper into the meat it'll still be red.

The reason pre-packaged meat doesn't turn brown for a while is because they use CO to keep it red longer.

 

[DisneyNutMary]

The brown color is from exposure to air. It probably would have fared better if you have frozen it in ziploc freezer bags as soon as you got it home. Most supermarkets will take the meat back if it looks brown, but the butcher will always tell you the meat is safe and fine to use.

 

[Styx Fan]

After reading your replies I felt much better, then took the suggestion to call the butcher. The guy I spoke with assured me it was from the air and the meat should be fine unless there is some bad smell...which he said there shouldn't be be as he ground it fresh yesterday

So I'm off to deal with the meat....Thanks so much for the quick helpful replies. I didn't want to just call the shop as I was afraid they might say it was fine to just save a sale....doubted it, but you never know.

 

[scrapquitler]

Help! I bought 10 pds of ground beef from a reputable local butcher yesterday. It was not pre-packed, they put it in a large plastic bag for me. I pulled it out today to package and it has turned brown

Is this just from being exposed to the air and is it fine to go ahead and freeze? Or should I be taking it back to the store? I never know about ground beef....but it smells fine!

This could turn out to be a real budget buster if I have to drive the 10 miles back there So much for saving money!

Probably exposure to the air.