Every housewife is faced with the phenomenon of a catastrophic lack of time. And of course, first of all, the question arises about the proper nutrition of household members in the current conditions. Semi-finished products and modern kitchen devices (multi-cookers, grills) come to the rescue. Home freezing is a great time saver. You can put grated vegetables, cheese, and fried mushrooms in the freezer. At the right moment, all this instantly turns into frying for soup, gravy or filling for a pie. Is it possible to freeze cooked meat?
Myths and facts
Some housewives believe that freezing is just a lifesaver. Others, on the contrary, are sure that prepared foods should either be eaten or thrown away. And no exceptions. Who is right, let's figure it out together. So, here are the six most common myths:
- You can freeze any food. There are many nuances here. Young housewives do not see the difference between storing cherries or strawberries, fresh herbs or mushrooms in the chamber. And she is. Cherries will retain their shape and taste, while ripe strawberries will turn into mush when defrosted. Fresh greens do not tolerate low temperatures; if you want to preserve them for the winter, dry or salt them. Creamy sauces do not tolerate such temperature changes; they usually curdle. Do not freeze shelled or canned eggs. This doesn't answer the question of whether you can freeze cooked meat, but we'll get to that shortly.
- Time stops in the cell. Products may remain here indefinitely. This is correct, but only partly. The temperature in the freezer plays a role: the lower it is, the longer the shelf life. But if after defrosting you want to get not just food, but a tasty and healthy dish, then you shouldn’t keep it there for too long. Soups, stews and casseroles should be consumed within 2 months. Speaking about whether it is worth freezing boiled meat, we can confidently recommend such experiments, but it must be consumed within 3 months. Raw semi-finished meat products can be eaten for 12 months. Cooked poultry up to 4 months.
Shelf life of different types of meat
The shelf life depends not only on the amount of salt and cooking time, but also on the type of product. Boiled and dried foods may be suitable for consumption for a different number of days:
- Boiled meat can be stored in the refrigerator for two days. If it is a lean variety, then you can keep it for up to six days.
- Smoked meat products can be stored for a long time. They can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. Smoked meats are not frozen as they become watery. If it is not possible to keep smoked meat in the refrigerator, it is placed in a cool place where the temperature does not exceed + 18 degrees. In such conditions it remains suitable for up to two days.
- Dried meat has the longest shelf life. This is an old way of cooking. This is how food was preserved in cellars. The jerky can remain edible for up to six months if kept in the refrigerator.
You can keep the baked chicken either whole or in separate parts for up to three days. The temperature should be no more than 5 degrees. To prevent chicken meat from absorbing foreign odors, it is recommended to keep it in a container with a closed lid. And about fried chicken, read How long does fried chicken last in the refrigerator?
and here read How to understand how long boiled chicken can be stored in the refrigerator
How long does fried chicken last in the refrigerator?
How long does jellied meat last?
Jellied meat, aspic, jelly are all meat dishes cooked in boiled broth. It is usually prepared in large quantities, but it is not always eaten immediately, so you need to know how to preserve it.
You need to store jellied meat in an enamel or ceramic container with a tight-fitting lid so that the product does not absorb foreign odors.
Safety and taste
- Freezing kills bacteria. This is wrong. If products with traces of contamination were sent to be frozen, the pathogenic microflora will stop its growth, but will begin to develop again after thawing. The only way to get rid of it is to carry out high-quality heat treatment.
- Once defrosted, food cannot be re-frozen. This is one of the most discussed recommendations. Moreover, everyone interprets it in their own way. In particular, controversy over whether it is possible to freeze boiled meat also grows from it. In fact, you can put raw foods back into the freezer if they have been warm for no more than an hour. There are even fewer restrictions for prepared meat. But you need to understand that ice crystals disrupt the structure of the meat, and the more repeated procedures are carried out, the worse the quality of the finished dish. You won't get poisoned, but the taste will be completely different.
- Frozen food has fewer nutrients than fresh food. The point here is the quality of the product that was placed in the freezer. If this is a summer berry in all its juice, then the benefit from it in winter will be much greater than from fresh, but grown in winter conditions in a greenhouse. But if the meat began to deteriorate and was saved by placing it in the freezer, then you should not hope that it will restore its quality, taste and smell.
Practical recommendations
No one will be surprised by raw meat in the freezer. This is the basis of daily meals. But sometimes circumstances require you to revise the menu. This is usually due to saving time or money. And sometimes both. For a sensible approach to housekeeping, it is worth finding out whether it is possible to freeze boiled chicken.
For example, the chicken was boiled whole. Of course, such an abundance of meat food will not please the body. It's okay, you can cook a lot of delicious dishes from it. It's practical and useful. When part of the boiled bird is separated for a dinner dish, the rest should not be put in the refrigerator. Even if it lasts no more than 2-3 days, it is still better to freeze it.
How to properly freeze prepared food?
First, any ready-made
cool the meat dish (cutlets, chicken, meatballs, etc.) to room temperature and wrap in cling film, and then place the briquettes in the freezer. Meat products should be stored no longer than 3 months. Defrost: At room temperature.
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Preparation stages
There is also an element of planning here. Immediately think about how you will use this carcass. If you need it all at once, you can pack it in one bag. Otherwise, divide it into pieces. The second method is better, since if necessary, you can get several bags or even all at once. But dividing a frozen carcass before complete thawing is much more difficult. Most discussions on the topic of whether it is possible to freeze boiled chicken meat concern this point. Well, just follow the plan:
- Each piece must be packed in a tight bag and signed.
- Boiled poultry should be stored at a temperature of -18 degrees, no longer than 6 days.
- After defrosting, the meat should be used immediately. Repeated long-term heat treatment or placing it back in the freezer leads to destruction of the tissue structure, a sharp loss of protein and microelements.
In the freezer
According to sanitary standards, the shelf life of frozen meat products is affected by the type and amount of fat contained. Let's take a closer look at each of them.
Beef, pork, lamb
Since beef contains a large amount of tendons and muscle tissue, and there are practically no fat layers, it should be kept in the freezer for 9-10 months.
The duration of pork storage depends on the fat content in it. So frozen tenderloin will last for 8 months, and fatty pieces (for example, neck, edges) for about 7 months.
If you trim excess fat from lamb and place large pieces in the freezer, the recommended storage time will increase to 9-10 months.
By-products
The shelf life of by-products is calculated from the moment of production and is:
- 120 days for minced pork, beef, lamb, poultry.
- 180 days for liver, kidneys, stomachs, chicken hearts, beef tongue, heads.
- 60 days for home-cooked sausages and sausages in natural casings.
Bird
A whole chicken carcass will last in the freezer for a year, cut into small portions - no more than 8 months.
As for other types of poultry (turkey, goose, duck), they can be stored at low temperatures for no more than six months.
Rabbit meat
Rabbit meat is considered hypoallergenic and dietary; it is allowed to be used as complementary food for infants due to its low fat content and good digestibility. An industrial product in vacuum packaging retains its properties until the expiration date or until the container is opened; homemade, farm product – 6 months from the moment of freezing.
Seafood
Seafood (shrimp, octopus, squid, mussels, scallops, lobsters, crabs and fish (cod, salmon, tilapia)) are perishable products, so they are often frozen. The products will retain their nutritional value at -18°C for six months.
Game
Long-term storage of game (venison, elk and wild boar, etc.) is possible at low temperatures. It is necessary to freeze the gutted carcass immediately after cutting. If the temperature is maintained at a stable temperature, it will last 6-9 months.
Children's menu
Complementary foods begin to be given to the baby at approximately 6 months. After the vegetable purees, it’s time to try the meat. And every mother faces the same problem. It is very inconvenient to cook a small piece every day for a little one, it takes a lot of time. Is it possible to freeze boiled meat for a child?
Yes, many mothers use this method. Some people freeze small meatballs from raw minced meat so that they can be stewed with vegetables for lunch. Others boil the chicken, divide it into 3-4 servings at once and put it in the freezer. After this, all that remains is to put the contents of the bag into a pan, add vegetables, and in 15 minutes the soup is ready.
How to store boiled meat without refrigeration?
Cut the meat into small pieces and place in a saucepan. Fill with water, add 5-6 tablespoons of table salt and bring to a boil. Cook for 3-4 minutes and turn off the stove. After it has cooled, place it in a container, close it tightly and place it in a cool, dark place.
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Smoked meats for solyanka
Since freezing can significantly extend the life of food, you can take advantage of this and make preparations for first courses. Pea soup, solyanka, aromatic Kiev-style borscht - all these dishes cannot do without smoky meat. Is it possible to freeze cooked smoked meat? Yes, it retains its properties perfectly. The only negative is that after defrosting it loses its juiciness.
- Cut into portions.
- Only pack in freezer bags. After that, put them all in another bag. The aroma of smoked meats can penetrate into other products.
- It’s very convenient to have a bag like this in the freezer in case you want to make a salad. Add an egg, mayonnaise, crackers or cucumber and get a great snack.
Storing Beef or Pork
Poultry meat is good because it cooks quickly. But often there is an allergic reaction to it, especially in children. In this case, you have to abandon it and switch to young beef. Is it possible to freeze boiled meat in this case? It is tougher and more fibrous, so it is even more difficult to cook pieces weighing 60 g for a long time every day.
Beef is no different from chicken. Cut well-cooked meat into portions and freeze. You can also store the broth separately. In this case, you will always have a semi-finished product on hand for quickly preparing lunch.
