How to Save Money on Meat

Sometimes you will get lucky and come across awesome bargains on meat at your local butcher or grocery store. Take advantage of these deals and stock up on your favorite cuts of meat, ground beef, poultry, sausage, and other types of meat you would likely find in the meat department. Buying meats in bulk will also save you money. You can generally save 10 to 20% by buying meat in bulk quantities. But, of course you will not be cooking these meats you buy within the first couple of days after the purchase, so you are going to want to freeze them. But, how do you freeze meat, how do you avoid freezer burn, and how long will frozen meat last in the freezer? All of these questions will be answered and great tips will be given on how to save time as well as save money by freezing meat.

How to Properly Freeze Meat
Freezing the meat properly is extremely important. If you do not package the meat correctly you will end up with freezer burn on your meat or spoiled meat. The best method to freeze meat and avoid freezer burn is to take the meat out of the package it came in. Either wrap the meat in plastic wrap or aluminum foil making sure to keep any and all air out of the packaging. Once you have completely wrapped the meat you should then put the package in a sealable plastic bag. Press out all of the air from the bag while you seal it, this will act as a vacuum and reduce the chance of freezer burn.

Freezer burn, by the way, happens because air circulates around the meat allowing the meat to either dry out or the moisture of the meat to seep out then refreeze into ice crystals all over the meat. If the meat is covered in these icy crystals or appears gray, you may want to just toss this meat. Freezer burned meat is not dangerous, but is usually not worth eating and is basically tasteless. Be sure to date the bag and write what is in it. This will save you time later when you are searching for a certain frozen meat.

How Long Does Frozen Meat Last in the Freezer

Meats that last at least 6 months:

Beef Ground Lamb
Lamb Ground Lamb
Ground Beef Fish

Meats that last at least 4 months:

Veal
Fresh Pork
Poultry

Meats that last at least 3 months:

Seasonal Sausage

Meats that shouldn't be frozen unless in a vacuum sealed package:

Bacon
Lunch Meat

How Freezing Meat Can Save You Time Later
If you bought the meat in bulk, before you freeze it, be sure to package the meats in smaller portions. For example, if you bought 5 pounds of ground beef, you may want to divide the meat into 1 pound sections to freeze. Once you have thawed out frozen meat, it is not good to refreeze the meat again. So, be sure to package the meats in meal size portions. Smaller portions of frozen meat will save time during meal preparation down the line. Since the meat will have a smaller surface area, the meat will thaw completely much quicker when packaged in smaller portions.