Question for chefs or food experts in properly freezing meats and poultry

[apple916]

I think everything has been discussed but your actual question. If your Aunt wants to wash everything she freezes, why would you think it's "not right"? Nothing harmful will happen to the meat if it's washed first.

The washing part if fine, is the freezing right after part I just wasn't sure about because the extra moisture and unnecessary more handling breeds more bacteria. And I just think it's redundant and would prefer to wash after defrosting and prior to cooking.

 

[ChefJune]

One would assume I know what I'm talking about.

One also knows what happens when one assumes anything...... Just sayin'..

no need to rinse meat before freezing. and while it may not be optimal to freeze protein, it's often the practical solution..... Most home cooks do it.

 

[chayati]

I don't ever wash meats or poultry before freezing as it would add moisture content and increase the risk of freezer-burn. When freezing proteins I remove excess moisture by dabbing with a paper towel and removing as much air from the bag as possible.

 

[lyndalou]

Like a lot of you, I don't have the luxury (or pocketbook) to buy all of my meat,poultry, etc. fresh. I buy on sale wrap in individual packets for the two of us, and freeze.

Washing is not something I do, either.

 

[Robo410]

pat dry the meat or fish and wrap tightly in butcher paper before enclosing in plastic (if in a bag get as much air out as possible) and freezing. Your meat will keep longer with little deterioration in an old fashioned chest freezer that is not frost free. It keeps the temp constant. Frost free freezers change temp to "heat up " the sides to keep the frost from forming, and that affects long term storage.

 

[Andy M.]

pat dry the meat or fish and wrap tightly in butcher paper before enclosing in plastic (if in a bag get as much air out as possible) and freezing. Your meat will keep longer with little deterioration in an old fashioned chest freezer that is not frost free. It keeps the temp constant. Frost free freezers change temp to "heat up " the sides to keep the frost from forming, and that affects long term storage.

I wrap meat tightly in plastic first. I think plastic gives me the best way to get a tightly clinging wrap on the meat so there is no air between the met and the wrapping. Then I put the plastic wrapped meat into a freezer bag and express as much air from the bag as possible before sealing it.

Freezer burn occurs where there is an air pocket next to the meat. No air in the package = no freezer burn.

 

[Greg Who Cooks]

Freezer burn occurs where there is an air pocket next to the meat. No air in the package = no freezer burn.

I agree. That's why I use plastic. In any case I rarely freeze meat/poultry for more than a few weeks or a month.

 

[Kayelle]

I wrap meat tightly in plastic first. I think plastic gives me the best way to get a tightly clinging wrap on the meat so there is no air between the met and the wrapping. Then I put the plastic wrapped meat into a freezer bag and express as much air from the bag as possible before sealing it.

Freezer burn occurs where there is an air pocket next to the meat. No air in the package = no freezer burn.

That's exactly the way I do it Andy. I'm a big believer in having that plastic wrap clinging to the surface of the meat, and then the freezer bag. I never have any freezer burn.

 

[taxlady]

That's exactly the way I do it Andy. I'm a big believer in having that plastic wrap clinging to the surface of the meat, and then the freezer bag. I never have any freezer burn.

+1

 

[Dawgluver]

No expert here, but I use my Foodsaver to package meat for freezing, and wash my poultry after I defrost it. I don't wash other meat. I, too, buy in bulk, and don't always have the time to buy fresh and use it immediately.

 

[Timothy]

I wrap meat tightly in plastic first. I think plastic gives me the best way to get a tightly clinging wrap on the meat so there is no air between the met and the wrapping. Then I put the plastic wrapped meat into a freezer bag and express as much air from the bag as possible before sealing it.

Freezer burn occurs where there is an air pocket next to the meat. No air in the package = no freezer burn.

I agree. That's why I use plastic. In any case I rarely freeze meat/poultry for more than a few weeks or a month.

That's exactly the way I do it Andy. I'm a big believer in having that plastic wrap clinging to the surface of the meat, and then the freezer bag. I never have any freezer burn.

I also use that method. Each piece of meat is carefully wrapped in plastic wrap and I press it firmly to expel any trapped air.

I also lay most items on a cookie sheet to freeze them initially. It makes them nice and flat. I do this with stews and soups in one gallon baggies. The baggie lays flat, only about an inch thick, and freezes that way. Then, after freezing, I can stack them with hardly any wasted space in the freezer. It also allows them to defrost as rapidly as possible.

 

[taxlady]

I also use that method. Each piece of meat is carefully wrapped in plastic wrap and I press it firmly to expel any trapped air.

I also lay most items on a cookie sheet to freeze them initially. It makes them nice and flat. I do this with stews and soups in one gallon baggies. The baggie lays flat, only about an inch thick, and freezes that way. Then, after freezing, I can stack them with hardly any wasted space in the freezer. It also allows them to defrost as rapidly as possible.

You do know the trick of placing a frozen item on the stove or other large piece of metal to defrost quicker, don't you?

 

[Andy M.]

Any material that is a good conductor will defrost foods quickly. However, the thicker (more mass) the material the better.

I have an 'engineered stone' (quartz) counter top. It's always cold to the touch. I freeze food items on a half-sheet pan so they have a flat surface. Full contact on my countertop defrosts foods very quickly.

 

[Timothy]

You do know the trick of placing a frozen item on the stove or other large piece of metal to defrost quicker, don't you?

I use a sink full of cold water. It works better than any other method I've found.

 

[taxlady]

I use a sink full of cold water. It works better than any other method I've found.

It's quicker than the trick with putting it on a heat sink, but messier and takes up the whole sink.

 

[Andy M.]

Alton Brown did a comparison of defrosting methods on a Good Eats episode some years ago. Food in cold running water defrosted fastest followed but food in still cold water and other methods. I do this for whole chickens. I have a good sized metal bowl that will hold a whole chicken in its vacuum plastic covering and I run cold water into that at a trickle. Works great.

 

[Oldvine]

I don't wash meat before I freeze it. However, I do know that people can do what ever they are comfortable doing in their own kitchen. I've never seen a way to wash hamburger to get it ready for the freezer.