How long do you keep your meat in the fridge?

BrokeBrunette

I'd appreciate your input on this as I'm trying to be good and buy more meat from the local butcher, rather than Mr T:o

The problem is that where I work and my hours make it difficult to get to the butchers on the days I want to cook certain dinners. If I buy fresh meat from the butchers and keep it in the plastic bags they put it in, how long do you think it will keep ok in the fridge? Or should I take it out the plastic bags and put it in something else, will it keep better that way?

I know this sounds a silly question but my normal meat from Mr T comes in the plastic tray with a use by date on and I'm paranoid about food poisoning!

lil_me

If you ask the butcher they should be able to tell you how long it will last, as it can depend how long the butcher has had it too.

I tend to follow my nose and tend to go by a 3 days rule if I haven't been told otherwise, but you can also freeze items which have not been frozen before.

I find it keeps best in an airtight container (which a plastic bag isn't really)

thriftlady_2

Offal needs to be eaten on the day of purchase I tend to freeze all my meat as I buy in large quantities.

recovering_spendaholic

"wet" meat goes off much more quickly than "dry". By this I mean that if you buy meat you should take it out of the plastic wrapping and thorougly pat it dry from moisture and blood with kitchen roll and then put it on a plate or into a dish and loosely cover with foil or lid. Airtight is not necessarily better as this may encourage the meat to "sweat" and exude moisture. I saw this on a food hygiene programme years ago and have always done it since.

nearlyrich

I keep meat from Saturday to Wednesday at the latest (4 days) in the lowest part of the fridge in the wrappings from the butcher. If I buy more than I can use by Wednesday I freeze it as soon as I get home.

Loobysaver

I buy all my meat from Tesco's and freeze it straightaway unless I'm gonna use it the next day.

I find it easier and I just take out what I want for tea to defrost in the morning before I go to work

grannybroon

I tend to either buy to cook or buy to freeze IYSWIM! I don't really keep fresh meat in the fridge.

GB

BrokeBrunette

recovering_spendaholic wrote:

"wet" meat goes off much more quickly than "dry". By this I mean that if you buy meat you should take it out of the plastic wrapping and thorougly pat it dry from moisture and blood with kitchen roll and then put it on a plate or into a dish and loosely cover with foil or lid. Airtight is not necessarily better as this may encourage the meat to "sweat" and exude moisture. I saw this on a food hygiene programme years ago and have always done it since.

I left my beef steak 'wet' in the plastic bag for a couple of days then cooked it in a stew. Don't think I'll do it again after reading this though :eek:

whatatwit

BrokeBrunette wrote:

I left my beef steak 'wet' in the plastic bag for a couple of days then cooked it in a stew. Don't think I'll do it again after reading this though :eek:

As long it smelt ok and hadn't gone a funny colour, it should have been fine.

If I have left it wet in bag, I do tend to rinse it under the tap before using.

lil_me

Nope, nothing on this sweating etc mentioned on any of the many food saftey training days I have done. I always keep them wrapped closely or air tight to prevent cross contamination, which is much more of a concern IMO of course.

Refrigeration is a good way to store meat for short periods of time. Refrigerated meat should be stored below 35° F and wrapped to prevent dehydration, odor absorption, and contamination of the meat and other foods in your refrigerator. You may extend the shelf life of meat by removing the retail packaging and rewrapping the meat in foil. In general, you should consume refrigerated meat within four days of purchase.

Cured meat products have a longer, more stable life in the refrigerator. They can be safely stored in the refrigerator for up to 60 days.

TKP_3

I ask the butcher (if I'm not going to freeze it). The answer is usually 3 days. HTH