As freezer owners, we are all guilty of throwing things in and forgetting about them. Every once in a while we will come across a package that we no longer recognise and thaw out to see what we have.
Upon thawing, we find that it’s some special offer meat we bought a year ago but now it is discolored and freezer burnt.
So now we are asking ourselves…….
Is it safe to eat meat that has freezer burn? Yes, it is safe to eat meat that has freezer burn, providing the meat has not spoiled. Freezer burn will affect the taste and texture of the meat, but will not make it unsafe to eat. However, if after thawing the meat there is a strong rancid odor, or the meat has a slimy or sticky feel, then it has likely gone bad and should be thrown away.
We will now look at how you can tell if meat has freezer burn, how to use meat with freezer burn, and how to prevent your meat from getting freezer burn in the first place.
What is Freezer Burn?
Freezer burn is when the flavor and texture of the meat, or other foods, have been exposed to the air and dehydration and oxidation occurs.
This exposure to the air will allow ice crystals to form around the meat and cause it to lose flavor and develop certain characteristics, such as discoloration, spongy or fiborous textures, and possibly off smells.
If you want to know the science behind how freezer burn happens, then here is a short video that explains it for you.
What Are The Signs of Freezer Burn on Meat?
- Brown or White patches on the surface of the meat
- Spongy or soft edges to frozen meat
- Discoloration to a grey or brown coloring
- Meat surrounded by ice crystals
- Slight Off or Rancid smell to high fat content meat
- Tough or fibrous appearance to the meat.
Is Meat With Freezer Burn Safe To Eat?
Yes, freezer burn will affect the color, texture and smell of the meat, but will not make it unsafe to consume. However, depending on the extent of the freezer burn, the damaged meat will most likely be lacking in flavor and chewy.
Although freezer burn itself does not make the meat unsafe to eat, you must make sure that you thoroughly check the meat after thawing, to ensure that it has not spoiled.
Sometimes freezer burn can happen due to meat partially thawing and refreezing, which can happen when you freezer is not working properly.
If this has happened, the meat may have developed harmful spoilage bacteria that could make it unsafe to eat if not thoroughly cooked.
Here are our articles on how to tell if meat has spoiled – Meat Smells Bad Is It Safe To Eat
What Does Freezer Burn Taste Like
When meat gets freezer burn, it has had the moisture and flavor drawn out of the meat.
Therefore the texture and flavor of the meat has changed.
You will find that eating meat that has freezer burn will most likely be tasteless and chewy, and whilst not unsafe, not particularly enjoyable either.
How to Cook Meat With Freezer Burn
If you find yourself in the position of defrosting meat that is showing signs of freezer burn, do not automatically assume that you need to throw it away.
If the meat is a roast, and is large enough to trim the freezer burned parts away, then you may find that the interior of the meat is untouched and can be cooked and eaten as normal.
If the meat is smaller and it’s not possible to cut the damaged parts out, then you will need to cook the meat in a way that adds moisture and flavor.
Curries, Stews and Soups are all good ways to cook the meat for a long and slow period, and allow the damaged meat to become tender and absorb flavors.
Like we have said before, depending on the extent of the freezer burn, you will not get harmed from eating the meat, it just may not be as enjoyable as it would be if it were fresh.
What Causes Meat To Get Freezer Burn?
There are several reasons why your meat can develop freezer burn, and all of them can be rectified.
- Meat not wrapped thoroughly to prevent air getting to it
- Freezer not remaining cold enough
- Leaving freezer open for too long
- Meat left in the freezer for too long
- Placing warm cooked food into freezer
How To Prevent Meat From Getting Freezer Burn
Here we will discuss the steps you can take to help prevent your meat from developing freezer burn.
Wrap It Well
The main reason your meat will develop freezer burn is due to air getting to the meat and extracting the moisture from the meat.
To help prevent this from happening, you should ensure that the meat is well wrapped, labelled and dated, before you place it into the freezer.
The best wrapping methods to prevent freezer burn are:
Remove from Original Store Packaging
The packaging that most meat is sold in is for the purposes of display and not long term storage.
That poly tray of meat that is simply covered with some cling wrap is not going to hold up very well in the freezer and is a prime candidate for developing freezer burn in quick time.
Make sure that you remove the meat from the original packaging, and wrap it in a more suitable covering for freezing. Here are some great freezer wrapping options.
Wrap In Freezer Paper
Just as it suggests, freezer paper is designed for you to wrap your meat in and place it in the freezer. It is plastic coated on one side to help retain the moisture within the meat whilst preventing the air from getting in.
Many independent butchers or meat markets will wrap your meat in freezer paper as standard, allowing you to just date and label it and drop it in without any further effort.
If you have bought the meat from the grocery aisle, then you may need to wrap it in freezer paper when you get home.
If you think you will be freezing the meat for longer periods of time, you can also put the wrapped meat into a freezer bag for double protection.
Use Locking Freezer Bags
Locking freezer bags are specifically designed for preventing freezer burn.
They are made of substantially thicker material than the cheap thin bags, and are much less likely to tear and can be re-used.
The ziplock feature on many of the bags allows for easy access, and are resealable, if you only need to removes a portion of the contents.
Freezer bags come in a variety of different sizes, allowing to you to use the right size bag for what you are freezing and prevent space for excess air to be present.
Use Freezer Storage Containers
Using freezer storage containers is a great way to prevent freezer burn, whilst keeping your freezer neat and organised.
The durability of the containers allows you to freeze ready made meals easily, and can also be microwave safe, allowing for quick and easy meal prep.
Again, the freezer storage containers come in a vast array of sizes to allow you to use just the right size you need for what you are looking to freeze.
Freezing liquid based meals such as stews or soups will also be much safer in a container than a ziploc bag.
Good Freezer Management Helps Prevent Freezer Burn
Ensuring that your freezer is running properly, and keeping a cold enough temperature is a great way to help prevent your meat from getting freezer burn.
Ideally a freezer should be operating at a temperature of 0oF/-18oC or colder as advised by the USDA
Here are some tips for ensuring your freezer is working properly and helping to prevent freezer burn and food wastage.
Keep it Organised
As we have already mentioned, keeping your freezer organised and tidy will not only ensure that you know exactly what you have in the freezer, allowing you to meal plan, but it will also help prevent freezer burn and food waste.
Keep the Door Closed
Every time you open the freezer door, you are allowing the warm air to enter and raising the temperature of the freezer.
The longer you leave the door open, the more warm air will get in and the longer it will take for the temperature to get cold again.
During this time, the edges of your frozen products may begin to thaw and that is when it will start to deteriorate and develop freezer burn.
Do A Monthly Temperature Check
Your freezer may well be fitted with an external temperature display that tells you what temperature your freezer is running at. This is a great feature but is not fool proof. Sometimes the display temperature may be different from the actual freezer temperature!
An easy way to ensure that all is well, is to use a digital probe. This could be the probe you use for checking the internal temperature of your cooked meat, or it could be a simple thermometer like those used on fish tanks and pet enclosures.
As long as the implement you are using will show a (- minus) temperature, then you can easily place the probe into the freezer for a few minutes and then get an instant read on the internal temperature.
This simple monthly check will save you a lot of money if it alerts you to the fact that your freezer is not running cold enough before you have to throw all the contents away.
Freezer Burn Is Costing You Money
You may think that it is not worth the time or money to go to the trouble of rewrapping your meat from the grocery store before putting it into the freezer. However, those few minutes saved, could be costing you BIG $$$ in wasted food.
Just imagine that you spent $20 on a beef roast and now that you have taken it out of the freezer you have to trim off 20% of the outside to get rid of the freezer burn – that’s $4 gone in one go.
Or you thought you’d treat yourself to some delicious New York Strip steaks, only to find they are freezer burnt and only good for a stew.
Think of the cost of all the extra seasonings and ingredients you may have to use to put some flavor back into then freezer burnt meat.
Now you also have to have the stove on for several hours to cook the stew, rather than a few minutes to cook those steaks.
All these little things add up to a lot of wasted time and money over the course of a year.
The cost, time and effort required to deal with freezer burn is far more than the cost and time spent ensuring the freezer burn doesn’t happen in the first place.
Think how much simpler your life will be knowing exactly what you have in the freezer, and knowing that you will be able to use it and enjoy it just as you intended, by simply taking a few minutes to wrap and store it properly before placing it in the freezer.
You will thank yourself when the time comes, or kick yourself when you next grab that freezer burnt meat and wished you had done it.
