Meat Type | Refrigerator | Freezer (0ºF) |
Bacon | 2 weeks | 1 month |
Corned Beef | 5 to 7 days | 1 to 2 months |
Canned Meat | 3 to 4 days* | 3 to 4 months |
Chops, Pork & Lamb | 3 to 5 days | 4 to 8 months |
Cooked Meat | 2 to 3 days | 2 to 3 months |
Frankfurters | 3 to 5 days* | 1 to 2 months |
Ground Meats & Stew Meat | 1 to 2 days | 3 to 4 months |
Ham, Canned | 1 week* | 3 to 4 months |
Ham, Fully Cooked | 2 weeks | 3 to 4 months |
Lunch Meat | 3-5 days* | 1 month |
Pickled Meats (vinegar) | 2 weeks* | |
Roasts, Beef, Bison & Pork | 3 to 5 days | 9 to 12 months |
Sausage (fresh) | 1 to 2 days | 1 to 2 months |
Sausage, Breakfast Patties/Links | 1 week | 2 months |
Sausage, Smoked | 1 week | 1 to 2 months |
Sausage, Summer | 2 to 3 weeks* | 6 months |
Small Game (rabbits, squirrels, etc.) | 2 days | 9 to 12 months |
Steaks, Beef & Bison | 3 to 5 days | 6 to 12 months |
Tofu | 4 to 5 days | 6 to 8 weeks |
Variety Meats | 1 to 2 days | 3 to 4 months |
Veal | 1 to 2 days | 4 to 6 months |
Venison (ground) | 1 to 2 days | 2 to 3 months |
Venison (steaks, roasts) | 3 to 5 days | 9 to 12 months |
* opened
This page contains the following solutions.
This is a tip for easy storing and thawing of ground beef, turkey, chicken, or bulk sausage. Divide into 1 lb. portions and place each lb.
We like to marinate meats for the grill, but we usually forget to thaw and marinate it ahead of time.
It might look strange but this is our new way of storing our meat strips and cuts into the freezer. How does it work? Well, it is easy to pull out when it's frozen.
Super simple way I save time and money. I buy meats on sale; ground beef, chops and even poultry in larger packages, since it is usually cheaper in larger amounts. I don't have the time nor do I want to pay to rewrap everything in smaller or single serving sizes.
Wrap all meat products well before you freeze them. This prevents flavor changes and drying of the meat.
When you make pulled pork, you usually make more than you can use at the time. If you put it in containers, there is often too much for when you want it. When I make it, I put it on a cookie sheet in clumps'to equal one serving. That way, you can take out just how many you need and keep the rest frozen.
You can save money by purchasing deli meats in bulk. Packaging and freezing it into smaller portions ensures that it won't spoil before you use it. This is a page about freezing deli meats.