What to Wrap Ground Beef in to Freeze
How To Freeze and Defrost Ground Beefiness
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At the beginning of each month I have stock of the freezer and do a big grocery store for ground beef and chicken breasts and thighs. When I get domicile I split up the beef into one-half-pound or i-pound portions. These are the amounts that most recipes phone call for, and I similar the flexibility that it gives me to have pre-measured, recipe-prepare portions of ground beef ready to pull from the freezer. To prep the meat for a stay in the deep freeze, I use a trick that I picked upwards from Pinterest.
The Best Tool for Freezing Ground Beef: A Rolling Pin
I counterbalance out portions of ground meat and then move it to a freezer cipher-height bag. The quart-sized bags are perfect for a half-pound of meat, while the gallon-sized bags are dandy for one-pound portions.
Then before sealing the bag, I use a rolling pin to gently, simply firmly, flatten the meat to ane/2-inch thick. Resist the urge to roll the pivot back and forth every bit you would for rolling out cookie dough; you desire to notwithstanding come across the striations of ground meat. Press out whatsoever excess air and seal the bag. Transfer to a freezer and lay flat until frozen, then stand the bag upward or stack for space-saving storage. If yous accept a vacuum sealer, you can use this aforementioned technique with the bags specific to your machine.
Air Is the Enemy of Frozen Meat
If the meat is exposed to too much air in the freezer, it will lead to freezer burn or dehydration in the freezer. Although it is rubber to eat freezer-burned meat, the color and flavor may exist off-putting. Flattening the meat in a freezer nil-top bag expels much of the air that would damage the meat while making smart use out of limited freezer space.
Freeze Flat for a Faster Thaw
The final bonus of freezing ground beef flat is that it defrosts much more quickly than the thick hunk you lot brought home from the store. More surface area means a quicker thaw and less fourth dimension to bring dinner from freezer to tabular array. You can defrost ground beef in whatever number of ways; a bag of flat frozen basis beef will thaw in the refrigerator in under two hours or in the microwave in less than five minutes. But my favorite style to defrost is to transfer the bag from the freezer to a large bowl in the sink. Let cool h2o slowly drizzle over the meat, and in five to 10 minutes, your meat volition be recipe set.
A Few of Our Favorite Basis Beef Recipes
The best way to freeze ground beef and three methods for thawing it.
- alcohol-costless
- paleo
- kidney-friendly
- peanut-costless
- low-potassium
- pork-gratis
- gluten-free
- tree-nut-free
- low-sodium
- wheat-free
- dairy-costless
- depression-carb
- fish-free
- shellfish-gratuitous
- sugar-conscious
- no-oil-added
- low-saccharide
- soy-free
- egg-free
Per serving, based on
4
servings. (% daily value)
- Calories ninety
- Fat seven.1 thou (10.9%)
- Saturated 2.seven chiliad (thirteen.five%)
- Carbs
- Fiber
- Sugars
- Protein six.ane g (12.2%)
- Sodium 23.4 mg (1.0%)
Ingredients
- Basis beef
Equipment
- Kitchen scale
- Vacuum sealer and bags (optional)
- Quart- or gallon-size freezer zip-top bags
- Rolling pin
- Permanent marker
- Plate
- Large bowl
- Heavy weight, such as a can of beans or tomatoes
Instructions
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To freeze footing beef. Remove the meat from the store packaging. Divide into 1/two- or 1-pound portions. These are amounts that are standard for nigh recipes. If you lot have a vacuum sealer, this is the fourth dimension to use it. Otherwise, place the portions in separate freezer zip-top bags. Apply a quart-size pocketbook for 1/2-pound portions and a gallon-size bag for 1-pound portions. Employ a rolling pivot to firmly and gently flatten the meat to 1/two-inch thick. You should withal be able to see the texture of the footing beefiness. Press all of the air out of the bags and seal. Apply a permanent marker to note the date, cutting of ground beef, and weight. Lay the bags flat on a freezer shelf. Once frozen, stack the bags or stand them vertically for long-term storage.
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Three ways to defrost basis beef. Defrost in the fridge. Identify the zip-top bag with the frozen basis beef on a plate and move to the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. The meat will thaw in 1 to 2 hours. Cook or refreeze within 2 days. Ground beef that has been kept out of the danger zone (40°F to 140°F) during the thawing procedure can be refrozen safely, although some textural or flavor changes may occur. Defrost in the microwave. Place the zip-top bag with the frozen ground beef on a plate. Apply the defrost setting on your microwave to defrost for 3 to four minutes, turning halfway through. Microwave wattages differ so employ these times as a guideline for your apparatus. Cook the meat immediately, as some parts of the meat may take begun cooking during the defrosting procedure. Do not refreeze raw meat thawed in the microwave. Defrost in cool water. Place the aught-meridian bag with the frozen ground beef into a large basin. Comprehend with cold h2o and use a heavy weight, such as a can of beans, to submerge the meat. The meat should thaw in 5 to x minutes. Cook immediately. Do not refreeze raw meat thawed in common cold water.
Recipe Notes
Storage: Freeze fresh footing beef within 2 days of buy. Freeze for up to 4 months. Do not refreeze raw meat thawed using the microwave or cold h2o methods.
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Source: https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-freeze-and-defrost-ground-beef-249806