Meat is a nutritious food, but in the wrong conditions, it will spoil quickly. Fortunately, there are ways to preserve meat and keep it fresh for longer.
All foods have a shelf-life that determines whether they are safe to eat or cook. Some foods, such as meat, have a shorter shelf-life and may become dangerous to eat if the right conditions for its preservation aren't met. But there are methods you can use to ensure that your meat stays fresh and is safe to eat for longer.
Vacuum Sealing
When you vacuum seal an item or food, you suck the air out of the packaging it's in with a vacuum to prevent moisture and oxidation from the air, which otherwise leads to deterioration or fermentation. Vacuum sealing is a great way to extend the life of meat and works for raw and cooked food. Using vacuum sealing will extend the life of meat for up to 10 days, but you will need to ensure that the food is adequately refrigerated and the plastic remains sealed.
Freezing
Freezing is a classic method for extending the life of foods such as meats. The cold will kill bacteria and stall the deterioration of proteins. Frozen meat will remain safe for months until you’re ready to cook and eat it.
Tightly packaging the meat will ensure that the moisture remains with the meat even after you place it in the freezer. Freezing will even extend the shelf-life of jerky for many more months, making it an ideal method for long-term meat storage.
Canning
People have canned foods for years, which still has many benefits for preserving food. The canning of meat is similar to other canning, which involves placing the meat in water or some form of liquid and sealing it in a can or mason jar with an inch of air at the top.
The water will preserve the freshness of the meat, while the air created from the heating and cooling of the canning process creates a vacuum seal to help the integrity of the container. You may give any meat a longer shelf-life with this preserving process.
Meats are great foods and should have proper preservation to keep them fresh and healthy. Use these methods to extend the life of your meat so you won't have to worry about throwing out spoiled food.
