How long do you keep your meat?

TraceyKakes

Hey All,

I usually prep food for three days at a time because I worry about the meat going bad. How many days do you prep? What works for you when it comes to prepping meat but keeping it fresh?

Tracey

Phrick

I prep by menu planning and prepping everything except the meat usually - so the veggies are washed and chopped, noodles or rices weighed out and so on. I buy most of my meats in bulk packs at the grocery or warehouse store, then portion them out into a meal's worth of servings and freeze. Occasionally I'll freeze it IN marinade, but most times not. I typically take whatever meat is needed out of the freezer the day before to thaw in the fridge then cook it the following night.

as far as cooked leftovers, I'll keep them for as long as it takes to get through them (or a max of about 5-7 days) but we have 2 adults that eat leftovers so they rarely last more than a day or two. If it looks like it might go over 5 days I will often portion them out and freeze in microwave-safe containers.

RodaRose

Three days max. Hubby and I go back forth on this. He would rather eat four day old meat than throw it away. Apparently he has not weighed the cost of replacing the meat with the potential time and financial cost of going to the doctor/ER.

AmazonMayan

3 days here. If it looks like something won't be eaten in that time, I freeze it in portions. My kids aren't much for eating leftovers.

hesn92

I'm sure I've eaten leftovers that were older than 3 days before... I didn't die so that's good news

belimawr

I've gone at most a week on prepared meals, and never gotten sick. If I think it's going to be around longer I'll freeze it after a second day in the fridge, and even then use it within the following week.

I think I have on occasion gone more than a week and a half with some food and been perfectly fine.

JPW1990

Leftovers, if it's not gone in 2 days, it gets frozen. Fresh meat, 2 days max on poultry. Red meat is good up to 5, unless it's ground, and that cuts it in half.

callsitlikeiseeit

AmazonMayan wrote: »

3 days here. If it looks like something won't be eaten in that time, I freeze it in portions. My kids aren't much for eating leftovers.

ditto

sometimes something gets shoved to the back and forgotten. thats why i buy dollar store storage containers. so if i cant identify it, i can toss the whole thing without feeling bad LOLOLOL

i freeze most meat as we buy it and take it out in the morning to thaw, so i dont get much raw meat spoilage, but i do have to watch veggies closely. its easy to have it shoved under or behind things and forgotten.

i have 3 bunches of asparagus that need to be eaten SOON.

oneoddsock

I'd quite happily eat meat that has been sitting in the fridge for about five days. Having said that, I would suggest that you make sure it is properly wrapped/packaged, and that your fridge is definitely working properly and keeping everything nice and cold. I always stick to use-by/sell-by dates on meat products too (I tend to ignore them for anything else).

citizensnips3

https://www.sunbeam.com.au/Food-Preparation/FoodSaver/VS7800-FoodSaver-VAC780.aspx

best investment ever.

belimawr

oneoddsock wrote: »

I'd quite happily eat meat that has been sitting in the fridge for about five days. Having said that, I would suggest that you make sure it is properly wrapped/packaged, and that your fridge is definitely working properly and keeping everything nice and cold. I always stick to use-by/sell-by dates on meat products too (I tend to ignore them for anything else).

This. I have a fridge thermometer that I use to check it on occasion.

I stick to sell by dates too, except packaged foods. I have learned bit by bit how foods should look when they're no longer good, as use by dates are more to make lawyers happy than a true representation of a date where the food is no longer good.