Freezer Burned Meat

[YYY]

Hi Everybody,

 

Last night I pulled meat out of the freezer to see what I could can today, and I found 3 packages of freezer burned meat (beef). Is there anything I can do with them? Or should I toss them?

 

I just love the new look.

 

Thanks,

 

YYY

 

 

[Crazy4Canning]

YYY,

 

Freezerburn comes from air getting in contact with the meat. I'm so sorry this happened. I double-wrap everything now.

 

I'm sorry - all you can do it toss them - they're not fit for human consumption.

 

HOWEVER - if you have dogs, some people have ground it up for dog food.

 

We don't have dogs so we just end up throwing it away.

[Violet]

Freezer burn will not make you sick. However, it can taste "off". Thaw the meat to where you can cut it. Then, trim away the dried parts that are freezer burnt. You should be able to use the rest of the meat. If you have a dog, you can feed the dog the freezer burnt parts.

I would not can the meat, but eat it up.

Here is a food safety link :http://lancaster.unl.edu/food/ftsep03.htm

Is it safe to eat food that has "freezer burn?"

 

Answer: "Freezer burn," a condition in which the surface of food appears light-colored and dried out, occurs when moisture on the surface evaporates. Proper cooling, air removal, moisture-vapor-resistant packaging, a tight seal and an appropriate length of storage help prevent freezer burn. Keep your freezer at 0 F or lower.

 

While a food with freezer burn is safe to eat, the quality is lower. You can cut away freezer burn spots either before or after cooking. If a food is heavily freezer-burned, it may be desirable to discard it for quality reasons.

 

 

[Crazy4Canning]

Thanks Violet, for the clarification.

 

I was thinking of my DH who can't stand anything freezer-burned, so we just toss it.

 

I do remember that 'off-taste'...eeewwww.

[Violet]

Crazy,

We all keep learning as we go along. Trust me, you will never stop learning things in the field of food preserving/ food safety.

Sometimes the meat is so badly dried it is yucky. Recently I found some skinless chicken breasts with a bit of freezer burn in the back of my freezer. I was able to trim it off and the chicken was fine. Whew ! I hate to throw away food !

 

[Cat]

When I've had this happen, I prefer to trim it off *before* cooking.

 

I tried cooking it once, and it tasted like the off-taste went *into* the meat more.

 

And I try to use the trimmed meat with a stronger-tasting sauce or in something with more flavors to cover it...

 

 

 

 

[YYY]

Hi Everybody,

 

Sorry I took so long to reply. I was canning chili and chicken .

 

Thanks for all the replies. I don't have a dog right now. She passed last summer and so far I just can't bring myself to get another yet. I have thought about getting one in the spring / early summer. Maybe I'll keep the meat and start making dog food early. Does anyone have a good recipe?

 

YYY