Fresh Meats

Appears in

Published 2025

Check purchases on arrival to ensure the purchased meat is of good quality.
Do not wrap tightly. Bacteria and mold thrive in moist, stagnant places. Air circulation inhibits their growth. Store meat loosely arranged on pans or racks to allow air circulation between pieces, but cover cut surfaces to prevent excessive drying.
Do not open vacuum-packed meats until ready to use.
Store at 32°-36°F (0°-2°C). Meat does not freeze until about 28°F (-2°C).
Keep meats separated in the cooler (or, even better, in separate coolers) and on the worktable to avoid cross-contamination.
Use as soon as possible. Fresh meats keep well only two to four days. Ground meats keep even less well because so much surface area is exposed to bacteria. Cured and smoked products may keep up to one week. For these reasons, frequent deliveries are better than long storage.
Do not try to rescue meats that are going bad by freezing them. Freezing will not improve the quality of spoiling meat.
Keep coolers clean.