Can you freeze deli meat? I am pretty sure you want to know if it is possible to store these cuts of meat so that you can use them for another day. Well the answer is yes, you can store your deli meats in the freezer and if packaged properly, you can keep them for up to 3 months.
Below I show you the right way to go about freezing your cuts of meat.
The Important Steps
Before you go about freezing your deli meat, you should be aware that the texture and taste of the meat could change by keeping it for extended periods in the freezer. This is why it is important that it is stored correctly and used as soon as possible, or else you could be preparing a sandwich with defrosted meat and wondering if it is salami you are eating or beef jerky.
Steps:
- If you have store bought, vacuumed sealed meat, then you don’t have to do anything but throw it in the freezer.
- If you have cuts you got from the store, the first thing you need to do is wrap them properly in plastic wrap.
- You want to make sure that they are covered properly. As an extra precaution, some people after covering the meat with plastic wrap would also add a layer of aluminium foil.
- Once the meat is wrapped properly, you are going to want to place it in a freezer bag. If you have one of those vacuumed sealed freezer bags, that would even be better.
- Once in the bag, label with the date and toss into the freezer.
- The deli meat should be able to be kept for up to 3 months.
What about Defrosting?
If you want to defrost frozen deli meat, all you need to do is take it out and allow it to defrost overnight in the refrigerator. It is best to do it this way as you are reducing the growth of bacteria. If you plan to eat the meat right away, you could defrost it in the microwave or running it under cold water in the sink.
Once you have taken out the frozen deli meat, you should not refreeze it.
