shape
carat
color
clarity

Wasting food?

Status
Not open for further replies. Please create a new topic or request for this thread to be opened.

zoebartlett

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Dec 29, 2006
Messages
12,461
When you buy fresh meat or poultry (ground, etc.), when do you cook them? Do you use them by the "sell by" date if there''s no "use by" date listed on the package or do you think it''s safe to cook it a few days later than the "sell by" date? I am so paranoid about keeping uncooked meat or poultry, that I''m sure I waste food by throwing it out too early. Just wondering what you do.
 

poptart

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
May 23, 2006
Messages
1,899
I put it in the freezer and thaw however much I need for dinner that night. Meat can last up to a year if it''s frozen by the expiration date.

*M*
 

Maisie

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Dec 30, 2006
Messages
12,587
I am really weird when it comes to meat. If it smells even slightly funny when I am cooking it I won''t eat it. And thats when its in date! You could offer me a ten carat diamond and I wouldn''t eat meat after its sell by date. Mind you its never been offered lol so I can''t say that for sure!
31.gif
 

FireGoddess

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jan 25, 2005
Messages
12,145
I freeze into ''single meal'' portions...ie. 2 chicken breasts per package or 1/2 lb ground beef or whatever, and just thaw one bag whenever I need it.
 

Cehrabehra

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jun 29, 2006
Messages
11,071
Date: 3/21/2007 7:27:54 PM
Author: FireGoddess
I freeze into ''single meal'' portions...ie. 2 chicken breasts per package or 1/2 lb ground beef or whatever, and just thaw one bag whenever I need it.
too funny, when I saw "single meal" it was definitely not what you posted LOL
 

FireGoddess

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jan 25, 2005
Messages
12,145
Date: 3/21/2007 7:57:34 PM
Author: Cehrabehra

Date: 3/21/2007 7:27:54 PM
Author: FireGoddess
I freeze into ''single meal'' portions...ie. 2 chicken breasts per package or 1/2 lb ground beef or whatever, and just thaw one bag whenever I need it.
too funny, when I saw ''single meal'' it was definitely not what you posted LOL
Sorry, what I meant was not a single meal for me...but a single preparation of a recipe that has x number of servings, usually around 4.
 

TravelingGal

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Dec 29, 2004
Messages
17,193
I buy chicken breasts from costco that are individually wrapped and freeze them right away. For everything else, I go grocery shopping the day that I need it usually (we''re surrounded by grocery markets that are very close by). I may get something for the next night but 2 days lateris my max, so I pretty much do not waste meat. Veggies are a different story.
 

justjulia

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Apr 4, 2006
Messages
2,308
I usually buy the big packs of meat and immediately divide it into family bags (gallon sized freezer bags) and throw them into the freezer. I use those gallon bags for EVERYTHING--frozen or not--chips, fruit, flour, leftover buns,... I have been known to leave something thawed forgotten (too tired, something came up, changed my mind, etc) in the frige until a day later than stamped on the package, in which case I do throw it out.
 

justjulia

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Apr 4, 2006
Messages
2,308
Not meaning to change the subject too much, but does anyone know any tricks for making lettuce last longer in the frige? I know the trick about washing grapes and putting a paper towel in the bag with them in a baggie, in the frige, but what about lettuce?
 

TravelingGal

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Dec 29, 2004
Messages
17,193
Maybe placing a wet paper towel around lettuce would work too? I buy the romaine hearts from Trader Joes and they last forever just in the package. But everything lasts fantastically longer in our new fridge.

Slightly off the subject, but regarding those freezer bags, my mom recycles everything, even those. We grew up eating outdated food and she refuses to throw anything away (probably from being poor and going through war). I used the bags for Europe to pack my clothes in (it''s great for saving room in the backpack) and when I came back, I unpacked and threw the bags away. My mom was living with me at the time and I came down to the kitchen later to find that she had pulled one of the bags out of the trash and had put some nuts in it.

Horrified, I pointed out that she had pulled out the bag that was marked "Laundry." I had used that bag to store my dirty underwear for FOUR months!
6.gif
She paused for a second, then threw out the entire bag...including the pricey nuts.
41.gif
 

monarch64

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Aug 12, 2005
Messages
19,221
Date: 3/21/2007 8:08:17 PM
Author: justjulia
Not meaning to change the subject too much, but does anyone know any tricks for making lettuce last longer in the frige? I know the trick about washing grapes and putting a paper towel in the bag with them in a baggie, in the frige, but what about lettuce?
Press N Seal works really well. I discovered this about a year ago after doing a taco night and only using a quarter head of lettuce...I sealed it up in the Press N Seal and a week later it was still crisp and not rusty at all! (This is iceberg I''m speaking of, don''t know about other types of lettuce.)

My DH is a meat eater but I am not. However, he has a tendency to let meat sit in the fridge for 3-4 days, then he''ll come and ask me if he should throw it away.
20.gif
 

diamondfan

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jun 17, 2005
Messages
11,016
I am pretty vigilant too, and perfer a use by date so I know. Fresh meat and fish I try to keep only for a couple of days. I really don''t even like to freeze things. My hubby thinks I waste food sometimes but who wants to get sick off something bad when it was not necessary? I smell the meat or poultry before I use it no matter what the date says, I have purchased chicken that was clearly off and it was not expired according to the date on the package.
 

KristyDarling

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jul 27, 2005
Messages
4,165
OK, so if I buy a package of chicken or beef from the grocery store (either from butcher or refrigerated meat section), how long can I keep it in the fridge (NOT freezer) before I need to cook it? I've never really known the answer to that so I usually cook the meat within 2 days of purchase.
 

diamondfan

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jun 17, 2005
Messages
11,016
Just Julia, I know there are crisper things you can buy to store it in in the fridge but do not cut it til you use it, that can help too.
 

diamondfan

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jun 17, 2005
Messages
11,016
KD, I think a couple of days is fine. That is my average and I hope to use it in that time frame...if I do not, sometimes I will freeze it, but nothing grosses me out more than meat with freezer burn being defrosted.
 

TravelingGal

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Dec 29, 2004
Messages
17,193
Date: 3/22/2007 1:47:13 AM
Author: diamondfan
KD, I think a couple of days is fine. That is my average and I hope to use it in that time frame...if I do not, sometimes I will freeze it, but nothing grosses me out more than meat with freezer burn being defrosted.
Me too! But TGuy grew up on meat being frozen all the time, so we do freeze meat from time to time (I have no problem with chicken though, go figure). Until I met TGuy, I never froze bread either. Money was tight growing up and our fridge was nasty, so EVERYTHING tasted freezer burned, even newly bought ice cream. With our new nifty fridge, we don''t seem to have that problem, but some things are just ingrained in you from upbringing...
 

Kaleigh

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Nov 18, 2004
Messages
29,571
I buy everything fresh and use it up within a day or two. That means I am at the grocery store a lot. But freezing stuff isn''t my thing. Grew up with freezer burn as well.
14.gif
 

TravelingGal

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Dec 29, 2004
Messages
17,193
Date: 3/22/2007 2:08:03 AM
Author: Kaleigh
I buy everything fresh and use it up within a day or two. That means I am at the grocery store a lot. But freezing stuff isn''t my thing. Grew up with freezer burn as well.
14.gif
It''s something you can never shake...burns into your taste buds and into your brain forever!
 

diamondfan

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jun 17, 2005
Messages
11,016
I know! But I have so many great little stores around, and farmer''s markets, that I just would rather run out and get something fresh. Just me, it is kind of a PITA, but I prefer it!
 

eks6426

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Nov 19, 2004
Messages
2,011
Wow, I must be the oddball here. I actually buy 1/4 of a beef every 18 months or so....I split a side of beef with my parents...from a local Amish butcher shoppe. I have a large deep chest freezer that houses the beef...wrapped up in family size portions (roasts, ground beef) or individually for things like steak. I also buy chicken breasts on sale and lay them out on a cookie sheet to freeze overnight then they go in the gallon size bags (doing it on the cookie sheet makes it so I can pull one chicken breast out at a time). I also grow and freeze a lot of my own vegetables. When I make casseroles I usually make 2...one to eat right away and 1 for the freezer. I freeze casseroles/stews/soups in gallon bags as well...laid flat so they will stack. I even freeze gallons of milk when they are on sale...which if you haven''t tried it works just fine. In fact my kids, prefer the frozen milk because it maintains some ice crystals for quite awhile making it extra cold.

A sharpie marker is my best friend because I right the date and the contents on the bags.
 

fire&ice

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jul 22, 2002
Messages
7,828
For lettuce - have you tried one of those salad shooters/spinners? You wash the lettuce in a colander type thingy. You put that into a bowl thing that has a top for spinning the lettuce. Excess water spins out & the lettuce remains in the colander type thing getting some air.

Also, it really depends where you store things. I always store my meat, poultry & dairy on the top shelf. Keeps it colder.

For me, I never eat chicken more than a day after sell by. Call me crazy - but I think meat tastes better a couple days after sell by. However, unless I am using that day, I transfer all my food on to a plate and off of the plastic packaging.
 

sumbride

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Feb 17, 2006
Messages
3,867
I grew up in a house where the freezer was the place food went to die... my mom never ever defrosted and used anything she put in there! The only things that ever came out to eat were ice cream, tv dinners, and frozen veggies. About every 2 years she''d throw everything away.... Luckily FI didn''t have this experience and has taught me it''s ok to freeze and use meat! So now we do. And it''s nice to be able to say "can you put the chicken in the fridge to thaw!"

For veggies, we use those gas-absorbing bags, and they really do help the produce last longer. Also, I picked up a gas-absorbing thing that goes in the fridge drawer and that''s been working well too.
 

chiefneil

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Feb 7, 2007
Messages
174
Ever since I had chicken go bad in the fridge I use fresh chicken the same day or freeze. I used to happily freeze both chicken and beef, but the last few years I''ve become a convert to fresh. Both chicken and steak come out noticeably more tender and juicy, at least in my experience.

The longest I''ll keep raw steak in the fridge is overnight, although I know some people that will keep steak for a few days in the fridge on purpose as part of an aging process to make it more tender. I prefer to leave aging to restaurants, personally. I''ve actually formed an unhealthy (for the wallet) addiction to fresh, prime steak these days. Anyway, Chicken and fish get cooked the same day, unless I''m brining salmon overnight to smoke the next day. Heck, I don''t even want to eat leftover cooked fish that''s more than 3 days old, never mind uncooked fish the same age.
 

Aloros

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
May 2, 2006
Messages
947
I usually freeze the chicken and have noticed no ill effects from it. If I''m marinating it, I may leave it in the fridge for a day or so. I don''t cook beef, and fish I eat the same day I buy it from the store. I''ve never tried freezing fish.
 

bujiatang

Rough_Rock
Joined
Feb 22, 2007
Messages
91
My wife''s family raise a lot of beef in western MT, so we usually buy our meat directly from them and have it packaged and deep frozen. In the 3 years we have been living together I haven''t eaten freezer burnt meat. For meat locally, there is precious little that compares to the meat we get from the reli''s. There is a butcher nearby that we buy chicken from becasue it isn''t factory farmed and that meat we eat within 3 days of purchase.

Meat that sits for too long tastes funny.
 

chiefneil

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Feb 7, 2007
Messages
174
Freezer burn is caused by drying out of the meat - the freezer environment is very dry so moisture gets sucked out of anything left in there too long. I suspect the folks who don''t experience freezer burn are wrapping/packaging the food really well, probably with a combination of aluminum foil and plastic, or multiple layers of heavy plastic. Chest freezers also provide a more stable environment so I would expect meat to last longer in a dedicated freezer like that.
 
Status
Not open for further replies. Please create a new topic or request for this thread to be opened.
Be a part of the community Get 3 HCA Results
Top