Is it possible to freeze boiled meat: recommendations and tips

Every housewife is faced with the phenomenon of a catastrophic lack of time. And of course, first of all, the question arises about the proper nutrition of household members in the current conditions. Semi-finished products and modern kitchen devices (multi-cookers, grills) come to the rescue. Home freezing is a great time saver. You can put grated vegetables, cheese, and fried mushrooms in the freezer. At the right moment, all this instantly turns into frying for soup, gravy or filling for a pie. Is it possible to freeze cooked meat?

Myths and facts

Some housewives believe that freezing is just a lifesaver. Others, on the contrary, are sure that prepared foods should either be eaten or thrown away. And no exceptions. Who is right, let's figure it out together. So, here are the six most common myths:

You can freeze any food. There are many nuances here. Young housewives do not see the difference between storing cherries or strawberries, fresh herbs or mushrooms in the chamber. And she is. Cherries will retain their shape and taste, while ripe strawberries will turn into mush when defrosted. Fresh greens do not tolerate low temperatures; if you want to preserve them for the winter, dry or salt them. Creamy sauces do not tolerate such temperature changes; they usually curdle. Do not freeze shelled or canned eggs. This doesn't answer the question of whether you can freeze cooked meat, but we'll get to that shortly.
Time stops in the cell. Products may remain here indefinitely. This is correct, but only partly. The temperature in the freezer plays a role: the lower it is, the longer the shelf life. But if after defrosting you want to get not just food, but a tasty and healthy dish, then you shouldn’t keep it there for too long. Soups, stews and casseroles should be consumed within 2 months. Speaking about whether it is worth freezing boiled meat, we can confidently recommend such experiments, but it must be consumed within 3 months. Raw semi-finished meat products can be eaten for 12 months. Cooked poultry up to 4 months.

Thawed meat

Poultry that has been defrosted in natural conditions should be consumed within the next 6 hours.

If the pieces of meat were defrosted on the refrigerator shelf, their shelf life after defrosting (including this time) will be 24 hours.

It is strictly unacceptable to re-freeze this meat. In this case, the risk of developing dangerous microflora in it increases, not to mention the loss of taste.

On a refrigerator shelf, a whole turkey carcass, after defrosting, can remain usable for two days.
And if it is in the manufacturer’s industrial packaging, then 5 days or more. The expiration date can be seen on the label.
If you are going to store the turkey in the refrigerator for longer than a week, it is better to freeze it during this time so that the bird does not spoil.

Safety and taste

Freezing kills bacteria. This is wrong. If products with traces of contamination were sent to be frozen, the pathogenic microflora will stop its growth, but will begin to develop again after thawing. The only way to get rid of it is to carry out high-quality heat treatment.
Once defrosted, food cannot be re-frozen. This is one of the most discussed recommendations. Moreover, everyone interprets it in their own way. In particular, controversy over whether it is possible to freeze boiled meat also grows from it. In fact, you can put raw foods back into the freezer if they have been warm for no more than an hour. There are even fewer restrictions for prepared meat. But you need to understand that ice crystals disrupt the structure of the meat, and the more repeated procedures are carried out, the worse the quality of the finished dish. You won't get poisoned, but the taste will be completely different.
Frozen food has fewer nutrients than fresh food. The point here is the quality of the product that was placed in the freezer. If this is a summer berry in all its juice, then the benefit from it in winter will be much greater than from fresh, but grown in winter conditions in a greenhouse. But if the meat began to deteriorate and was saved by placing it in the freezer, then you should not hope that it will restore its quality, taste and smell.

Shelf life of different types of meat

The shelf life depends not only on the amount of salt and cooking time, but also on the type of product. Boiled and dried foods may be suitable for consumption for a different number of days:

Boiled meat can be stored in the refrigerator for two days. If it is a lean variety, then you can keep it for up to six days.
Smoked meat products can be stored for a long time. They can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. Smoked meats are not frozen as they become watery. If it is not possible to keep smoked meat in the refrigerator, it is placed in a cool place where the temperature does not exceed + 18 degrees. In such conditions it remains suitable for up to two days.
Dried meat has the longest shelf life. This is an old way of cooking. This is how food was preserved in cellars. The jerky can remain edible for up to six months if kept in the refrigerator.

You can keep the baked chicken either whole or in separate parts for up to three days. The temperature should be no more than 5 degrees. To prevent chicken meat from absorbing foreign odors, it is recommended to keep it in a container with a closed lid.

You can store not only cooked meat, but also broth. This is very important for working housewives, since preparing broth takes a lot of time. The finished broth can be frozen in a container or bag. In this form, the semi-finished product can be stored in the freezer for up to a year.

You can make your own cubes from the broth. To do this, the liquid is boiled down; it should resemble jellied meat. The resulting workpiece is placed in the freezer in a convenient package. As needed, such cubes are added to soups and can be used as a base for sauces.

Do you use expired food for cooking at home?

Yes, the main thing is to process it if it is meat or expired kefir for pancakes.

27.72%

No, it is very dangerous and not useful.

36.37%

If the products have fungus or mold, then we throw them away; if they are a couple of days past their expiration date, we use them for food, even without heat or other treatment.

35.91%

Voted: 1952

It is important to observe the maximum period for how long boiled meat can be stored in the refrigerator so as not to harm your health. Meat is a product that is present in the diet every day. It is used both for preparing soups and main courses. For each type there are sanitary storage standards. Their violation leads to spoilage, and this becomes the cause of poisoning.

Practical recommendations

No one will be surprised by raw meat in the freezer. This is the basis of daily meals. But sometimes circumstances require you to revise the menu. This is usually due to saving time or money. And sometimes both. For a sensible approach to housekeeping, it is worth finding out whether it is possible to freeze boiled chicken.

For example, the chicken was boiled whole. Of course, such an abundance of meat food will not please the body. It's okay, you can cook a lot of delicious dishes from it. It's practical and useful. When part of the boiled bird is separated for a dinner dish, the rest should not be put in the refrigerator. Even if it lasts no more than 2-3 days, it is still better to freeze it.

Storing Turkey by Freezing

The method of storing turkey in the freezer is used when purchasing chilled or frozen meat. This option has its own nuances. Simply putting the meat in the freezer is not enough in this case.

Features of freezing turkey:

if turkey meat was purchased in packaging, it is not recommended to remove it before freezing (damaged packaging or storing turkey without it shortens the shelf life of the meat and opens the way for bacteria);
meat without packaging must be placed in a plastic bag before placing in the freezer; the turkey must first be wiped dry with a paper napkin;
You can store a whole turkey in the freezer for a year, and its individual parts for up to nine months;
It is recommended to defrost the turkey in the refrigerator or in cold water, after which it must be cooked as soon as possible and not re-frozen.

Features of storing turkey after defrosting:

if the turkey was defrosted in the open air, then its further storage period does not exceed 6 hours (this indicator refers to the total amount of time the meat was at room temperature);
when defrosting turkey meat in the refrigerator, it can be stored for a day (the total time the meat is in the refrigerator, including the defrosting process);
Defrosting a turkey in water and storing it further is equivalent to the refrigerator option.

Turkey is sold chilled or frozen. Special attention should be paid to storing this type of meat. Mistakes can lead not only to a violation of the taste of dishes, but also cause unpleasant consequences after their consumption.

You can store turkey in the following ways::

by freezing;
in a chilled version.

Turkey meat can be:

fresh (the so-called meat obtained immediately after the slaughter of poultry);
cooled down (some time has passed since the bird was slaughtered);
chilled (stored in the refrigerator);
frozen (shock frozen or frozen in the freezer).

Preparation stages

There is also an element of planning here. Immediately think about how you will use this carcass. If you need it all at once, you can pack it in one bag. Otherwise, divide it into pieces. The second method is better, since if necessary, you can get several bags or even all at once. But dividing a frozen carcass before complete thawing is much more difficult. Most discussions on the topic of whether it is possible to freeze boiled chicken meat concern this point. Well, just follow the plan:

Each piece must be packed in a tight bag and signed.
Boiled poultry should be stored at a temperature of -18 degrees, no longer than 6 days.
After defrosting, the meat should be used immediately. Repeated long-term heat treatment or placing it back in the freezer leads to destruction of the tissue structure, a sharp loss of protein and microelements.

Shelf life in the refrigerator using specific examples

There are people who are said to have an “iron stomach” - they digest everything. But in fact, they just have a strong immune system: it plays a key role in preventing food poisoning. Eating plenty of fruits, nuts and vegetables and leading a healthy and active life, according to doctors, can strengthen the immune system .

This article was produced by our experienced team of editors and researchers, who reviewed it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

Number of sources used in this article: 13. You will find a list of them at the bottom of the page.

Children's menu

Complementary foods begin to be given to the baby at approximately 6 months. After the vegetable purees, it’s time to try the meat. And every mother faces the same problem. It is very inconvenient to cook a small piece every day for a little one, it takes a lot of time. Is it possible to freeze boiled meat for a child?

Yes, many mothers use this method. Some people freeze small meatballs from raw minced meat so that they can be stewed with vegetables for lunch. Others boil the chicken, divide it into 3-4 servings at once and put it in the freezer. After this, all that remains is to put the contents of the bag into a pan, add vegetables, and in 15 minutes the soup is ready.

Storing Cooked Turkey

The rest of the already cooked turkey is stored on the refrigerator shelf for no more than 3 - 4 days. During this time, it can also be used to prepare sandwiches and various cold appetizers, the recipe of which includes prepared poultry meat.

Don’t forget that poultry with bones spoils 2 to 3 days faster. Therefore, it is better to separate the meat from the bones and pack it in cling film to avoid chapping.

Turkey bones can also be used: they make a good broth.

By observing the storage conditions for turkey meat, you can delight your family with a delicious delicacy without waiting for the holidays. You just need to take into account that the shelf life of turkey meat frozen on its own is shorter than that of poultry frozen under production conditions.

A good bird has a healthy appearance and elastic consistency (when pressed, it quickly returns to its original shape). And the surface of the abdominal cavity should be moist and shiny.

Smoked meats for solyanka

Since freezing can significantly extend the life of food, you can take advantage of this and make preparations for first courses. Pea soup, solyanka, aromatic Kiev-style borscht - all these dishes cannot do without smoky meat. Is it possible to freeze cooked smoked meat? Yes, it retains its properties perfectly. The only negative is that after defrosting it loses its juiciness.

Cut into portions.
Only pack in freezer bags. After that, put them all in another bag. The aroma of smoked meats can penetrate into other products.
It’s very convenient to have a bag like this in the freezer in case you want to make a salad. Add an egg, mayonnaise, crackers or cucumber and get a great snack.

Storing Beef or Pork

Poultry meat is good because it cooks quickly. But often there is an allergic reaction to it, especially in children. In this case, you have to abandon it and switch to young beef. Is it possible to freeze boiled meat in this case? It is tougher and more fibrous, so it is even more difficult to cook pieces weighing 60 g for a long time every day.

Beef is no different from chicken. Cut well-cooked meat into portions and freeze. You can also store the broth separately. In this case, you will always have a semi-finished product on hand for quickly preparing lunch.

Storing turkey refrigerated

The shelf life of refrigerated turkey meat is the same. It can be kept in the refrigerator for several days. The best option is 2-3 days.

Features of storing chilled turkey:

meat located closer to the bones spoils faster, so it is not recommended to store it in this form (meat and bones are stored separately);
after being stored refrigerated, the turkey must be cooked; freezing in this case can ruin its taste (freezing chilled turkey meat is not prohibited, but it must be done either immediately after purchasing the product, or as quickly as possible);
Turkey should be stored exclusively in a plastic bag;
if the turkey was purchased without packaging, then before storing it refrigerated, the meat must be wiped with a paper napkin and any amount of moisture must be removed;
If, within two days of storing the meat refrigerated, it has not been cooked, then it must be frozen.