I know “use by” and “best by” dates aren’t set in stone- it’s okay to drink milk a day or 2 past the expiration date- but let’s pretend for a minute that they are set and definite.
Let’s say I buy a package of steaks on July 1 and the expiration date is July 15. I put them in the freezer as soon as I get home, and leave them there until August 1st. Is the expiration now August 15? Or do I need to use them as quickly as possible?
I’m not potentially going to expose myself to foodborne illnesses, it’s just a question that’s sat in the back of my mind for a while.
In: Other
More like hitting the pause/slow-mo button. cooling flesh slows down the rate of microbes growing.
IF you think of a steak as a movie, you are entering halfway through the movie. (the cow was born raised and slaughtered before you could even buy it) you cannot rewind only go forward. when the ‘movie’ ends, the steak is either in your stomach or in the trash. It is all about the growth of microbes that rot steaks of any animal.
say You bought a steak today. If you leave it on the counter to come up to room temp It needs to be cooked asap. ie the ‘Steak Movie’ is on “*fast* forward.”
If you refrigerate it, you slow down the microbes growth, ie “play” in a steady controlled environment. You can safely leave it covered in the fridge for a couple days.
If you freeze it you are almost pressing “pause”. instead of 2 days, you can safetly freeze it for 2? months. Below freezing you stop the growth of microbes. the reason the clock is still ticking is from freezer burn. (I am unsure of how to explain this.)
The clock is simply ALWAYS ticking with steaks.
Hope this helps!
Latest Answers