Freezing meat is the key to making it last - this means you can stock up when meat is on special at PAK'nSAVE without worrying what you're going to do with it in the next few days!

To lock in the freshness of beef and preserve its quality, freeze beef as soon as you bring it home from the supermarket.

If beef has been in the refrigerator it can be frozen right up to midnight on its use-by-date without compromising quality.

Once frozen, the original use-by-date is replaced by the new frozen date which you need to add to the packaging. When placing new meat in the freezer, always rotate the food to ensure the oldest meat is used first. This will prevent unnecessary food wastage.

A handy tip is label any packaging with the date you put it in the freezer.

Large joints

Large joints of beef can remain in their original packaging and placed in an airtight bag or vacuum-sealed container in the freezer for 4-6 months.

Smaller cuts and mince

Smaller beef cuts and mince are best separated into smaller portions for greater flexibility, even freezing and faster defrosting. They should be wrapped twice to exclude air and reduce the risk of freezer burn.

Steaks, ribs and small cuts can be frozen for 3-4 months. Diced beef and ground beef have a shorter freezer life of 2-3 months.

Read tips for defrosting beef.

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Signs of spoilage

Before using frozen beef inspect it for any signs of spoilage. If the meat was poorly wrapped it may have signs of freezer burn including ice crystals and dry, discoloured patches. Once defrosted, check if it's still safe to eat. A foul odour, discolouration or a slimy surface indicates that the beef is not safe to eat and should be thrown away.

Can you thaw then refreeze raw beef?

Beef safely defrosted in the fridge can be refrozen within 24 hours of thawing. That’s because the beef temperature will have been kept below 5℃ the point at which microbial activity increases. Beef defrosted by any other method should not be refrozen as it is possible the temperature exceeded 5℃ during the thawing process. This beef should be cooked immediately after defrosting and consumed within 3 days.