If you’ve been to the grocery since January 1, you’ve most likely noticed that food prices are on the rise. Not just slightly higher €“ a lot higher. I’ve actually pulled my buggy over inside the store after paying to check my receipt. I’ve been sure that they must have overcharged me. Alas, the total was correct. We are just seeing the increased price of food … all foods, and it’s projected to get worse before it gets better.
One of the main things that I’ve noticed being especially expensive is meat. I’ve scratched my head on more than one occasion wondering what happened. Unfortunately, I believe we’ve found our new normal.
I read a great article today about the prices on Teri’s blog – I encourage you to hop over and read it. Very interesting stuff.
So where do you go from here? It’s time to learn how to freeze meat.
For ground beef, I buy the Family Pack. It’s usually 3-5 pounds. When I get it home, I divide it into ziploc freezer bags. (Very important that you choose FREEZER bags and not STORAGE bags!)
Once they are divided, you want to flatten the bags. 1 – this gets the air out and prevents freezer burn and 2 – it allows you more space in your freezer since you can stack the beef. Be sure to write on the outside the date. That will help you determine if you need to throw it out!
I follow this method for ground beef if it cooked or uncooked. (Let it cool completely before freezing if you cook it first!)
I do the same routine for roast, steaks and other beef I buy. Obviously it’s harder to get all the air out, but get as much as you can to prolong the life of your food.
Here are the rules of thumb:
- Cooked meat — 2 to 3 months
- Uncooked roasts — 4 to 12 months
- Uncooked steaks or chops — 4 to 12 months
- Uncooked ground meat — 3 to 4 month
€¦ remember, there’s no cents in paying full price! Buy in bulk and purchase enough to last 12 weeks (typical sale cycle on beef).
* This post is part of a weekly segment on KSBJ Christian Radio. For more on segments featuring Stephanie Click, the Texas Money Mom, click here.
