Am I Alone on This One ( with Frozen Meat ) ......

Updated on August 22, 2011
S.D. asks from Peoria, AZ
27 answers

My hubby prefer that I don't freeze meat in the freezer. So we have to buy a few dinners at a time . I guess it does not bother me too much, but I hear so many people stock up on meat and go to the store like 2 times a month. I guess some nice caserole ideas would be OK to freeze for a later time.... but this is high maintance to go every 3 days.

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K.J.

answers from Chicago on

Why is he so against it?

Most meat and fish that you buy from meat dept at the grocery has been frozen at some point (either shipped frozen in a Reefer container, or frozen by the grocery store to extend shelf life while in their posession.)

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A.C.

answers from Raleigh on

Im a chef and I freeze meat all the time. If you use it within 2 months you should be fine. Also even the health department says it's okay to freeze meat for 2-6 months depending on the type of freezer. When I worked in commercial kitchens it was common to freeze meat and serve it to customers later. I don't see the problem

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L.B.

answers from Biloxi on

I think it depends on the type of meat. Ground meat freezes fine and cooks fine, for me, since what we mostly do with it is tacos and casseroles. Chicken, freezes fine, and roasts, braises, etc. just fine - but then it is never rare. Pork chops, eh, I freeze those also, again, they are never cooked rare - always well done.

But steaks, and roast, I prefer to cook straight from the market - meats that are eaten rare or medium rare, to me, taste better when not frozen.

Maybe you could get him to compromise on the meats that will be cooked thoroughly versus the ones that are cooked to rare or medium.

I freeze because when my market has a good sale, I want to take advantage of the lower prices.

Good Luck

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K..

answers from Phoenix on

Well, who's in charge of the shopping & cooking? I think that that person should the say in how to handle the purchasing & storing of meat. If you buy & freeze, you can save a lot because you often get discounts for buying in bulk. I think it's more expensive & more of a hassle to shop every 2-3 days.

3 moms found this helpful

A.H.

answers from San Francisco on

Most meat that you buy at the grocery store has been frozen at least once before you buy it. I think it's in your husband's head.

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M.P.

answers from Raleigh on

I freeze all meat- I even freeze packaged deli meat! I often buy it marked down or close to it's "sell by" date, bring it home, and either cook it or freeze immediately. Buying it this way means I alway have something in the freezer and I never buy any meat not on sale, so we save $$. I can't tell the difference with the taste, and we go through it so fast, it never freezer burns or anything like that. My only advice is to let it thaw naturally- not with a microwave. The microwave thawing does make the taste and texture a little off.
Why not do a little trial run on him without his knowing. Freeze something and then cook it. See if he even knows the difference. I doubt he will!

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C.O.

answers from Washington DC on

ooh my!!! your husband would drive me INSANE!!!

We buy our meat in bulk and freeze it...saves me a ton of money on shopping.

I don't know what his problem with freezing is but it saves a ton of money - ESPECIALLY if you find chicken or steaks on sale and want to pick up more.

If you only have the refrigerator freezer, then yeah - I understand that - but if you have a freezer - you are literally wasting money...when you could buy meat on sale or in bulk and go to the store for other consumables (milk, eggs, fruit/veggies, etc.)

3 moms found this helpful

M.L.

answers from Houston on

Your husband is being an idiot. So long as you freeze it immediately, you don't thaw then refreeze and you use it within 4-6 months, it should be fine. It will last longer if you take it out of the package, wrap it in foil. Just label the package w the item and date. and yes, it does save money to stock up on meat when it goes on sale. We have a tiny freezer as well, but we can fit a lot of meat in there, and it is ice to have something in there for convenience, for instance if we have unexpected guests or don't have the chance to run to the store every few days.

I don't like to defrost, I pull it out of the freezer and place it in the fridge 24 hours before I plan to use it so it thaws safely.

2 moms found this helpful

M.P.

answers from Provo on

Why does he not prefer it? Any health concerns or just his preference. If it's not real concern (like a health thing) than I would ignore it. YOU are the cook, YOU do the shopping. He just eats it, right? You rule the kitchen, right? Then YOU do what you want to do.

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M.I.

answers from Albuquerque on

My hubby is kind of like yours, he says his mom walked to the market everyday. I was raised portioning and freezing meat and it is cheaper to buy that way, seriously, 2 chicken breasts is more per lb than a whole package. I normally will buy meat that will last for 2 weeks or so of dinners but occasionally he'll insist on buying fresh, then I try to buy roast sort of meats that will stretch over a couple of dinners. Although even when I do have meat in the freezer we're still running to the store for basics and produce (we try to go to the farmers market for that too since it's cheaper).

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B.

answers from Augusta on

we freeze meat all the time, you just can't leave it in there too long and not use it. you need to use it with in a couple of months so it doesn't get freezer burn.
After we get a big freezer we will buy in bigger quantity. so we only have to buy meat once a month.
Going to the store every couple of days adds up quick cause no one ever goes in there for JUST what they need. you end up buying other stuff.

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R.L.

answers from Roanoke on

We are like you, except for fish (we buy frozen salmon and tilapia in bulk). But, we don't freeze any other meats. There are a few reasons..we don't have a ton of freezer space, we don't plan our meals in advance, it encourages us to use what we DO have, and we are both a little "iffy" about frozen meat in the first place. We are foodies, so we're always doing something crazy in the kitchen, however, with all that said, there's only 2 of us for now (me and hubby), so there's not a big need for us to stockpile meat.

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C.C.

answers from Flagstaff on

I do freeze meats, but I also freeze dinners. I make double sometimes when I make enchiladas or burritos or casseroles. Then I freeze the extra, for a night when I know I won't have time to cook. Sometimes I defrost the day before, but often I just throw it in the oven (especially in the winter) for a quick dinner.

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B..

answers from Dallas on

I've never had a problem with meat tasting differently, from freezing it first. We buy our meat once a month, so I only have to buy fresh produce every week. It's nice. I can also do a month of meal planning, at a time. It saves us so much time and money. It's documented, that people who grocery shop often, spend way more money then those who don't.

Why does he "prefer" that? Does he have a real reason? My brother in law will NOT drink juice, or eat tomatoes ever. He's never had juice or tomatoes, but that's his preference! Is this one of those situations, where he has a preference, but it's totally unfounded? I say, do what you want. You do the cooking. You do what's easiest for you.

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A.W.

answers from Chicago on

I only buy meat on sale and almost always buy in bulk and freeze it. Like another mom said things like steak do taste better to me if they aren't frozen. If you can spend a day just cooking and make some stuff and freeze it you could still buy in bulk. Casseroles, taco meat, meatballs, stews, things like that can all be frozen and it would make it easier to put together dinner if a portion of the meal is already cooked. I do that sometimes- esp. during the school year when I have classes and my husband is working long hours or our daughter has something going on.

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K.P.

answers from Seattle on

My hubby and I always buy lots of meat and get Ziploc bags and separate how much for one meal into the bags and freeze them. Then when I want something I just pull it out in the morning and then its thawed for dinner.

Stocking up and freezing meat is all I know girl! When I was little it was the only way we could do it coming from a family of 9. My parents could only afford to grocery shop once a month so they would buy meat in bulk and separate it and freeze it.

Its cheaper and easier than running to the store all the time. If you think about it, if you did start freezing, your saving yourself on gas you use going back and forth. You wouldnt need to.

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A.M.

answers from Dallas on

Frozen meat is completely safe and good to stock up on. I shop the sales, freeze it and then eat it later. Also it means I never have to go to the store after work if I don't want to do so. I would say if it bothers him that much, then he needs to be the one to go to the store every couple days. Perhaps you can do the big weekly shopping trip and then he can supplement with the fresh meat every couple days. Good luck to you

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J.P.

answers from Phoenix on

I guess I'm in the minority but I can't stand frozen meat, especially chicken! Luckily I am not a huge meat eater but when I do eat it, I want it fresh =)

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K.B.

answers from Milwaukee on

We freeze meat all the time, if I am not using it in the next two days it gets frozen. Maybe if I lived in Eruope and did not have a larger fridge then I would go shopping every 2-3 days... BUT I have the fridge and only time to grocery shop at the most once a week but usually only every other week.

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J.W.

answers from St. Louis on

I am like you, kinda squicky about frozen meat. I still won't do hamburger but steaks freeze very well if you vacuum seal them. We go to Costco and get the full cuts and then make them into steaks, seal them and freeze. I see no difference in the taste and texture,

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J.J.

answers from Phoenix on

We don't freeze much meat except for italian sausage when I don't use all of it in a recipe. We're not huge meat eaters I guess. I'm usually at the grocery once or twice a week to get fresh produce anyway so I'd rather just get what I need for the week when I'm there.

T.C.

answers from Austin on

We buy meats that come already frozen like fish or meatballs, and once in awhile we freeze fresh chicken. But my husband does not like to freeze steak. I guess it doesn't taste as good to him, or maybe it's not as tender. I do find that things that have been in the freezer too long have a "freezer" taste to them.
I don't mind having to get fresh meat so often because we live less than three miles from 2 grocery stores plus my husband takes care of the shopping. He reads all the ads to see what's on sale, chooses the packages with the longest expiration date, and tells me his plan of what to have on each day.

R.D.

answers from Richmond on

In the check out aisle at the grocery store, there are always little tear-out card cookbooks... most of that stuff you can make and freeze for up to 3 months, and it still tastes awesome!! I'M the picky eater in my house, and if I say it's still good, it's good ;) Try it!! I just made a chickeny cheesey tater totty goodness casserole that is still amazing, 4 weeks later, from one of those books ;)

L.M.

answers from New York on

We always buy meat in advance and freeze it. Since we are usually super busy during the week, I try and do a cooking day on Sunday where I will defrost meat on Saturday and then make a few meals for the week ahead. (Usually 3 meals and then I can cook the other 2 during the week).

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H.A.

answers from Bismarck on

Hmmmm....not sure why he doesn't want you to freeze the meat. Part of my husband's wages include all the beef we can eat. (Ranch hand) J. had a half a beef dropped off last night. My deep freeze is full to the top. We often joke that we're so poor, the only thing we can afford to eat is the best steak money can buy! But honestly, I've never noticed freezing affecting the beef, or chicken or pork for that matter. J. remember to take it out ahead of time and let it defrost in the refrigerator vs. using the microwave. Defrosting in the microwave is something I try to avoid.

T.S.

answers from San Francisco on

I also don't like the taste of frozen meat. It's not a health concern, just a personal preference.
I'm at the grocery store every two or three days anyway (usually buying bread and whatever other random items we keep running out of!) so it's no big deal to me :)

T.F.

answers from Dallas on

I do keep a good stock of meats in my freezer.

We have a local butcher and he gets his beef from the same places the highest end steak places get their meat . Top quality. I stock up about once every 3 months at the butcher shop.

I do go to the grocery almost daily. I love fresh produce. I am only 5 minutes or less away from Market Street which is a great grocery with good produce.

I do not freeze dinners, only meats and some veggies.

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