How Long Does Vacuum Sealed Meat Last In The Fridge
The worst thing that can happen when preparing a meal is to open the fridge and realize the meat is spoiled. This can not only ruin your meal but also your day. That’s why it’s so important to know how long does vacuum sealed meat last in the fridge. After all, you don’t want to put your health at risk by eating expired meat or ruin your dinner plans. All you need to do is to keep track of the dates and make sure that you cook the meat before it goes bad.
So, how long does vacuum sealed meat last in the fridge? Vacuum sealed meat lasts 6-10 days in the fridge. This depends on the temperature and the quality of the wrapping and the state of the meat when you sealed it. Assuming that everything was fresh and the wrapping was done properly, you need to keep the meat below 38 ºF and consume it within 6-10 days.
Now, as you can imagine many factors go into this to make sure the meat will be safe to eat within this timeframe. You need to control the temperature inside the fridge. The vacuum wrapping has to be done properly, and you need to know what signs to look for to avoid eating spoiled meat. The point is that there are a lot of things to worry about if you want to avoid food poisoning or having to throw away a lot of meat.
So, make sure to read all the tips below and follow them down to the letter. You’ll avoid a lot of headaches. After all, you don’t want to ruin your dinner because you didn’t properly store the meat.
The Meat Lasts Up To 10 Days Below 38 ºF
The meat lasts up to 10 days below 38 ºF, but it’s important to point out that this is the maximum. You either have to eat within this timeframe or actually put it in a freezer in the first place to avoid bacterial growth. Ideally, you should eat it before the 10 days if you want to make sure that there’s no chance that the meat won’t be fresh.
Another thing is that there’s always the risk that your fridge is having problems keeping the temperature, especially if you’re constantly opening it. This can increase the temperature inside and spoil the meat. You should avoid this not only because of the meat but also because it can contaminate other foods that are inside the fridge. That’s why you must make sure that the temperature is always below the 38ºF limit.
So, make sure that you properly store the meat. If you meet the requirements, it’ll last for up to 10 days inside the fridge. If your fridge can’t keep this temperature, consider getting a new one. The Midea 3.1 Compact Refrigerator is excellent to store meat separately from other foods. Click to view pricing on Amazon here.
Only Unpack The Meat When You’re Ready To Cook It
The whole point of vacuum sealing the meat is that the lack of oxygen doesn’t allow certain bacteria to grow inside the package. Naturally, once you remove the package, the meat will be exposed to the bacteria that it wasn’t before. That’s why you should only unpack the meat when you’re ready to cook it. This will avoid having the meat turns bad because you’ve left it unprotected in the fridge.
Now, what you’re going to do is to unpack the meat and season it immediately. The salt and other ingredients are the perfect solution to stall bacterial growth. If you do follow this tip, you won’t have any problem with the conservation of your meat. Take it out of the fridge, unpack it, season it, and finally, cook it. Do this process, and you won’t have a problem.
So, make sure to only unpack the meat when you’re ready to cook it. Of course, you should do this within the timeframe of 10 days in the fridge. Assuming the meat is already in perfect condition to be consumed, you should proceed and unpack it when you’re about to cook it.
Anaerobic Bacteria Can Grow In Temperatures Above 3 ºF
It’s important to make it clear that certain bacteria can grow even though the meat is vacuum-sealed. These are anaerobic bacteria, which means they don’t need oxygen to grow. They grow in temperatures above 3 ºF, which your fridge will be. That’s why after a certain time your meat will go bad if not cooked.
What you can do here is either put the meat in a freezer and not the fridge, or keep tabs on the dates and make sure that you cook the meat within 6-10 days to avoid spoiling perfectly good meat. The important thing to keep in mind is that the anaerobic bacteria will grow in temperatures above 3 ºF.
So, what you should do is either put it on a freezer or don’t mess up with the dates. Another thing that you should consider is getting a new fridge. If you are a meat lover, having a separate fridge for that is the ideal situation. They don’t need to be as big as the main fridge. The hOmeLabs Mini Fridge is excellent for that purpose. Make sure to take a look at it on Amazon here.
Always Make Sure The Meat Is Properly Wrapped
This tip is something that you should never forget. Always make sure that the meat is properly wrapped. It doesn’t matter if you’re buying it at the supermarket or if you did the wrapping yourself. Always look for loose spots or holes in the plastic. Anything that can let air in means that your meat will go bad a lot faster than anticipated.
That’s why you should always check, at least, twice to make sure that the meat is properly wrapped. If you see anything that indicates that it wasn’t, it’s better not to buy it.
So, remember to always be quite observant and do not let anything slide when it comes to this. This is a valuable tip that you should never ignore. The meat can spoil up to 8 days faster than it would if properly sealed.
Keep Track Of Dates
If you live by yourself or it’s not used to cooking every day, it’s easy to forget when exactly you put the meat in the fridge. What this usually meaning for you is that the meat goes bad because you mix up the dates. When you finally decide to cook it, you realize that it has a “funny smell” or the color is weird.
The solution for this is to keep track of the dates. Make sure that you either jot it down on a notebook or that you write in the package of the meat. Whatever you do, make sure that you keep track of the dates so you don’t have good meat going bad.
So, make sure that you keep track of the dates. Also, make sure that the meat is store under the right circumstances, especially the temperature. To help you do that, consider getting a fridge to store meat. The Danby DAR026A1BDD-3 is a great choice for storing meat. Get yours from Amazon here.
If It’s Cooked, Then It’s Only 2-3 Days
If the meat is cooked, then it’s only 2-3 days. This is important to mention because a lot of people get it confused. The 6-10 days timeframe is for raw meat. If you cook it, there are a lot of other things at play that weren’t there before. The season, the chemical reaction that happened due to the cooking, and the bacteria that were dormant and aren’t anymore.
The point is that when you cook the meat, you should eat a lot faster if you want to have it under the right conditions. Keep in mind that this should be done within 2-3 days.
So, keep track of days for this as well. Also, try to calculate how much meat you’re going to need for the number of people that are going to eat.
If It Smells Throw It Away
Finally, if the smell of the meat is weird, do not eat it. Now, this can be tricky since raw meat doesn’t smell good. But if you have any experience cooking you know what raw meat naturally smells like.
What you should do if the smell is bad, or the texture is sticky, it’s to throw it away. Eating expired meat can cause serious health problems for you.
So, make sure to always throw it away, if you’re suspicious of the smell or even the texture. A good rule of thumb is that when in doubt, throw it away immediately.
Final Thoughts
So, 6-10 days is how long vacuum-sealed meat last in the fridge. Make sure to keep it under the right conditions and keep track of the dates. Always cook it before it’s too late and never risk eating it if it smells weird.