Although deli meats are often eaten within a few days of purchase, freezing is a safe way to preserve them for longer.
However, it is important to handle, pack, store and thaw meat properly to ensure maximum quality.
Do cold meats go in the freezer?
From a safety point of view, as long as they are frozen solid at -18°C, then they will keep indefinitely.
At this temperature, germs and other pathogens, which can cause food poisoning, remain completely dormant, which means they do not multiply.
Therefore, if properly handled, stored and thawed, cured meats are safe to eat even following very long periods of frozen storage.
However, the taste quality of the meat will begin to deteriorate over time.
The quality of frozen deli meats can be affected by internal chemical reactions, exposure to oxygen, or drying due to improper storage, or improper thawing.
Changes in quality may include:
-changes in taste and smell
– changes in color
– loss of moisture
-freezer burn (meat dries out and becomes gray and spongy)
In general, cured meats can be stored in the freezer at -18°C for 1–2 months. If you store it longer than this, the product will still be safe to eat, but there may be some degradation in quality.
If you plan to freeze cured meats, it is best to do so as soon as possible following purchasing them. The longer they stay out of the freezer, the more likely it is to start spoiling, or becoming contaminated.
Should the cold meats be sliced, or not? Does it matter to freeze them?
Cold meats can be safely frozen both sliced and unsliced.
Cutting up cold meats before storing means you can pack and store them in smaller, more manageable portions, which defrost more quickly when you need them.
However, with cut meats, it is important to be extra careful with their packaging. If much of the surface of the meat is left exposed to oxygen and frozen air, then its quality is more likely to deteriorate.
In addition, sliced and prepackaged meats are at greater risk of contamination from bacteria and other pathogens. Therefore, it is essential to keep them stored in the refrigerator or freezer as soon as possible following purchase.
Best freezing practices for different types of deli meats
Different types of cured meats may need to be frozen in different ways to maintain optimum quality. All meats are best eaten within 1-2 months of freezing, but if stored at the correct temperature, they will remain safe beyond this time.
Cooked sausages
Cooked sausages are any mixtures of minced meat, spices and seasonings that have been cooked (eg chorizo, frankfurters, paris, mortadella). Freeze whole or sliced (larger sausages are best sliced).
Dried sausages
These are fermented and dried sausages. They can be cooked, or smoked. Examples include salami and pepperoni. Freeze whole or sliced (larger sausages are best sliced).
Cooked meat
It is usually beef, lamb and pork, which is cooked and then kept cold in thin slices.
Cured meats
Meat can be cured by a combination of salting, drying, adding nitrites, or sugar, or by smoking. They can also be cooked following ripening. Such cured meats are pancetta, ham, prosciutto, corned beef and pastrami. You can freeze them for 1-2 months.
Pressed meats
These are made from ground turkey, or chicken mixed with binders and water and shaped to form sticks that can be sliced. They can be frozen sliced or whole.
Canned meats (luncheon meat type)
Canned stews are often sliced, or used as a spread. Remove from the box and cut into individual portions before freezing. Do not freeze them in their can.
Source: healthline.com
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