[How long does frozen fish and meat last? ] Interesting expiration dates and tips to extend the shelf life

Do you know how long frozen meat and fish can be stored?

Freezing meat and fish prevents oxidation and bacterial growth, so the expiration date is much longer than when stored in the refrigerator.

However, freezing does not mean that it can be stored indefinitely. If stored frozen for a long period of time, the quality will slowly deteriorate.
The expiry date of frozen meat and fish is approximately one month. Perishability varies depending on the type, so it is best to eat them as soon as possible to ensure their deliciousness.

We will introduce you to the expiry date of frozen meat and fish, how to properly freeze and thaw it, and tips for extending the expiration date.

A good way to freeze meat and its expiration date

Expiration date of frozen meat

Generally, frozen meat has a shelf life of about one month. However, the perishability of meat differs depending on the type and shape of meat, and the quality will deteriorate if frozen for a long period of time.

The higher the moisture content, the more the quality deteriorates, so when it comes to types of meat, chicken, pork, and beef are the most perishable in that order.

In addition, the larger the area exposed to air, the more likely the quality will deteriorate, so spoilage progresses faster in the following order: minced meat, thinly sliced meat, block meat, steak meat, and chunk meat.
Chicken is a meat that tends to deteriorate in quality, so it is not suitable for long-term storage. Minced meat can be stored for 1 to 2 weeks, thigh and breast meat for 2 to 3 weeks, and chunk meat for 3 to 4 weeks without losing quality.

Pork and beef can maintain their quality longer than chicken, so they can be stored for a longer period of time without losing quality. Minced meat can be stored for 2 to 3 weeks, thinly sliced meat or steak can be stored for about 3 weeks, and chunks of meat can be stored for 1 month.
Basically, it is okay to freeze meat for a month, but for the best taste, we recommend using it within two weeks.

A good way to freeze meat

When freezing, be careful to prevent oxidation and drying.

For this reason, it is important to avoid exposure to air as much as possible when freezing. When it comes into contact with air, it oxidizes and dries, causing freezing burn and reducing its quality.

Wrap tightly in plastic wrap to remove air, place in a storage bag, seal, and freeze.
In addition, by wrapping the food thinly and flatly, you can freeze it quickly and thaw it in a short amount of time. It is also a good idea to freeze the food in single-dose portions so that it is easier to use.

A good way to thaw meat

The best way to thaw meat is to thaw it slowly in the refrigerator.
Since the temperature inside the refrigerator is maintained at a low temperature, meat can be defrosted with a small difference in temperature between the center temperature and the surface temperature. This allows the entire meat to thaw evenly, ensuring high quality.

In addition, low temperature conditions can prevent bacterial growth and reduce quality deterioration.

>> [Thorough guide to preserving meat] Introducing preservation methods, expiration dates, thawing methods, and rapid freezing methods!

Good ways to freeze fish and expiration date

Expiration date of frozen fish

Although it depends on the type of fish, the approximate expiration date for frozen fish is one month.
We recommend eating them as soon as possible, as storing them in the freezer for a long period of time can cause dryness and freezer burn.

Fish can be frozen for about a month, but the quality tends to deteriorate after a few weeks, so it is best to use it before then.

A good way to freeze fish

For fish that are sold individually, such as saury or ayu, remove the internal organs and head before freezing. If you don't remove the head and internal organs before freezing it, it will have a fishy smell, so it's important to prepare it before freezing.

After preparing, wash thoroughly, remove moisture with kitchen paper, and wrap in plastic wrap. For fish sold as fillets, remove from the container, dry with kitchen paper, and wrap in plastic wrap.

When freezing fish, it is important to wrap it tightly in plastic wrap to prevent it from being exposed to air. Wrap it in plastic wrap, then put it in a storage bag, seal it, and freeze it.

A good way to defrost fish

The best way to thaw fish is in the refrigerator. You can thaw the food at room temperature, but there is a risk of thawing it too much or causing bacteria to grow.

In order to maintain quality, fish should be thawed at low temperatures, just like meat.

However, thawing in the refrigerator takes time, so if you don't have time, thawing in ice water is recommended. By thawing food by soaking it in ice water, you can thaw it in a short time and with good quality.

The quality will deteriorate if it comes into contact with water, so it is important to seal it properly to prevent water from getting in it.

>> [How long does frozen meat and fish last? 】Best before date and tips for extending the best before date

Tips to extend the expiration date

Cook

The trick to extending the shelf life of meat is to cook it.
Cooking meat kills most bacteria and prevents deterioration of quality. Cooking and freezing meat extends its shelf life by 1 to 2 weeks compared to freezing raw meat.

In addition, seasoning with seasonings can suppress the growth of bacteria and allow food to be stored for a long time.

Fish can also be preserved for long periods of time without sacrificing quality by cooking, seasoning, and then freezing. By seasoning with miso, sake lees, soy sauce, mirin, etc., you can prevent it from drying out, and the flavor will soak in when you eat it, making it even more delicious.

It is best to eat frozen raw fish within 2 to 3 weeks, but if you season and cook the fish before freezing, the quality will not deteriorate even if you freeze it for 3 to 4 weeks. It also has the advantage of shortening the cooking time because you only need to defrost it before baking or boiling it when you use it.

rapid freezing

The trick to freezing without losing quality is to rapid freezing. Slow freezing causes ice crystals to grow as the water in the food freezes, destroying cells.

Water flows out along with the flavor components from the destroyed parts. This results in a loss of flavor, texture, and poor quality.

Therefore, it is important to try to freeze food as quickly as possible. rapid freezing maintains good quality and extends shelf life.

rapid freezing method that can be done at home is to place the food to be frozen on a metal tray. Metal trays have high thermal conductivity, so they can quickly remove heat and cool down.

It is also important to take measures such as increasing the freezing mode to keep the temperature inside the freezer as low as possible, opening and closing the door less often, packing food to eliminate gaps, and putting ice packs in the freezer.

The expiry date of frozen food is approximately 1 year

Because it is rapid freezing, it has a long shelf life.

The expiration date for foods, including meat and fish, that are frozen in a home freezer is about one month at most.
However, commercially available frozen foods have a much longer expiration date of about one year after production.

The reason for this is that many commercially available frozen foods are pre-cooked and processed. Cooked foods can be stored for a long time because their quality does not deteriorate easily even if they are frozen.

However, the main reason is that it is rapid freezing using a machine that specializes in freezing functions.
By freezing quickly with a commercial rapid freezer, food is less likely to be damaged by freezing and can be frozen without losing freshness or quality.

Commercially available frozen foods can be stored for as long as one year because they are properly frozen using rapid freezer.

Expiration date of frozen food at home

Commercially available frozen foods are rapid freezing at -40℃ to -30℃, so there is no need to worry about food poisoning.

If you store it below the freezer's set temperature of -18℃, you can prevent quality deterioration, so it is safe to store it in the freezer for up to a year.

However, home freezers are often opened and closed, making it difficult to maintain the internal temperature at -18°C. As a result, oxidation and drying progress slowly, resulting in quality deterioration.

If this happens, the taste and texture will deteriorate, making it difficult to store for a year.

It is said that frozen foods can be stored at home for about 4 months after purchase. The temperature inside the refrigerator varies depending on the location, and if stored in a door pocket, the quality will begin to deteriorate after two months.

People tend to think that because it is frozen food, it can be stored for a long time, but in order to enjoy it deliciously, we recommend using it as soon as possible.

Conclusion

If you store meat or fish in the refrigerator for a long time, the quality will deteriorate, so if you don't use it right away, we recommend freezing it.

However, freezing does not mean that it can be preserved for months or even years; it still has an expiration date.

In order to freeze food without losing quality, it is important to follow precautions such as wrapping it in plastic wrap and pre-processing fish.
Additionally, there are tricks to suppress quality deterioration and extend shelf life.

You can extend the expiration date by seasoning, heat-treating, and rapid freezing, so please try these out.