Deli meat is incredibly versatile, and if you’re stocking up on this lunchtime favorite, you may be wondering if freezing it is the key to extending its shelf life.
When it comes to freezing deli meat, practicing safe storage habits is absolutely essential. If the meat isn’t frozen at the correct temperature, once fully defrosted, you may be taking a risk by eating it.
We asked the experts to break down what you need to know about keeping frozen deli meat fresh, flavorful, and most importantly, safe.
Yes, you can freeze deli meat, says Kimberly Kramer, a clinical dietitian at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware Valley.
If your intent when purchasing deli meat is to freeze it, no matter if the meat was sliced at the counter or purchased in a vacuum-sealed pack, Kramer recommends storing it in your freezer as soon as you return home from the grocery store.
However, if you are freezing the meat within a safe timeline (the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends you consume all open packages of deli meat within three to five days), you can go ahead and freeze it, Kramer says.
If the deli meat has been open beyond the five day mark, or if it is past the expiration date, do not freeze it. Rather, you should discard the meat, because you can no longer guarantee its safety, she says.
You should never refreeze deli meat in an attempt to prolong its freshness. “Once a deli meat has been unfrozen, it should not be frozen again,” says Dr. Mandeep Rai, a board-certified infectious disease physician at Banner Thunderbird Medical Center.
Why? Deli meat is vulnerable to bacteria growth once defrosted. Refrigeration will slow the growth of bacteria on foods, but neither refrigeration nor freezing will kill bacteria that’s already there, Rai explains.
Though it’s possible to freeze all types of deli meat, once defrosted, it’s possible that the quality and consistency of some meats may fare better than others, says Judy Simon, a clinical dietitian nutritionist at the University of Washington Medical Center. Cured meats, for example, tend to maintain their texture once defrosted because of their high fat content, she says.
Meats that have a high water content are likely going to be more prone to consistency changes when thawed, Kramer notes. “Turkey lunchmeat is going to have a higher percentage of water, so the texture might change a little bit,” she says.
Deli meat should always be stored in the freezer at 0 degrees Fahrenheit or below, per the USDA.
“If you have any concern that your freezer is not at the right temperature, you are risking bacteria growth,” Kramer notes. If your freezer temperature is too warm, best practices would be to discard the meat, she says.
To ensure the quality of the meat is protected, seal it in something airtight, such as a freezer storage bag, Kramer recommends.
When it comes to freezing deli meats sliced at the counter, adding parchment paper between the individual slices may help preserve the best quality of the product, Simon suggests.
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