Make meat durable - how it works

Meat is a food that can be preserved in many ways. There are far more options available to you than just the freezer. You can find out what options are available in this article.

Make meat durable - not just in the freezer

If you bought meat in stock, think about freezing first when it comes to extending shelf life.

• Freezing: Freezing meat is certainly the most common and also a very easy way to preserve sensitive food.
• Oil: If you do not have to store meat until you prepare it, you can extend the shelf life by a few days by placing it in oil. The advantage: the meat becomes more tender when it is inserted.
• Tip: If you know in advance how you want to season your meat, you can give your meat the right taste. The advantage here is that the spices penetrate the meat deeper, making the taste more intense.

Long storage with more taste

If you not only want to make meat more durable, but also give it a certain taste, pickling is a good alternative to the methods mentioned so far.

• Pickling is particularly suitable for larger pieces of meat. You can either buy curing salt as a ready-made mixture or make it yourself.
• Mix pickling salt from table salt and sodium nitrite. For every kilogram of salt there are five grams of sodium nitrite. To cure a kilo of meat, you need 50 grams of curing salt.
• Line the work surface with baking paper and spread the pickling salt generously over it. Then take the piece of meat and cover all sides evenly with it. Massage the curing salt into the meat properly.
• Tip: For larger pieces of meat, or if the meat has a layer of fat, prick it in and out with a skewer in several places. Then the pickling salt can penetrate better.
• When curing, you have to work extremely hygienically. So wash the meat thoroughly beforehand and dry it well.
• Store the meat prepared in this way in a suitable container. If possible, there should be no free spaces or gaps. The vessel must also be able to be closed securely.
• The salt draws so much liquid from the meat within four to eight weeks that it is relatively dry. After all, it is long-lasting.
• Mix finely ground spices with the curing salt and add flavor to the meat. Pepper, coriander, mustard seeds, rosemary and juniper are popular.

In the video: meat from the laboratory

If you would like to know more about the shelf life of meat, you will find all the information about the different types of meat in our next food tip.