How long can you freeze corned beef?
In this article, we will answer the question “How long can you freeze corned beef?”, and how to freeze corned beef?
How long can you freeze corned beef?
Cooked corned beef can be refrigerated for 3-4 days. Freezing will extend its shelf-life to 2-3 months. Uncooked or raw corned beef can be frozen for 6-8 months.
How to freeze corned beef?
Freezing uncooked whole corned beef
Drain: First of all, free the corned beef of its excess liquid to get rid of the unwanted sats. These salts will degrade the texture and cut shirt the shelf-life of the frozen corned beef.
Wrap: Then double wrap the whole raw corned beef in a plastic sheet and put it in a freezer bag.
Label and freeze: Squeeze out as much as possible from the bag. Label and chuck it in the back of the freezer, where it is the coldest.
Freezing uncooked slices of corned beef
It is recommended to freeze raw sliced corned beef instead of whole corned beef. Because slices are more manageable and easy to defrost. Slices have less thawing time.
Drain: First of all, free the corned beef of its excess liquid to get rid of the unwanted sats. These salts will degrade the texture and cut shirt the shelf-life of the frozen corned beef. Then proceed by slicing the corned beef.
Wrap: Then double wrap each slice of raw corned beef in a plastic sheet and put it in a freezer bag.
Label and freeze: Squeeze out as much as possible from the bag. Label and chuck it in the back of the freezer, where it is the coldest.
Freezing cooked corned beef
The shelf-life of the cooked corned beef is also affected by the cooking method and the ingredients used during the process. The following procedure can also be used for freezing canned corned beef.
Drain and cook: Drain all the high-salt liquid and cook the corned beef as per the recipe instructions.
Let it cool: After you have cooked the corned beef according to your preferred recipe, let it cool down to room temperature before freezing. It is important to let the steam out so that it does not get trapped and lead to spoilage.
Storage: Transfer the cooked corned beef to a heavy-duty freezer bag. Now, your best bet is to vacuum-seal the bag. Use a shallow freezer-safe container for freezing canned corned beef.
Label and freeze: Squeeze out as much as possible from the bag. Label and chuck it in the back of the freezer, where it is the coldest.
How to cook corned beef?
A slow cooker is best for cooking corned beef slowly on low heat. However, stovetop or oven methods can also be used. Cook until the corned beef is “Fork tender”.
To ensure safety, make sure the internal temperature of the corned beef reaches 160℉. The pink color of the corned beef has nothing to do with its raw or cooked form.
It is because corned beef maintains its pink color even after cooking due to the heat-stable nitrites added during curing. After cooking, let the brisket rest for 10 minutes before slicing. This will allow the juices to redistribute.
How to use leftover corned beef?
Shredded corned beef makes for a great pizza topping. Skip the pepperoni and bake your pizza with corned beef instead.
Corned beef can be added to your wrap filling. The classic corned beef hash never goes out of trend.
Showcase your culinary skills by adding corned beef to vegetable casseroles, cabbage soups, or make a corned beef hash brown casserole.
Add corned beef into slow-cooked stews like cabbage stews, beef stew, chicken stew, for complex flavors.
Thawing and reheating considerations
The safest way to defrost uncooked and frozen corned beef is to leave it overnight in the fridge. If the frozen corned beef is to be used in stews or soups, defrosting is not needed. You can refreeze corned beef only if it was thawed in the fridge.
However, refreezing the once thawed corned beef is not recommended as it significantly damages the texture and flavor of the meat.
How to freeze corned beef hash?
Cool: Let the corned beef hash reach room temperature before freezing. Freeze within 2 hours of cooking.
Store: Divide the corned beef hash into meal-size portions and transfer it into freezer bags. Squeeze out as much as possible from the bag.
Label and freeze: Put a clear label on the bag and chuck it in the coldest part of the freezer.
Other FAQs about Beef that you may be interested in.
Can a beef roast be cooked from frozen?
Can beef wellington be reheated?
Conclusion
In this article, we answered the question “How long can you freeze corned beef?”, and how to freeze corned beef?
