When it comes to quick meals and sandwiches, cold cuts always come handy. Made from pre-cooked or marinated meat, they are often thinly sliced and packed in aseptic packaging to preserve its shelf life for at least 5 days. When thinking of prolonging its shelf life, here are some common tips from deli expert, Kroger Bakery Cakes and Deli.
When vacuum packaging is opened, transfer the remaining cold cuts into an air-tight container. This helps prevent airborne bacteria from contaminating the meat. It will also reduce chances of oxygenation.
If you have a freezer, put the remaining cold cuts there. Just thaw it when you feel like eating up. When storing in a fridge, store it along with the meat section. This particular area usually has lower temperature than the rest of the section. Put it at the back of the refrigerator to diminish exposure.
Ditch the added preservatives. Cold cuts are jam-packed with sodium nitrates to preserve its taste as well as look. Too many preservatives can cause adverse effects to the body. It can cause certain forms of cancers as well as chronic diseases.
As a rule, cold cuts when opened must be consumed within three days to ensure its freshness and safety.
When thinking of preserving raw meat, it is imperative that they are washed carefully before being stored in the fridge or in the freezer. Remove dirt, blood or grime. These undesirables can cause a lot of negative effects to the meat as germs and microbes thrive on them. Store in Ziplocs or an airtight container. Make sure to use them within 2 days of storage.
When marinating, the best recourse is to cook the meat after a day. Do ensure that meat or poultry is washed well before marinating. Avoid salt when you have no plans of cooking it right away.
When it comes to cold cuts and raw meat, Kroger bakery cakes and deli shop are great sources of freshly cut meat. Some meats come pre-marinated and can even be vacuum-packed for easy storage.
