Can You Eat Freezer-Burned Meat?
No one is a stranger to freezer-burned steak and other meats that have suffered similar fates. Meat is judged as being freezer-burned when its color has changed significantly, and it becomes very parched-looking, too. This is one of the downsides of freezing meat, especially if the meat is partially exposed to the freezer air’s blasting.
So is this kind of meat still safe to eat? The short answer is yes, it’s still safe to eat. You don’t have to worry about freezer-burned meat poisoning you, but you may discover quickly that the taste of the meat has already changed, and the meat will take on a “freezer-burned taste” that you will not likely, even with all the seasonings that you add to the meal. Oxygen molecules are at fault here, as innumerable molecules enter frozen food if they are not kept in the right containers.
This happens under the following conditions:
- The meat was not wrapped properly or tightly. This allowed frigid air and water molecules to enter the meat and cause high crystallization of the muscle tissue. Frozen water molecules will settle wherever possible, so it’s important to freeze meat in the right, air-tight containers.
- The next common cause of freezer burn in meat is keeping the meat in a freezer for too long. Eventually, the molecules of frozen air and water will begin to penetrate the meats you are keeping, so you must consume the meat as soon as possible and don’t store it for too long unless you have to. Frozen water molecules will congregate around meat because there will be constant temperature fluctuation in the meat muscle. The cold air will be attracted to the warmer parts of the freezer.
