To join the growing group of mindful eaters, cut down on food waste at home and keep your meat fresh longer. In the video and blog post below, I talk about what I’ve learned from butchering and wrapping my own animals. If you do these things, your expensive chicken, beef, pork, and wild game will stay good for a lot longer than you think. You’ll learn using methods with salt, vacuum seal, plastic wrap and butcher paper!.
Why should we care about food waste? Because 58% of food produced for Canadians is lost or wasted. This video is from a show called Half Full, which looks at the issue of food waste and sees a lot of good things that can happen.
Salt beef is a cured and brined meat product with a long shelf life But just how long can you keep salt beef refrigerated before it goes bad? Here’s a complete guide to maximizing fridge life for the best quality salt beef
What is Salt Beef?
Salt beef starts with a cut of raw beef, typically brisket or round. The meat is cured, meaning it’s packed in a salt mixture that preserves and flavors the beef Wet brining in a saltwater solution is another curing technique
Cured with either a dry salt rub or brine solution, salt beef changes color from red to greyish-brown. The curing process gives salt beef a longer shelf life compared to fresh meat. It also gives it a distinctively salty flavor.
Salt beef is an iconic ingredient in many cuisines. It’s used to make deli classics like pastrami, corned beef, and tongue. Salt beef appears in traditional Irish, Jewish, Caribbean, and Newfoundland dishes.
How is Salt Beef Prepared?
Traditionally, salt beef is made by curing beef brisket in a salt and sugar brine for 4-5 days. The meat is then simmered for hours until fork tender. The cooked salt beef is served warm or cooled and sliced thin for sandwiches.
Industrially produced salt beef is pumped with curing solution to distribute the salt, then vacuum sealed and cooked. This faster process yields shelf-stable, ready-to-eat salt beef.
For homemade salt beef, choose high quality beef with good marbling. Trim off excess fat before curing. Use kosher salt and sugar when making brine. Cure meat in the fridge 7-10 days, turning occasionally. Simmer 3-4 hours to cook through.
Refrigerator Shelf Life of Salt Beef
The curing process enables salt beef to be stored for extended periods without spoiling. However, fridge temperature, ingredients, and handling impact how long it lasts before developing off flavors or textures.
Uncooked Salt Beef
- Dry cured: 1-2 weeks
- Wet brined: 1-2 weeks
- Vacuum sealed: 4-6 weeks
Cooked Salt Beef
- Homemade: 3-4 days
- Store bought: 2 weeks unopened
For maximum freshness, use salt beef within these timelines. Discard any beef with an off smell or appearance, even if within date.
How to Store Salt Beef in the Fridge
Follow these guidelines to help salt beef stay fresh longer:
- Keep raw and cooked salt beef sealed in original airtight packaging until ready to use.
- Once opened, rewrap tightly in plastic wrap or place in a sealed container.
- Arrange so liquid can’t pool underneath to prevent sogginess.
- Store on lower fridge shelves away from fresh produce, ready-to-eat foods.
- Monitor fridge temperature, maintaining 40°F or below.
- Rinse salt beef before cooking to remove excess surface salt if overly salty.
- Cooked salt beef keeps longer than raw. Use within 3-4 days after cooking.
Avoid temperature fluctuations and cross-contamination to prevent premature spoilage.
How To Tell if Salt Beef is Bad
Salt beef cured properly lasts 1-2 months refrigerated. However, with prolonged storage, it can still go bad. Rely on your senses to determine if salt beef has spoiled.
Signs of spoiled raw salt beef:
- Slimy, sticky, tacky texture
- Off putting sulfurous aroma
- Greyish, dull exterior
- Ropy white mold growth
Signs of spoiled cooked salt beef:
- Loose pieces, falls apart easily
- Noticeable sour odor
- Dry, shriveled appearance
- Greyish surface discoloration
- Liquid in package
Immediately discard salt beef with any of these signs of spoilage, even if within date on packaging. Don’t taste meat that looks or smells “off”!
Cooking and Serving Salt Beef
For the best flavor and texture, cook salt beef soon after curing and refrigerated storage. Here are some serving ideas:
- Simmer corned beef with spices and vegetables to make a hearty New England boiled dinner.
- Slice deli-style salt beef thin for sandwiches piled high with mustard.
- Dice salt beef and crisp it up to use in hash recipes.
- Pair slices of pastrami-style salt beef with rye, pickles and Swiss for an iconic sandwich.
- Use leftover boiled salt beef in creative casseroles, tacos, potato skins, and soups.
Savor the concentrated savory taste in your favorite salt beef specialties. With proper curing, storage, and handling, salt beef can add authentic flavor to meals for weeks to come.
Frequently Asked Questions About Salt Beef in the Fridge
Got questions about maximizing the shelf life of your salt beef? Here are answers to some common queries.
How long can I store an unopened package of store bought corned beef?
Commercially packaged corned beef will last 2-3 weeks unopened in the fridge. Once opened, use within 3-5 days.
Does salt beef need to be fully submerged in brine?
Yes, the meat must be fully covered by brine to cure evenly. Weigh it down if it floats.
Can I re-freeze thawed salt beef?
It’s not recommended to refreeze thawed salt beef more than once, as the texture suffers.
What are signs my brine has spoiled?
Cloudiness, off odor and slimy texture mean the brine has gone bad. Discard it and start a new batch.
Why does my salt beef smell like rotten eggs?
If not cured properly, it can develop a sulfur odor from bacterial growth. When in doubt, throw it out.
My salt beef looks grey and dry on the outside, is it safe to eat?
This is normal, the result of salt drawing moisture out. It’s still fine to cook and eat.
Can I substitute Prague powder for plain salt when dry curing?
Prague powder adds nitrites for longer preservation and red color retention. Reduce salt used accordingly.
Is it necessary to simmer homemade corned beef for hours?
Yes, the lengthy moist cooking ensures the meat becomes tender and the cure flavors permeate through.
Master the Shelf Life of Salt Beef Like the Experts
Understanding how to store and determine spoilage of salt beef empowers you to make it safely at home and use store-bought with confidence. Follow the storage guidelines, trust your senses, and enjoy the unique flavors of salt beef for up to a month when refrigerated properly.
Tips on how to store meat and keep it tasting great for longer
Sprinkle the piece of meat with a little salt, and put it on a rack in the fridge without covering it. The thicker the cut the longer you can keep it salted in the fridge. I’ll salt a chicken breast (with the skin and bone still on) for 48 hours in the fridge, but I won’t salt a pork shoulder roast for almost a week.
There are lots of additional benefits to salting the meat and leaving it uncovered. Technically you are dry brining the meat. Which results in a tender and more favourable taste. When you sear the meat, the salt will help dry out the skin or make a crust on the outside, giving it a deeper color and crispier sear. A win-win-win!.
1 week to 1 month: Wrap and Freeze
Wrap in wax-lined butcher paper, label, and store in the freezer. The key is ensuring you’re using wax-lined butcher paper. The type of paper can also be labelled as freezer-safe butcher paper.
How tightly the paper is wrapped around the meat is what makes it resistant to freezer burn. To keep the package closed, use masking tape or look up a video on YouTube that shows you how to wrap something without tape.
Note on vacuum seal bags – If you have a vacuum seal bag, this method works too. Although I find most compact, home models won’t seal the meat tight enough. Or the seal on the bags breaks easily when you’re shuffling the meat around in the freezer. If you’re a badass and have a commercial one at home, you’re doing great. I’d like to buy one for hunting season.