By Jamie Martin
Freezing meat may seem simple, but a new study by Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences at the University of Arkansas shows that the way beef is stored—especially the size and cut—matters for quality and longevity.
Derico Setyabrata, assistant professor of meat science and muscle biology at the University of Arkansas, led research to examine how freezing impacts different beef cuts. The study was conducted under the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station and published in Meat and Muscle Biology, a journal of the American Meat Science Association.
Researchers compared three beef cuts in both whole and steak-sized pieces. The meat was stored using blast freezers and typical home freezer types to study how freezing and thawing affected quality.
The findings showed that whole beef cuts performed better in long-term storage compared to pre-sliced steaks. This is because whole pieces retain moisture and texture more effectively during freezing cycles. Steaks, on the other hand, are more likely to suffer from freezer burn or texture loss.
Freezer type also plays a big role. Industrial blast freezers reduce temperature quickly, which helps preserve meat quality. But most homes i-include farms that buy their meet in bulk from fellow farmers -- use upright or chest freezers, where temperature changes can be slower and lead to uneven freezing.
Setyabrata said the results are helpful for families buying beef in bulk. “Freezing large beef cuts rather than pre-sliced steaks improves overall quality after thawing,” he noted.
For farm families looking to store meat safely and effectively, choosing larger cuts and freezing them properly may lead to better results and less waste.
Photo Credit: Pexels Andrés Góngora
Categories: National