How long does Ground Beef stay good for??

Question

I still have it the way I bought it.. Im not sure how long it will be good for.. I cant seem to find any good uses for it.. Any suggestions??

Answer 1

Refrigerating meat slows the growth of bacteria, but does not stop it as freezing does. For this reason, refrigerated meat is safe to eat for a significantly shorter amount of time than frozen meat. The temperature range from 40 to 140°F (4.4 to 60°C) is referred to as the “Danger Zone” by food safety experts. It is in this “zone” that bacteria thrive, nearly doubling in a mere 20 minutes. A home refrigerator should be set at 40°F or colder to keep meat safe for the maximum amount of time.

It is important to note that there are two different groups of bacteria that affect refrigerated meat. The first, pathogenic bacteria, make us sick, while the second, spoilage bacteria, make our food go bad and stink up our fridges. By sight, smell and taste, you cannot identify whether a meat is harboring pathogenic bacteria, unlike meat contaminated with spoilage bacteria.

In a refrigerated state, spoilage bacteria can thrive. This is proven by the fact that all food in a refrigerator eventually spoils. Spoiled food won’t make you sick — it might taste bad, but unless it has pathogenic bacteria, your digestive system is in the clear. Unrefrigerated meat, if left out on the counter for a few hours, might smell and look fine, but may be teeming with pathogenic bacteria.

During a power outage, food stored in a refrigerator that rises in temperature to over 40°F for more than two hours should be discarded. Also, due to temperature fluctuations, don’t store meat on the door. It is important to maintain your refrigerator’s temperature by keeping the door closed as much as possible. A refrigerator thermostat may also be helpful in monitoring your refrigerator’s temperature.

As always, follow proper cooking instructions when preparing any meat to kill any potentially harmful bacteria. The following is a list of how long certain refrigerated meats will be safe to eat:

Cooked leftovers, four days
Eggs, three to five days
Hard boiled eggs, one week
Salads, such as egg, macaroni, potato or tuna, three to five days
Stuffed pork and lamb chops or chicken breasts, one day
Ground beef/chicken/turkey/veal, one to two days
Stew meats, one to two days
Ham, three to seven days
Hot dogs, one week if opened, two weeks if unopened
Bacon, seven days
Steaks/roasts, three to five days
Poultry, one to two days
Fresh fish/shellfish, one to two days

Answer 2

ground beef that is not frozen will stay good up to three days. If you put it in the freezer then it is good for about a month maybe two it depends on the size of the package. If it has never been frozen I would suggest freezing it until you figure out what to do with it

Answer 3

In the Refrigerator (40 °F) 1 to 2 days
In the Freezer (0 °F) 3 to 4 months
http://www.foodsafety.gov/~fsg/f01chart.html

STUFFED CABBAGE LEAVES:
12 large cabbage leaves - cooked
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 cup cooked white rice
1 small onion - chopped
1 egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning OR thyme
2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 Tablespoons oil
2 (8 ounce) cans Hunt's Tomato Sauce
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 cup water
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Wash and place the head of cabbage in a large pot with water to cover. Cook over high heat. Boil cabbage over for 10 minutes, or until it is pliable and soft. Drain and allow to cool completely. Seperate leaves and remove the hard outer vein from the leaves.
In a separate large bowl, combine the beef, rice, onion, poultry seasoning, garlic powder and the egg, mixing well.
Place a small amount, about 1/2 cup, into the center of a cabbage leaf and fold leaf over, tucking in the sides of the leaf to keep meat mixture inside. (Some people use toothpicks to fasten them)
Heat the stuffed cabbages in oil of large pot or skillet, (I use an electric frying pan) putting any extra leaves on the bottom. Pour in the tomato sauce. Combine lemon juice, brown sugar and water. Stir into tomato sauce. Simmer covered, over medium-low heat for about 60 minutes.
Baste occasionally. (Keep an eye on them, making sure the bottom of leaves do not burn.)

Answer 4

Cottage Pie with Cheesy Mash



Serves 6

3 tbsp Olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 sticks Celery, finely chopped
2 Carrots, diced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
675g minced beef
1 tbsp tomato puree
3-4 drops Worcestershire sauce
3-4 drops Tabasco sauce
175ml dry white or red wine
300ml beef stock
salt and fresh ground black pepper

For the topping
1.4kg Potatoes
50ml Milk
2 tbsp mature Cheddar cheese, grated
1 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese



Pre-heat oven to 180C/gas 4.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan and add the onion, celery and carrot, stirring them over a brisk heat but not allowing them to brown.
After 5 minutes or so add the garlic, reduce the heat and soften everything together.
Increase the heat again and add the mince, stirring until browned.
Stir in the tomato puree, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, wine and stock, season and cover. Simmer for 10 minutes.
Boil the potatoes until soft and mash them with the milk until smooth and creamy.
Spoon the meat mixture into a gratin dish and cover with a thick, even layer of mashed potato.
Sprinkle with cheese and bake for 45-55 minutes until golden and bubbling. Serve with seasonal vegetables.

Answer 5

Freeze it and it will stay good for a couple of months. In the refrigerator, I don't think I would trust it past 4 or 5 days maximum. It can also be cooked (like for tacos, chili meat, etc) and frozen cooked.

Answer 6

Normally I would freeze it right away after buying it. If it hasn't turned brown, and all the blood has soaked to the bottom, then its still good (it would also smell fairly awful if it was bad). If it is good and you can't freeze it, then cook it that will preserve it a little longer and you could use it in a soup or stew or chili.

Answer 7

If put in the freezer fresh, frozen beef will keep for two or three months--I've heard a year, but I wouldn't touch it after that long. fresh beef should be cooked within two or three days.

Answer 8

With all meat it is easy to tell when it's bad. It smells and is a bit slimy to the touch.

How long you can keep it depends on if it has been refrigerated or frozen.

Answer 9

If you have it in the freezer then you don't have to worry, but if you have it in the fridge, I would not keep it more than a week, check it (smell it that is) before using it to make sure that it did not go bad,

Answer 10

brown it and put it in the freezer. you can thaw it out for tacos, hamburger helper, or whatever you want.