How to know if the minced meat of chicken, pork or beef is spoiled?

Ground beef of any meat is a perishable food. It can be stored for a long time only if it is deep-frozen. Long lying in the refrigerator or in the store window leads to rapid deterioration. Therefore, every housewife should know how to identify spoiled mincemeat, as well as know about the conditions and terms of its storage.

How to determine if the forcemeat is spoiled

The main signs of spoiled minced meat are:

1. Change of color - from reddish-brown, pink or white (depending on the type of meat) it becomes gray, greenish.
2. Appearance of a putrid, very unpleasant odor.
3. A slimy, slippery surface.

Tip! Any minced meat at the slightest sign of spoilage begins to change color to gray from the edges. Unscrupulous sellers mix it up, so you should pay attention to the gray flecks when buying. If they are there, it is better to give up on the purchase.

Chicken

When spoiled, ground chicken takes on a sour smell and taste. If your sense of smell fails, you can touch it with the tip of your tongue. The spoiled product will be sour.

It is also easy to tell by the appearance that the minced poultry can no longer be used for cooking. It changes color to greenish. There may also appear flecks of black color.

Pork

Sharp putrid smell gives out a spoiled minced pork. Sticky slime appears on the surface. The color from pinkish-white becomes unnaturally gray. The appearance of such a product is extremely unattractive, not appetizing.

Beef

When spoiled, ground beef from a bright red color becomes dark gray, dirty. An unaccustomed, putrid odor appears. Such signs are caused by pathogenic microorganisms that break down iron.

From turkey.

On a turkey meat product, when spoiled, a gooey, slimy odor occurs. The color changes to gray with a hint of green. This is indicative of putrefaction processes. An extremely pungent smell of rot appears.

How to properly store ground turkey meat

It is a misconception that deep freezing can keep minced meat in the freezer indefinitely. Of course, freezing stops the processes of decomposition, but the bacteria do not die, but fall into a state of anabiosis. Therefore, the storage time of meat, and any other product in the freezer, is also limited.

Meat

Meat should be stored in a freezer, where the temperature does not exceed minus 17-18 degrees. Thus, it can lie up to 3 months without loss of taste.

In the refrigerator minced meat without additives (onions, garlic, spices) stored for no more than one day. With spices and vegetables - 3-4 hours.

The product can stay in the refrigerator for 2 days, if it is still frozen. There it will slowly melt and will be ready for cooking.

Fish

Fish mince in the freezer can be stored as well as meat - up to 3 months. In the refrigerator, it can stand for only 12 hours, if it does not contain any seasonings. Otherwise, the storage time should not exceed 2 hours.

Mushroom

Stuffing of mushrooms can lie in a freezer for up to six months. In the refrigerator - up to 2 days. When storing in the refrigerator, it is not necessary to add peppers and spices in advance. Such a long storage time is due to the fact that minced meat is prepared from cooked, that is, thermally processed mushrooms.

Vegetable

The least time in terms of storage is minced vegetables. Even in the freezer, it can lie only for up to a month. In the refrigerator, the vegetable product will not lose its qualities for 6-7 hours.

How to choose fresh minced meat when buying

Choosing minced meat in the store or at the market, you should pay attention to the following factors:

1. Fresh ground beef has a deep red color, pork - pinkish, chicken - almost white.
2. The aroma should be pure meat, without spices, the presence of which indicates that the stale product has been masked.
3. If the minced meat exudes cloudy, dark liquid, it means - it has gone bad.
4. When buying the product in a package, you should pay attention to the absence of liquid, misting.

When choosing minced meat, be sure to read the information on the package - the date of manufacture, shelf life.

Why minced meat is red after cooking

The natural color of ground beef is red. However, if it remains red even after being cooked, it is suggestive. A red color could indicate a high nitrogen content. They add it to improve the appearance of the product to increase sales. Such minced meat for a long time, even in a refrigerated cabinet, does not change color to gray or brown.

Perhaps the red color indicates that the dish has not reached readiness. Cutlets, chops simply are not cooked. They can be stewed in boiling water for a while. Also the red hue of meat, even after it has been thoroughly cooked, may indicate the presence of a dye.