How To Wrap Meat Like A Pro
This tutorial is perfect timing if you’re bulk buying and stocking up the freezer this fall, here’s how to wrap meat nice & air tight for freezing. It’s important to wrap properly to preserve the quality of the meat and protect it from freezer burn or your grocery investment is shot. Lotsa pictures!
How To Wrap Meat Like A Pro
To make a good, air tight package that will protect the meat, make sure to use good quality freezer paper.
1. Place meat on paper. Tear off enough paper to go about one and a half times around meat, put shiny side next to meat (if using wax coated paper). Lay meat on center of paper and allow ample paper at sides.
2. Bring ends together. Start folding ends of paper together over center of meat. Turn edges over to make a fold about an inch deep. Run your fingers along fold to make a good crease.
3. Fold to meat. Keep turning paper over and crease each fold. The last fold should pull paper tight around meat. You want to get all the air out of package to prevent “freezer burn”.
4. Fold ends. Press paper down close to sides of meat. Press out all the air you can to make a tight package. Fold in each of the four corners of paper. This will make a point at each end.
5. Turn under ends. Turn pointed ends of paper under package. Then fold under about an inch at each end of package. You have made a tight package that will keep air out and moisture in . . . moisture-vapor-proof.
6. Seal and label. Seal with tape (you can use masking tape or freezer tape). Label each package with kind and amount of meat and date you put into your freezer. Now it’s ready to go into freezer.
This method of meat wrapping is also known as “The Drug Store Wrap“.
Tips: Store wrapped items seam side down to protect seal. You can double wrap meat if the freezer paper you’re using isn’t the best quality (or use one layer aluminum foil or plastic wrap then cover with freezer paper).
Better Food From Your Freezer
Foods of highest quality, properly prepared for freezing, can lose color, flavor, texture and nutritive value if packaged improperly.
Proper packaging methods mean:
- Using moisture-vapor-proof paper or containers
- Removing as much air as possible from package
- Carefully sealing tightly wrapped package
- Labeling package for usage within recommended storage time.
Source: Graphics & Instructions Adapted from “How To Prepare Foods For Freezing“; 1961, Sears, Roebuck & Co.
And don’t forget this cool tip for freezing bulk ground meat & thick sauces: Smart Tip: Bulk Freezing With Individual Portions.
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First Published: August 28, 2008
Filed: Food Tips, Popular Tips
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I wrap the kids’ lunch sandwiches in waxed paper using this exact same folding method. Waxed paper is cheaper and can be put in the compost bin.
Where can I buy freezer paper?
Just curious, but how is this better than ziplock freezer bags?
Ryan’s right – with the added qualification that you remove extra air first. Close the ZipLoc almost all the way, stick in a straw, and suck out the air; quickly remove the straw while simultaneously closing the ZipLoc. When you’re done it’ll look like it’s vacuum packed. Much better than buying one of those silly machines that does the same thing and that requires you to purchase not only the machine, but also the replacement bags (I can only imagine what they charge). More effective than using paper – although I am a firm believer in the drug store wrap when using foil, etc., for leftovers. Drives me nuts when people loosely wrap food in foil, leaving openings, and think that anything is being accomplished…
If you can get all the air out of ziploc bags, both methods are equally good IMO. The key is to wrap the meat air tight (for both packaging options). Some people also try to cut back on plastic, this would be a good alternative for them.
Ever try to get ALL the air out of a plastic freezer bag ?? You can’t -unless you’ve got a vacuum pump in your kitchen.
Diane – Sorry, but I disagree entirely, unless you mean literally every single molecule, which I doubt you do since clearly one doesn’t accomplish that using paper, either. If you’re not able to remove “all” the air, you’re not doing it correctly. Been doing it for years and years.
The advantage to freezer paper over plastic bags is that it is more tear resistant. If something rips your freezer bag, it’s not sealed any more and can lose moisture.
Well, freezer paper is better for the environment and less expensive than good freezer bags.
In regards to wrapping meat to freeze, you should check the new hand pumps and vacuum from Ziploc. I use them for everything from bulk meats that I separate and individually freeze, to brown sugar(no more hard sugar!) and you don’t to get an expensive electric one – the hand pump is only 3 bucks. I keep it in my cooking utensil drawer so it’s always handy. Greta idea!!