Smoking frozen meat

[DustyJoe84]

My local grocery store has butts on sale for $.99/lb. I'm wanting to stock up, but I'm not sure when my next opportunity to smoke will be. If I leave them in their cryovac packages and freeze them, is there any trouble or anything I should be aware of when smoking them later, provided they are fully thawed when I do so?

 

[buzzy]

Shouldn’t be any problems with them for 8-9 months. Then they will start getting rancid. More an more as time goes on. Stock up!

 

[HalfSmoked]

Do it all the time stock up during sales.

Warren

 

[SmokinVOLfan]

I buy several at a time when they are on sale like that too and freeze them. Never had a problem cooking them they always turn out great

 

[smokerjim]

as the others said. I freeze meat then smoke it no problems

 

[gary s]

I do it all the time, a couple in freezer right now

Gary

 

[normanaj]

No issues but make sure when the time comes its fully defrosted.

 

[Hawging It]

Go for it SON!!!

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

As everyone above has said, stock up!

 

[gmc2003]

Butts, briskets and turkeys are basically the only meats I'll stock up on when they go on sale. No problems with future smokes.

Chris

 

[chopsaw]

In the cryo vac they last a long time . Hope that sale is coming this way .

 

[DustyJoe84]

Thanks everyone!

 

[SmokinAl]

As long as they are in the original cryovac, they will last for years in the freezer.
Al

 

[chef jimmyj]

To clarify...6-9 months is the Refrigerator Freezer. Couple of years in a -20°F Deep Freezer that is infrequently opened...JJ

 

[mike243]

almost all of your freezers at home are designed to run at 0,vacuum packed items can last longer than than the correct time frame that chefjimmyj stated.too many times I see over loaded freezers and most of the stuff is well out of date and not useable,folks don't understand it has a shelf life that's dependent on how it was packaged and the temps its held at.a chest freezer will give you about 3 more months or so than a uprite with self defrost and possibly longer.I work on fridge and freezers for a living and see a lot stuff related to food storage

 

[SmokinAl]

To clarify...6-9 months is the Refrigerator Freezer. Couple of years in a -20°F Deep Freezer that is infrequently opened...JJ

I didn't know that JJ. I have stuff in my freezer that is running at -10 degrees, and some of it has been in there for a couple of years. I use it all the time. There is no freezer burn & the stuff tastes like it was fresh. As a matter of fact I have a pork belly that has been in there 1 1/2 years & I just took it out to have a look at it & it looks just fine. What is the danger in leaving it in there over 9 months? I acquired 3 Berkshire bellies & I've made bacon with 2 of them, but we don't eat a lot of bacon & this belly probably won't be cured for another 6 months. So it will have been frozen about 2 years when I cure it.
Al

 

[chopsaw]

The first ham I cured was a 2 1/2 year old pork picnic . Had a bit of fat that I trimmed , but came out great . Had that one in the deep freeze . I need to dig down to the bottom ,, see what else is in there .

 

[chef jimmyj]

Al, even -10°F is fine in a little used freezer. Most home refrigerator Freezers are set higher to keep Ice Cream treats frozen but ready to eat. My new 20 cubic ft deep freeze at -20, has a Ice Cream storage compartment set at 0°F.
The biggest problem with Frig/Freezers is folks are in and out of then many times a day. The fluctuation in temp, even a couple of degrees and the more frequent running of the defrost cycle, causes the food to deteriorate faster than a dedicated deep freezer. You Sir are more fortunate as you have No Kids staring in the Freezer taking forever to decide on Ice Cream or Hot Pockets!...JJ

 

[DustyJoe84]

Sounds like I should be good. I have the butts freezing in a 5 cubic foot chest freezer that we open up maybe twice a week or so. We bought half a cow about a year ago and are almost out of beef now. Have a few pounds of ground and a couple roasts left. It's all tasting fine to us! Freezer is looking empty so needing/wanting to fill it up again. Thanks everyone for your insight!