Do Pork shoulders freeze well (before cooking)

[fad3d]

A local grocery store has them on sale for $1/lb, so its hard to turn down buying a few and freezing them. Ive never froze one before, so I want to double check that they will freeze and thaw like any other meat. Thanks!

 

[polishmeat]

Fad,

Yes - of course, freeze away. It's best if you put it in a ziplock freezer bag, and try to get as much air out of it as possible (I use a straw to suck out the air LOL), then use another ziplock bag to double bag it. Thaw in the refrigerator 1-2 days before smoking/cooking.

 

[gruelurks]

I've never had a problem myself. Be sure to give them a couple days in the freezer to fully thaw out before cooking them.

 

[fad3d]

Thanks guys, I figured it would be fine but thought I may as well double check since Im sitting here at my desk

I always get air out of the bag, but never thought about using a straw!

 

[the dude abides]

Yep. And nows a great time to buy pork products. This swine flu thing has pork producers reeling to try and unload their products. They're getting killed on prices. I kind of feel bad for them. But I suppose their misfortune is good for us.

I just heard last night that there was the first report of human to pig transmission of the virus. But Secretarty of Agriculture Tom Vilsack (former Governor of Iowa so I don't know that I completley trust him) put out a report saying that the virus is a respritory illness and that there's no way to contract the H1N1 (Swine) flu virus from eating pork.

So get out there and stock up. Support US farmers and get some great prices on pork.

Now if only we can start a bovine flu scare...

 

[richoso1]

What he said. Been there and doing that too.

 

[mballi3011]

Just a word of advice is next time your shopping buy you a food saver unit. It will pay for itself the first sale you find. You should buy meat when it's on sale and then slip it into one of theses bags and suck out all the air and it will last a really long time. You can even marinade in them and it also works great when your making bacon or curing other meats as well. That way you can freeze meat and it won't get any freezer burn on it.

 

[hemi]

Around here we buy shoulders on sale that is already in vacuum
packs ''Smithfield'' Hormel'' and I found that you just can't pack any better than that for freezing. I DO always double wrap with some shrink wrap for rough handling. No problems so far.. Hemi.

 

[smokin' dick]

Some of my best pulled pork has come from butts that were frozen prior to cooking.

 

[dan dan the meat man]

If they are in cryvac packaging, I have bought on sale and kept frozen for up to 6 months will no problem.

 

[scpatterson]

I usually get them at Kroger (Silver Platter Brand) and they are already sealed. I freeze them and then freeze after I cook it and pull it. Last time I caught them on sale i bought 22 of them. I ahve two big freezers and 1 was full of butts and ribs. I still have a few of them in teh freezer. I am getting sausage equipment for xmas and plan on using them for that....Freeze those butts

 

[scarbelly]

This is very good advice - I have had a foodsaver for years. Our local Albertsons runs chicken breasts on sale for $1.69 # and we buy 20 # at a time and freeze also pork butts all the time
Food Savers rock big time

 

[beer-b-q]

Hey guys I think they would thaw better in the Refrigerator...

 

[morkdach]

freeze em no problem i just bought 6 of them on sale for .69 a # want to try some sausage