Whether you’re a fan of submarine sandwiches or prefer smoked turkey on whole wheat, sandwiches filled with flavorful deli meat have become a lunchtime staple. Easily available at grocery stores and local delis, the taste of flavorful sliced meat can’t be beat. So if you’ve scored a deal on pastrami, bologna, or black forest ham, you may be wondering, can you freeze lunch meat?
You’ll be happy to know that you can safely freeze lunch meat. All you have to do is follow a few steps to be able to enjoy it for a couple months after bringing it home.
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What is Lunch Meat?
Whether you call it lunch meat, deli meat, or cold cuts, they are all the same thing; thin slices of cooked meat. Available at grocery stores and neighborhood delis, you can purchase lunch meat pre-packaged, or you can get very specific with the amount, and the thickness of the slices at the deli counter. Lunchmeat typically includes some kind of preservative to prolong its shelf life.
Can I Freeze Lunch Meat or Deli Meats?
Yes, lunch meat can be frozen in slices and in larger pieces. In fact, any kind of lunch meat you bring home can be successfully frozen by following a few easy steps.
How to Prepare and Freeze Deli Meats
If your favorite grocery store has pre-packaged lunch meat on special, go ahead and purchase it. When you get home, leave it in the package and label it with the date. You can also place the packages into a large freezer bag or wrap them in foil to reduce the chance of freezer burn.
Sliced meat from the deli counter or meat from an opened package will have to be wrapped. Just place the slices on pieces of wax paper or even paper towels, and place them stacked in a freezer-safe resealable bag. Remember to remove as much air from the bag as possible to help preserve the flavor and texture, and to reduce freezer burn. When you’re ready to eat the meat, you can remove as many or as few slices as you need. If you have a larger cut of lunch meat, wrap it in wax paper or foil, place in a resealable freezer bag, and remove the excess air.
How Long Can I Freeze Lunch Meat?
| Type of Lunch Meat | How Long Can It Last in Freezer |
| Opened Fresh meat | 1 month |
| Opened Packaged meat | 1 month |
| Unopened Fresh meat | 2 months |
| Unopened packaged meat | 2 months |
| Unopened Cured meat | 3 months |
Most lunch meats can be stored in the freezer for up to two months without affecting the taste and the texture. Cured meats will still be tasty for up to 2 months. If you’re wondering, cured meats use chemical additives like sodium nitrite or other nitrates to preserve the meat, while uncured meats use salt, sugar, and seasonings to preserve the meat.
How To Defrost Deli Meat
When you’re ready to use the lunchmeat, the best way to thaw it is in the fridge for either a few hours or overnight. For a faster method, place the package of meat into a bowl of cold water, changing the water every 30 minutes or so, until thawed. Before using, pat the defrosted meat with some paper towels to remove any excess moisture. Wrap any leftovers and keep them in the fridge for up to 2 days.
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How to Freeze Deli Lunch Meat
Ingredients
- Deli Lunch Meat
- Freezer bags
Instructions
- If freeze the full package, you can leave the meat in the package and label it with the date.
- You can also place the packages into a large freezer bag or wrap them in foil to reduce the chance of freezer burn.
- For sliced meat from the deli counter, or meat from an opened package will have to be wrapped.
- Place the slices on pieces of wax paper or even paper towels, and place them stacked in a freezer-safe resealable bag.
- Remove as much air from the bag as possible to help preserve the flavor and texture, and to reduce freezer burn.
- Place in the freezer.
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