Advise needed: how to keep meat from spoiling

SFROMAN

Adventurer
Not sure if this belongs here or not but I need some help.

How do I transport meat with out it spoiling for a few days while I travel.

My first thought is to freeze the meat and put it in a cooler with dry ice. That should work for a few days right?

Any suggestions?
 

Black Dog

Makin' Beer.
The best way I can think of would be to seal it as air tight as possible and keep it cool (if not frozen). Vacuum bags like foodsaver brand usually work well, or you can wrap it in a couple layers of plastic wrap then in butcher paper. Ground meet seems to go bad faster than steak and roasts and stuff, I think it has something to do with surface area or something, I'd have a better explanation if I was Alton Brown.
 
What kinda meat are you talking about? I never liked fish that was frozen, but it keeps well smoked/dried. For your beef and stuff like that it should be fine frozen for a long time. If its fresh and just a few days I'd keep it cold but not frozen. JMHO
 

SFROMAN

Adventurer
I will be traveling on a cargo plane to a 3rd world country and would like to bring some flank steak and make some fajitas for my friends once I'm there. I won't have any electricity so a cooler with dry ice is the only way I can think of keeping the meat from going bad. The travel days are about 3 or 4 days as long as the plane has no issues.

After some research I found out that 10 pounds of dry ice lasts 24 hours. So I figure I can get 20 pounds for 48 hours and if I freeze the meat I can hopefully get another 24 hours in the cooler.
 

SFROMAN

Adventurer
What if I season the meat before I freeze it?
My fajita seasoning is plenty salty I would think...

Thanks for the suggestions..
 

kevint

Adventurer
When camping we put frozen meat in a cooler with a frozen jug of ice and it will last that long. With the dry ice you should be in great shape I would think. Be sure to wrap the dry ice in a towel or something to keep it from touching the cooler. We ruined a cooler with dry ice. The plastic froze and cracked.

We have the Coleman extreme.

Pack the cooler full of something frozen.
 

Hafwit

Adventurer
The key to making things stay cold for a long time in a cooler is:
Get a cooler appropriate for the job--the same principles apply to any cooler, but a well made/well insulated one like a Yeti will keep things cooler longer than a cheap one
Do not open the cooler any more than absolutely necessary! Each time you open it, the temperature inside will try to equilibrate with the temperature outside
Pack it full to leave as little air space as possible. Solids and liquids are slower to heat up than gas. This is why you shouldn't empty the water in a cooler with melting ice. As long as ice remains, the water will remain at just above freezing temp.
If you don't need to open it at all for a long time, tape around the lid seam with duct tape
 

Black Dog

Makin' Beer.
This is why you shouldn't empty the water in a cooler with melting ice. As long as ice remains, the water will remain at just above freezing temp.

Is there any reason why you couldn't add a little rock salt to the ice to make the freeze point lower, like when making ice cream? That will keep the ice from melting for a little longer.
 

kevint

Adventurer
In order to lower the equilibrium melting point of the ice, you'll need to have a mixture of ice and salt-water. That might be OK if you can ensure there will be no leaks and the meat is sealed.

Also, I'm not sure the ice will melt slower, but since the whole mixture starts out a little colder, you'll probably have a little more time before enough heat transfers out of the cooler to bring the meat above a safe temp.

Is there any reason why you couldn't add a little rock salt to the ice to make the freeze point lower, like when making ice cream? That will keep the ice from melting for a little longer.
 

goodtimes

Expedition Poseur
I will be traveling on a cargo plane to a 3rd world country and would like to bring some flank steak and make some fajitas for my friends once I'm there. I won't have any electricity so a cooler with dry ice is the only way I can think of keeping the meat from going bad. The travel days are about 3 or 4 days as long as the plane has no issues.

After some research I found out that 10 pounds of dry ice lasts 24 hours. So I figure I can get 20 pounds for 48 hours and if I freeze the meat I can hopefully get another 24 hours in the cooler.

There is no cut and dry formula for how long dry ice will last - it all depends on ambient temperature/pressure, type of packaging, etc.

Also be sure to check with your airline to be sure you can put dry ice on the plane, there are restrictions on the amount that can be taken on & the packing methods used.
 

Hafwit

Adventurer
adding salt will melt the ice faster. This is why they salt roads. It would be counter-productive to do this when you are trying to keep the temperature cold as long as possible.
 

mjacks

New member
If you use dry ice do not seal or latch the cooler or you will create a dry ice bomb. As the dry ice sublimates (melts) the CO2 gas will expand and create pressure.

Beef will be good for several days if you keep it cool and sealed up in a vacuum sealed bag or cryovac. That is how meat is wet aged.
 

goodtimes

Expedition Poseur
If you use dry ice do not seal or latch the cooler or you will create a dry ice bomb. As the dry ice sublimates (melts) the CO2 gas will expand and create pressure.

Pour a cup or two of water in the bottom of an empty 2-liter bottle, drop some dry-ice in it, cap it, then set it next to your napping co-workers office door, then go about your business.

:peepwall:
 

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