How long can a roast stay in the fridge after thawing

I know I’m not supposed to thaw meat on the counter, but how should I thaw meat safely?

If safe, wholesome meat has been purchased, transported, handled, and stored safely, you can thaw it safely.

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I know I’m not supposed to thaw meat on the counter, but how should I thaw meat safely?
Thawing in the Refrigerator
Thawing in Cold Water
Thawing in the Microwave
Kitchen Fact: Raw ground meats and poultry should be cooked in 2 days, and roasts, steaks, and chops should be cooked in five days.
BEEF ROAST, ALL CUTS (INCLUDING CHUCK, RIB, FLANK, TENDERLOIN, ROUND, SHOULDER, BLADE ) - FRESH, RAW
Shelf Life Tips
Today's Tips

Properly handled meat stored in a freezer at 0°F will always be safe although the quality will deteriorate over time. Freezing meat keeps bacteria in a dormant stage. However, once thawed, these bacteria can become active again.

Never thaw meat on the counter or let it sit out of the refrigerator for more than two hours. In the summer, reduce this time to 1 hour. Never defrost meat in hot water.

There are 3 Safe Ways To Defrost Meat:

In the refrigerator
In cold water
In the microwave

Thawing in the Refrigerator

As long as the refrigerator temperature is between 34° and 40°F, thawing in the refrigerator will be safe. Use a plate or pan under thawing meat to make sure dripping does not spill on foods, especially foods to be eaten without additional cooking.

After thawing in the refrigerator, ground meat should be used as soon as possible. Once meat has been frozen and thawed, it will deteriorate more rapidly than if it had never been frozen. Whole meat cuts (chops, roasts) will remain useable for another 3-5 days in the refrigerator before cooking.

Meat defrosted in the refrigerator can be re-frozen without cooking, although some quality may be lost. The USDA recommends that meat defrosted by other methods be cooked before refreezing.

Thawing in Cold Water

Meat can be safely thawed in cold, not hot, water. Be sure to thaw meat in a leak-proof package or bag. Submerge the bag in cold water, changing water every 30 minutes so that is stays cold. It is important to keep the meat out of the food spoilage temperature range of 70° to 100°F.

After defrosting, refrigerate or cook promptly. Unlike meat thawed in the refrigerator, meat thawed by the cold water method should be cooked before re-freezing.

Thawing in the Microwave

Meat can also be safely thawed in the microwave, although it may be more difficult to retain meat quality, especially if the microwave power is set too high.

Remove store wrap and foam trays before defrosting in the microwave. Thaw on low power so that microwave energy penetrates to the center of the meat. Most microwave ovens have a “thaw” setting and may suggest an amount of time and turn schedule to prevent loss of meat quality. Meat thawed in the microwave should be cooked immediately after thawing.

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While the refrigerator is a modern-day miracle that lets us store perishable food safely for longer periods of time than room temperature allows, there is a limit to how long raw proteins can be refrigerated before they should be cooked. Here’s a guide to help you know how long you can keep cuts of meat around!

Kitchen Fact: Raw ground meats and poultry should be cooked in 2 days, and roasts, steaks, and chops should be cooked in five days.

For raw poultry, ground meats, and other chopped-up cuts of meat, cook them within two days. Larger cuts — like roasts, steaks, and chops — can be stored a bit longer, but should be used within five days. If you don’t have time to cook the meat at the end of these time periods, just freeze it, as freezing will halt any bacteria growth.

If the meat was previously frozen, these timelines go into effect after the meat is fully defrosted, so if a whole turkey needs three days to thaw, you should cook it within the two days after it has completely thawed.

BEEF ROAST, ALL CUTS (INCLUDING CHUCK, RIB, FLANK, TENDERLOIN, ROUND, SHOULDER, BLADE ) - FRESH, RAW

Shelf Life Tips

How long does a raw beef roast last in the fridge or freezer? The exact answer to that question depends to a large extent on storage conditions - keep beef roast refrigerated at all times.
How long does a raw beef roast last after the sell-by date? After beef roast is purchased, it may be refrigerated for 3 to 5 days - the "sell-by" date on the package may expire during that storage period, but the beef roast will remain safe to use after the sell by date if it has been properly stored.
Unopened beef roast may be kept in its original store packaging when refrigerating; to maximize the shelf life of beef roast, do not open the package until ready to use.
How long can a raw beef roast be left at room temperature? Bacteria grow rapidly at temperatures between 40 °F and 140 °F; beef roast should be discarded if left out for more than 2 hours at room temperature.
To further extend the shelf life of beef roast, freeze; when freezing, place beef roast in the freezer before the number of days shown for refrigerator storage has elapsed.
You can maximize the shelf life of beef roast in the freezer by overwrapping the original store packaging with airtight heavy-duty aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or freezer paper or place the package inside a heavy-duty freezer bag in order to prevent freezer burn.
How long does a raw beef roast last in the freezer? Properly stored, it will maintain best quality for about 6 to 12 months, but will remain safe beyond that time.
The freezer time shown is for best quality only - beef that has been kept constantly frozen at 0°F will keep safe indefinitely How long does a raw beef roast last after being frozen and thawed? Beef roast that has been defrosted in the fridge can be kept for an additional 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator before cooking; beef roast that was thawed in the microwave or in cold water should be cooked immediately.
How long does beef roast last in the fridge once it is cooked? Cooked beef roast will usually stay good for 3 to 5 days in the fridge and 3 months in the freezer.
How to tell if beef roast is bad? The best way is to smell and look at the beef roast: signs of bad beef roast are a sour smell, dull color and slimy texture; discard any beef roast with an off smell or appearance.

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