How Long Will Properly Wrapped Steaks Last In The Freezer?

It's always best to prepare your steak within a couple of days of bringing it home to ensure a juicy, tender steak; however, that's not always possible. If you need more than five days between purchasing and using it, though, consider freezing it. 

How long can you freeze steaks? There's a good reason to take advantage of that sale price since you can freeze steak for up to 12 months and expect excellent quality. That's significantly longer than ground meats, which shouldn't be kept longer than four months. Six months is the optimum time to guarantee the steak's quality, but by taking precautions to prevent freezer burn, you can safely keep it in the freezer for the full year.

The key to protecting that exceptional flavor is wrapping the steak properly and limiting exposure to the air. The longer you store steak, the higher the risk is for freezer burn, which is why it's critical to invest some time in properly wrapping it up before you tuck it away. You don't need anything fancy to do so, and it takes just a few simple steps and a couple of minutes. 

To get steak to last a long time, you need to protect it from the freezer environment. The cold, dry air in your freezer is working against you, drying out the moisture in the top surface of the meat and causing it to discolor. To prevent this, you'll need to wrap the meat tightly.

Start by wrapping the steaks in plastic wrap, getting a snug fit, and closing all the gaps. Then, wrap it again, this time in parchment paper or aluminum foil. Take the additional step of placing the wrapped steak into a plastic freezer bag, squeezing out all of the air from within the bag.

To really get a nearly air-tight seal on the bag, use the water displacement method. After placing the meat in the bag, zip it closed most of the way. Then, place the bottom of the bag into a bowl filled with cold water. The water will push all of the air from within the bag out the small opening at the top, giving you a tight seal that's sure to protect your steak for months to come. As long as you keep it stored below freezing and then allow it to thaw properly when you're ready to prepare it, the steak will maintain its juicy tenderness.