How to Freeze Deli Meat in 3 Easy Steps

We love deli meat, but don't always have the time to eat it all before the expiration date. Fortunately, deli meat and sliced cheese can be frozen and saved for later! This is a great way to save money, especially if you stock up on deli meat during sales.

In this blog post, we'll walk through the benefits of freezing deli meat, how to freeze deli meat and how to defrost it.

Table of Contents

• What is Deli Meat?
• How to Freeze Deli Meat
• Freezing Deli Meats Tips and Tricks
• How Long to Keep Frozen Deli Meat in the Freezer
• Tips for Defrosting Frozen Deli Meat
• Can I Freeze Sliced Cheese?
• How long is Frozen Deli Meat Good After Defrosting?
• Benefits of Freezing Deli Meat
• Conclusion
• Comments

What is Deli Meat?

Deli meat is a general term for any type of preserved meat product that is typically sliced and served cold. This includes beef, pork, poultry, and lamb products such as ham, corned beef, pastrami, and bologna.

Deli meats have been around since the 1800s because people were not usually able to buy whole cuts of meat in their local market. Deli meat is also called lunch meat or cold cuts and are often used to make different sandwiches.

How to Freeze Deli Meat

Here's how to freeze deli meat:

1. Wrap your meats or cheeses in aluminum foil before putting them into freezer bags- this will keep everything nice and tight together while keeping air out of the bag.
2. Seal the lunch meat into the deli bags and make sure all the air is out of the container (You could also use a food saver for this part!)
3. Place the sealed deli meat in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Related Post: Wax Paper vs. Parchment Paper: What's the Difference?

Freezing Deli Meats Tips and Tricks

Label your packages with what they are (i.e., ham, roast beef, cheese), when they were frozen. You may also want to add in a best use by date, 6 months after the freezer date. I really like to use these freezer bags

I like to write directly on the freezer bag, but you could also get freezer labels like these.

I've found the best pen to use to label freeze foods is a Sharpie ultra-thin pen. I've tried regular Sharpies and found they were hard to read, but with the thin pen writing looks a lot neater and the ink will stay on the bag in the freezer.

How Long to Keep Frozen Deli Meat in the Freezer

It is usually recommended to freeze deli meat for up to 6 months. I like to write the date of when I freeze deli meat on the bag to help me keep track of when to use the frozen meat by.

Tips for Defrosting Frozen Deli Meat

The best way to defrost frozen deli meat is by transferring it from the freezer to your refrigerator at least 24 hours before you plan on using it.

If you need to defrost the lunch mean faster, the easiest way is just leaving the package in its freezer bag and placing it inside a large bowl of cold water, which should take about 20 minutes.

Can I Freeze Sliced Cheese?

Sliced cheese can also be frozen! The best way to freeze cheese is by wrapping it in aluminum foil and placing the wrapped packs into a freezer bag. You can also use a food saver for this step if you have one. Be sure that all air is out of the package before sealing. Label with what type of cheese, when it was frozen and how long to keep frozen (usually up to 6 months).

To defrost, transfer from the freezer to your refrigerator at least 24 hours before using or leave inside its original packaging while submerged in cold water which should take about 20 minutes.

How long is Frozen Deli Meat Good After Defrosting?

Deli meat is good for up to 7 days after defrosting. Once deli meat is defrosted, I don't recommend refreezing it.

Related Post: How to Freeze Yogurt

Benefits of Freezing Deli Meat

There are a few benefits to freezing deli meat like:

• Allows for easy storage of deli meats without worrying about running out of fridge space
• Allows you to buy in bulk and save on food costs by buying more when it's on sale at the grocery store

Conclusion

I hope this blog post has provided some insight on the benefits of freezing deli meat and how to go about doing so. Freezing deli meat and cheese can be a great way to save money and make sure you always have some on hand.