What if ground beef turns brown

Use these as guides to determine whether your beef is safe to eat. Even if your meat stays bright red, you need to handle and store it carefully to ensure a safe meal. Make sure that you refrigerate beef immediately after purchase. If you don't use it within 48 hours, package it for the freezer and store at 0 degrees Fahrenheit. The USDA recommends using the beef within four months, but notes that it will stay safe to eat indefinitely if you store it at this temperature.

After you cook the beef, you should refrigerate leftovers within one to two hours. Keep them for no longer than three to four days, or freeze for storage of up to four months. Palmer is a freelance writer and illustrator living in Milwaukee, Wis. She has been producing print and Web content for various organizations since and has been freelancing full-time since By: G. Pink Outside, Brown Inside Ground beef starts out purple because there is no air inside the animal. Fridge time: 1 to 2 days Freezer time: 3 to 4 months Fresh ground beef goes through a number of color changes during its shelf life.

Look for ground beef with a bright red color. Ground beef can turn brown in the absence of oxygen. While this is not necessarily a sign of spoilage, extended exposure to air reduces the normal shelf life of the product. Staff Login. Fridge time: 1 to 2 days Freezer time: 3 to 4 months. If using microwave or cold-water submersion methods of defrosting, following the general safe handling instructions.

Note: Pregnant women, children, elderly and immuno-compromised individuals can be at an increased risk of developing foodborne illnesses that can have dire consequences.

If you're getting your meat at the butcher counter , select beef with a bright red cherry color, suggests Food Network. Packaged meat might have a darker purple-red color, and that's okay. That just means it hasn't been exposed to much oxygen because of its vacuum-seal packaging.

Also check that the packaging doesn't contain excessive liquid and that it's properly sealed with no holes. Once you get your beef home, what you plan to do with it will be a good guide on how best to store it, say the experts at Food Network. For freezing, plan the meals you'll be using it for and portion it out accordingly so you can repackage and freeze it in the correct portions. If you want to freeze it in its original packaging, you should only do so for about two weeks.

If, however, you need to store it longer, wrap it in heavy duty aluminum foil, place in a freezer bag, and try to remove as much air as possible before freezing. It can safely be stored up to three to four months this way.