Knowing how to properly thaw ground beef could make you the hero of the picnic.

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frozen ground beef

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Meat Safety 101

First, let’s cover some fundamental food safety issues.

Place the package inside another plastic bag so any leaking juices won’t drip onto your other groceries.

cooked ground beef in a skillet with a wooden spoon

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Keep the raw meats separate from ready-cooked items.

When You Plan To Use Immediately

Refrigerate orfreeze ground beefas soon as you get it home.

you’re able to keep it in the original packaging if you plan to cook the meat soon.

If refrigerated, use the meat within one to two days.

When using this method, cook thawed meat within one to two days.

Keep an eye on your meat, and remember that microwave wattages vary.

These times are merely a guideline.

You want to keep the meat submerged in cold water.

The water must be changed every 30 minutes to minimize bacteria.

It will take about an hour, maybe less, to thaw a pound of ground beef this way.

Cook immediately after thawing.

Bacteria will begin to grow once the goods thaw out to above 40F.

Frozen ground beef should cook at temperatures above 140F to prevent bacteria from developing.

United States Department of Agriculture.Ground beef and food safety.