Raw meat ALWAYS smells bad to me - so how do I know?

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amother

Coffee

Fri, Feb 19 2016, 11:11 am

...and DH isn't helpful. I drive myself nuts every shabbos because it ALWAYS smells bad. I have gotten bad meat before that's before its expiration date - so how do you know if it's bad or ok?

gp2.0

Fri, Feb 19 2016, 11:46 am

Smell isn't really a reliable way to tell if meat is bad. It can smell for other reasons (freezer burn, defrost in microwave, sensitive nose) and it can be a little off and contain bacteria even with no smell at all.

However. The kind of "smell" that popularized the idea that you can smell bad meat is a smell that will knock you backwards. You won't need to lean over and sniff, you'll start gagging from two feet away. That's the smell of bad meat.

tichellady

Fri, Feb 19 2016, 11:51 am

Are you talking about chicken or red meat?

nywife

Fri, Feb 19 2016, 12:15 pm

What meat are you referring to? Red meats always smell bad to me. Smell isn't always a good indicator. What's the sell by date? The expiration date? Was it left out?

Tzutzie

Fri, Feb 19 2016, 12:25 pm

I have this issue w chicken too. Ive dumped to much chicken until I started doing this, either but fresh daily (when I lived in the city) or do once a week order, (that I do now) first two days of supper I keep the chicken or meat I keep in the fridge. For the rest of the week in the freezer and defrost in fridge night before till cooking time. So far so good. I never have chicken or meat longer than 1.5-2 weeks in the freezer.

eschaya

Fri, Feb 19 2016, 12:30 pm

When it's really bad, I know it right away. But I'm always wary of meat and even when it's probably ok I'm afraid I smell a hint of badness in it. Dh otoh never seems to be able to smell meat... italways smells good to him! So ridiculously, there have been a few times where I've brought my raw meat to MIL to smell!!

lucky14

Fri, Feb 19 2016, 4:55 pm

Tzutzie wrote:

I have this issue w chicken too. Ive dumped to much chicken .

me too. and I always forget to smell the fresh chicken so I'll know what it's supposed to smell like. whenever I defrosted raw chicken I always think it stinks and I get worried and throw it out. I really have to remember to smell it next time I get fresh chicken!

Heyaaa

Sat, Feb 20 2016, 1:24 pm

Bad chicken smells like rotten eggs. If you almost have to dig your nose into the chicken before you start smelling it, then you're being ocd. It should have a relatively strong smell of eggs. It also gets a grayish color as it goes bad.

Fresh meat smells like fresh blood. Bad meat can smell like eggs, feet or like a dead animal. It starts off red or pink and gets more Brown as it goes bad.

If the meat or chicken has a strong smell like of those that I mentioned, it's probably time to go. If it has a weak smell that you have to put your face within 6 inches to be able to tell if it has a smell, it's probably good.

Always wash your meat and poultry before trying the smell test. It will always smell stronger because the juices in the bag have a smell. Once you have washed it, then you can try smelling from about 6 inches away. If it smells strongly, toss it. If you're not sure if it's considered a strong smell, it's probably not a strong smell but it's up to you how risky you want to be.

Also no raw chicken should be in your fridge more than four days. The longest I can keep my raw chicken in my fridge is from Monday to Friday. If I bought it Sunday it will be bad. I also buy it straight from the butcher and I only buy that day's batch.

Fresh meat and chicken stays good in
The freezer for six months. After that it probably will be freezer burnt but it will still be healthy to eat.

EnnuiGalore

Sat, Feb 20 2016, 10:52 pm

tichellady wrote:

Are you talking about chicken or red meat?

Both!

Miri1

Sun, Feb 21 2016, 12:43 am

Nothing to add except that the USDA now advises against washing raw meat and poultry as spray droplets can get onto countertops etc. Any bacteria you would be washing off would be killed during cooking in any case (unless the meat is rotten).

Heyaaa

Sun, Feb 21 2016, 1:08 am

Miri1 wrote:

So wash down your counters afterward. And don't wash them under a high water pressure.

amother

Slateblue

Sun, Feb 21 2016, 10:12 am

Heyaaa wrote:

what about brown meat from the freezer? we had meat in the freezer (frozen fresh and kept well) and it turned brown does that mean it went bad?

chani8

Sun, Feb 21 2016, 10:17 am

amother wrote:

...and DH isn't helpful. I drive myself nuts every shabbos because it ALWAYS smells bad. I have gotten bad meat before that's before its expiration date - so how do you know if it's bad or ok?

It smells bad because it is dead.

Maybe you need to go vegetarian for awhile. Make pizza for shobbos.

ra_mom

Sun, Feb 21 2016, 11:48 am

amother wrote:

what about brown meat from the freezer? we had meat in the freezer (frozen fresh and kept well) and it turned brown does that mean it went bad?

No. Meat turns brown after a while when it sits in the freezer. Color is not necessarily an indication that it's bad.
I suggest that you smell it before you put it in the freezer so you know it's fresh going in and then only keep it there for 2 months.
What I do is open the package when I get home from the supermarket (at which point I can ascertain freshness) and divide it by 1 and 1.5 pounds per ziploc bag and then stick in the freezer. This way I am also able to defrost just the amount I need for a meal and not more. (Also you'll have the opportunity to get your money back on any smelly meat or poultry since you have just bought it.)
I do this with chicken too.

EnnuiGalore

Sun, Feb 21 2016, 11:17 pm

chani8 wrote:

It smells bad because it is dead.

Maybe you need to go vegetarian for awhile. Make pizza for shobbos.

Never! Meat is DELICIOUS 🐄🐏🐔🦃

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