Buying (and Storing) Meat in Bulk

About twice a year, we head out to buy the majority of our meat for the next 5 or so months.  I’d tell you where but we really don’t go there for the deal as much as the smorgasbord afterwards.  (And they don’t look at your weird when you ask for 60 pounds of chicken).  If you don’t have the time (it takes us over 2 hours to pack it all when we return home), storage room (we have an extra freezer) or money (we spend about $500) to do such a big trip, you can certainly apply what we’ve learned to smaller quantities.  In our area, boneless/skinless chicken breast goes on sale for $1.99/lb and Sam’s Club usually has a similar price.  You can certainly buy 10 or so pounds of any meat when it goes on sale so you only ever have to buy it when it’s on sale.

Here are some tips:

1. Invest in a FoodSaver.  We were gifted on for our wedding and love it for freezing things among other things.  Since we store meat for such long periods of time, this has been great.  We have never had problems with freezer burn or freshness.  Ziploc just doesn’t cut it.  We buy the storage bags in bulk from Sam’s Club or Costco.
   
2. Pre-marinate.  Since I can barely remember to get the meat out to thaw in time to cook it, it’s highly unlikely I’ll get it out in time to marinate it.  A couple years ago, we started freezing a good portion of our meats in marinade.  Our favorite’s are Lawry’s 30 Minute Marinades.  Then all I have to do is grab a marinated meat and a side and, voila, I’ve got a meal.
3. Think flat.  This is especially important if you don’t have a lot of freezer space.  Lay out meat flat in bags and squish the ground meat into flat packages.  Flat packages use space more efficiently and stack well.
4. Get a system going. Our freezer is in the basement but we pack in the kitchen.  We use large pans to transport large batches of meat down to the freezer.  We try to organize the meat by type in the freezer.
   
5. Label well.  There’s nothing worse than having a freezer full of unidentifiable, pre-marinated meat.  Label each package with the date, meat, and marinade (if applicable).  Sometimes, I label the package with the sides or recipe I plan on using with the meat.  The date is important because sometimes we have meat left in the freezer when we reload.  We also try to store this meat together so it doesn’t get mixed up with the newer stuff.  First in, first out.
6. Coolers.  If you end up doing a large quantity or going a long distance, pack the meat in a cooler with plenty of ice for the trip home.  This will also keep it cool while you pack.

If you buy meat in bulk, what tips do you have?