Myoglobin is the protein found in muscle that gives beef its cherry red color when exposed to oxygen. Once myoglobin is fully oxidized, it becomes “metmyoglobin” which will turn your steak brown or grey. It can happen when freezing steak as well.
Color changes can occur in frozen foods but the foods remain safe to eat. The bright red color of meat as purchased usually turns dark or pale brown depending on its variety. This may be due to lack of oxygen, freezer burn or abnormally long storage. Freezing doesn't usually cause color changes in poultry.
That colour actually indicates a lack of exposure to oxygen, which is normal. Grocery stores will often discount meat, such as ground beef, that has turned brown, though it's well within its shelf life. If the meat turns brown or grey on the outside, though, it's likely not yet unsafe, but it is beginning to rot.
Check for a sour, off-putting odor.
If you don't smell any strong odors, your meat is still fresh and safe to cook. If you notice a sour or rancid smell coming from the meat, throw it in the trash. If your steak is slightly discolored but doesn't have an odor, then it's still safe to cook.
Most "freezer damage" is dehydration, which makes the meat less pleasant to eat but not unsafe. Oxygen does not keep it red…it oxidises the meat and causes it to go brown. This is why refrigerated and old meat goes brown. Vacuum sealing meat keeps it red.
The answer is a resounding YES. But more importantly, let's find out how to freeze steak with the right technique. Assuming you use the right technique to store your steak in the freezer, a steak freezer life can last anywhere between four to twelve months at 0°F (-17.8°C) safely.
Contrary to what some people believe, freezer-burned meat is safe to eat. However, that doesn't mean it's going to taste great. The real damage of freezer burn is that it causes a dry, leathery texture. The flavor will also depreciate, a sign that it's lost its freshness.
If you freeze top-quality steaks, chances are they're going to change color from a bright, appetizing red to a grey or brown color ... and that's okay. While studies have shown that discoloration is off-putting to consumers, with 15% of beef discounted due to color change alone, this change is actually perfectly safe.
If your steak is bad, it will often look and feel slimy and slippery to the touch. The surface of the meat will have a sheen to it, and the slime may have a yellowish hue when it catches the light.
For example, steak turns brown because of low oxygen levels when wrapped or packaged. This packaging can block the oxygen from reacting with the protein, and exposure to air leads to oxidation, so you have brown instead of red meat.
Brown spots on steak are often caused by a process known as oxidation. According to the US Department of Agriculture, this is a chemical change in myoglobin due to the oxygen content, and it's a normal and expected part of refrigerator storage.
Removing the air from the bag means removing the oxygen. This makes meat become dark; the meat after a short time gains a dark brown colour but the state and taste of the food remain the same.
The key difference between beef and other items in your freezer trails back to the relationship between myoglobin and oxygen. Even when frozen, shades of brown appear on ground beef due to the lack of oxygen in a vaccum sealed package. And that's ok.
When meat gets freezer burn, it loses moisture from its surface and takes on a gray, brown, or gray-brown color. Meat and other foods with freezer burn might get a grainy texture or look dry and tough.
Is It Safe to Eat Freezer-Burned Food? You might be inclined to toss your food, but USDA officials say that any food affected by freezer burn is safe to eat. While your steak may taste a little “off”, you won't actually be at any greater risk for foodborne illness.
See: If you look at a piece of meat and it has gray or brown spots on it, that is a tell-tale sign of freezer burn. Ice crystals on your ice cream or inside loose packaging are also a bad sign. Hear: Give meat packaged in butcher paper a light squeeze.
When the meat has no oxygen exposure, it changes to a gray-brown hue. But that does not mean it is spoiled.
However, washing raw poultry, beef, pork, lamb or veal before cooking it is not recommended. Bacteria in raw meat and poultry juices can be spread to other foods, utensils and surfaces. We call this cross-contamination.
According to the USDA, frozen foods are safe to eat indefinitely. But just because something is ok to consume doesn't mean it will still taste delicious after years in a deep freeze.
Can You Eat Two-Year-Old Frozen Meat? The U.S. Department of Agriculture notes that food stored constantly at zero degrees Fahrenheit will always be safe. This means frozen meat that is well-wrapped and properly stored can be safe to eat after two years. Just keep in mind that there may be a loss of flavor and quality.
Insider further elaborates that gray steak is actually a fairly common occurrence, and it can be cooked and consumed safely, provided that it isn't slimy or giving off an unpleasant odor.
However, steak that's been in the refrigerator for several days may also turn grey, indicating that it may have been exposed to more oxygen in the refrigerator. Still, this doesn't necessarily mean that it's not safe to eat, especially if it doesn't have an off-putting smell or slimy texture.