Frozen Steaks... brown color steak?

HurricaneEddie1

anyone here use a foodsaver to vac-seal steaks and freeze?  I did this once with some filets I had leftover.  It was frozen for less than 1 week.  When I thawed it out (in the fridge), the color was brown, instead of dark red.  I cooked it anyway...but didn't taste as fresh. 

I'm curious as to what people do.  thanks!

jabam

I vacuum seal steaks all the time. If only frozen for a week and already turning brown I'm thinking they weren't to fresh to begin with, but they should still be fine to eat. 

BizGreenEgg

The steaks you buy at the grocery store are red because they are in a modified atmosphere package.  They are flushed with CO2, which prevents oxidation of the hemoglobin.

Darby_Crenshaw

BizGreenEgg said:

The steaks you buy at the grocery store are red because they are in a modified atmosphere package.  They are flushed with CO2, which prevents oxidation of the hemoglobin.

those in supermarket foam trays are nothing more than steaks packaged at the store.  the vinyl wrap is oxygen permeable, and the meat will brown in quick order.  those are the ones you find in the "manager's special" case.  they are perfectly fine, but Mr.&Mrs. America don't understand anything other than a bright red steak, so they get marked down.

what you are thinking of is likely the meat packaged in thinner hard vacuum formed white or black plastic deep trays, with a little window sealed over them (which is usually a little over-inflated).  these are in carbon MON-oxide environments, not carbon dioxide.  usually this is ground hamburger, which is mass-produced off site at a central facility. i frankly haven't seen steaks done this way, but that's only because i shop at a supermarket that cuts their own meat. 

the meat stays red for far longer.

facts above, opinion below.  skip this part.

this allows it to be sold longer, because "red" is what people are looking for.

this is all part of the "expiration date" infatuation that America has with its food.  the country with the widest variety, largest supply, and cheapest food essentially has no clue or understanding about their food, and is panic stricken when faced with anything that looks slightly off.  rather than realize that manufacturers are trying to tell them how long their food is PERFECT for, the majority of peopole have converted that date into assuming it's that date food goes bad. 

and so you get stuff like meat packers trying to not waste so much food, and extending its visual shelf life (it's not a safety thing)


EDIT: what's funny is the carbon monoxide packaging is perfectly healthy, reasonable, safe, etc.  But man, just do a little research and watch all the "fake red meat" claims and freak-outs by supposed "consumer advocates".    I know people who are convinced that the ground meat you get at a grocery store is red on the outside and brown (purply-brown really) because they hide 'old' meat in the middle.  no, it's because the exterior meat turns red when exposed to air. 

(bonus points for "over inflated" references in follow up replies by others)