What does "fresh when frozen" mean? Does hanging time mean it's not fresh?

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January 28, 2022

When we think about the quality of meat, freshness usually comes to mind. But, what is “fresh” meat anyway?

I mean, meat needs to cool and age. And, when you go to a butcher or a grocery store, the fresh cuts behind the glass or wrapped in plastic may have been sitting there for days… or even a week. I wouldn’t call that “fresh”. But, since the meat has never been frozen, it’s sold as “fresh”.

On the flip side, there’s frozen meat. I don’t know exactly why, but there’s a definite cultural bias against frozen meat. I’ve done a good amount of research on this and have come to the conclusion that frozen meat is superior. Here’s 5 reasons why you want frozen meat.

You might be thinking, what about nutritional loss? Some people think that frozen meat has less nutritional value compared to fresh meat. Not true! When packaged and frozen properly, frozen meat can have greater nutritional value compared to fresh meat.

But, I digress. Let’s get to the “meat” of the answers here….

What does “fresh when frozen” mean?

“Fresh when frozen” means that the meat was put in the freezer ASAP, definitely within 24 hours of butchering. It was frozen when it was as fresh as possible.

The size of the cut affects how long it takes to freeze completely. The bigger the cut, the longer it takes.

What is hanging meat?

After the animal is slaughtered and the carcass is clean, meat needs to cool thoroughly and/or hang. “Hanging” is a literal term. The carcass is attached to a hook and hung in a clean, sanitary, and very cold cooler.

Does hanging meat mean it's not fresh?

No, absolutely not! Hanging meat is integral to producing the highest quality, best tasting meat. How “fresh” meat is starts just after it’s butchered.

Why does meat need to hang?

When meat hangs, the enzymes naturally present in the meat do their magic and break down the fibers of the muscles, making them softer and more elastic. This improves the flavor, texture, and tenderness of meat.

The meat also loses water when hanging. Water loss concentrates the flavor, makes the meat more tender and juicy, and allows it to freeze better (ice crystals can cause damage when freezing meat).

The culinary result of hanging meat is tender and tasty meat. Believe me, you would not want to eat beef, pork, or lamb that wasn’t hung for an appropriate amount of time. It would be dry and tough and have less flavor.

How long does meat need to cool and/or hang for?

This varies, depending on the type of animal:

Beef: 10-14 days (cooling & hanging time)
Pork: 4-5 days (cooling & hanging time)
Lamb: 4-5 days (cooling & hanging time)
Chicken: 1 day (cooling time)
Turkey: 1 day (cooling time)

What about Histamine Intolerance or Mast Cell Activation Syndrome?

These are both conditions that can make a body overreact to histamines or not be able to adequately control histamine levels. The typical result is allergy symptoms, which can make life pretty miserable.

People with these conditions are often advised to avoid foods high in histamines. Histamines in food are present due to many factors including the animal’s stress level, aging time, preparation and cooking methods… there are so many factors! Hanging time is certainly a big factor, too.

Since you really wouldn’t want to eat meat that wasn’t aged an appropriate amount of time, my recommendation to folks with these conditions is to simply avoid or limit your beef, pork, and lamb intake… especially beef, since it’s aged the longest. And, if you do eat beef, pork, or lamb, keep it frozen and cook immediately after thawing. Chicken and turkey will likely agree with you always.

Do you prefer fresh or frozen meat? What matters most to you when choosing your source of meats for your family?

Does varying yolk color affect the flavor of honest eggs?

As you know, we don't add any color to our feed. This is why our pastured corn & soy free eggs are called "honest yolk eggs". "Color" includes unnatural stuff like dyes as well as natural stuff like marigold and paprika. Nearly all egg farmers nowadays do this... even the natural ones. Why? People demand consistent color yolks, thinking it means a certain quality. Little do most know, yolk color is superficial now. At Miller's, we know this for a fact. Curiosity made us to send our eggs for testing, and there was zero nutritional difference in our orange vs yellow yolk eggs. What mattered most was the farming practices and quality of the feed, and our eggs came out on top for most tests. We really love having varying yolk color. It's an indicator of what the birds are eating. It tells our farmers how their pasture is doing. If the plants are too mature, not diverse enough, it's too wet or dry, or if chickens aren't eating the pasture, we'll see that with the yolk color! Now, we've had an array of responses since we removed the color from our feed. One baffling one is --- the light colored yolks don't taste as good as the dark colored yolks. Is this true? I mean, removing the color is only a superficial change. It shouldn't affect the flavor. Well, we needed to find out. So... we did a blind tasting on the farm a few weeks ago. Here's what that looked like: The results? The whole team agreed -- all eggs tasted the same! The biggest factor affecting egg flavor was the yolk to white ratio. The more yolk, the more flavor. It's spring, and our hens are out on pasture 100% of the time. An egg develops for about 6 weeks inside a chicken, so it takes some time. But... you should start to see darker yolks now. Have you noticed a change in yolk color? Have you noticed a flavor change? Would you prefer consistent colored yolks or honest yolks? I'd love to hear from you. Comment below or contact us 😊 PS: The egg shortage is 100% over, and we have plenty of eggs now!! That means egg bundles are back!

See a volcano of pickles! The pluses and minuses of natural ferments.

A customer shared his farm food order with us on Instagram. Thanks for sharing, Nick! It included this amazing video of the volcano that can erupt from our fermented pickles: What's going on here? Why so many bubbles? Conventional pasteurized vinegar pickles (you know, the kind that are considered "normal") don't bubble at all. What you're seeing is the fermentation. When fermented pickles are made, it's a very simple process. The following is mixed in a jar: Cucumbers, well water, celery seed, mustard seed, dill, garlic, Celtic sea salt, and whey. Then, the jar sits with a loose lid for 3-7 days, until it's done fermenting. The seeds and herbs are in there for flavor only. The cucumbers, water, salt, and whey are what make the magic happen. Note that there is no powdered culture added. Yes, whey is added and it has probiotics, but it simply helps jumpstart the ferment. Even without the whey, those pickles would ferment. It would just take a little longer. This is because raw veggies naturally have lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in them. When you mix them with water and salt, it creates the perfect environment for them to grow. Pretty cool, right? The living microbiology (the LAB) grow and multiply. They eat the naturally occurring sugars and starches in the cucumbers and produce CO2, a gas. The fermentation carbonated the pickle brine! The fermentation made the volcano! It's also a sure sign that there's plenty of good probiotic stuff for your gut in that jar. The white stuff is yeast (most likely KAHM yeast). Another thing to notice in the jar is how the liquid is whitish, not clear. There's nothing unsafe about it. Yes, you can eat it! It's a natural part of fermentation. You see, KAHM yeast thrives in acidic environments. As that probiotic goodness ferments and creates CO2, it also creates lactic acid. The lactic acid not only gives pickles their distinct sour flavor but also makes the brine acidic. KAHM yeast is naturally in the air. It will land on a ferment and think "Gee, this would be a great home." And then it grows. It typically makes a film on the top of a ferment, but it can also sink to the bottom. With volcanic pickles, it gets all mixed up in the brine and will eventually settle. Fermented veggies are an acquired taste. Nick, who shared the volcanic pickles video, reported that: "The pickles are absolutely delicious. I love them!" But... we sometimes get complaints about the flavor of the pickles and the white stuff. Is Nick's palate simply more accustomed to ferments? Were some jars of pickles actually off? It's really hard to say... especially when you're not there smelling and tasting it yourself. What I do know is that fermented veggies are an acquired taste. They're very different from the distinct pasteurized vinegar pickle flavor you likely grew up with. Fermented pickles have umami to them (think about that "weird" flavor in miso or a very sharp aged cheese). They have a lot of tang. They can even taste metallic. Some may feel a burn on their tongue (that's the lactic acid by the way). You may want to try making some at home (as I said before, it's pretty easy). That way, you can taste the flavor throughout the fermentation process and put it in the fridge when you think they're just right. Fermented veggies can last months in the fridge with proper maintenance. Here are a few tips to keep them in their best shape. Always store in the fridge. This will slow down the fermentation so they don't get overdone. If you leave them on the counter (especially pickles), they'll get quite sour and mushy pretty quickly. Never freeze ferments. They'll just get mushy. Make sure the veggies are always covered with brine. If the brine falls below the veggies, simply add more water and sea salt. So easy! If the veggies aren't covered, they can grow mold or dry out and become yucky. If there's too much KAHM yeast, remove it. KAHM yeast is perfectly safe to eat. However, it can have an off-putting flavor, especially when there's too much. If it's on the top of the brine, simply scoop it off. If it's all mixed up in the brine, let the jar sit for a day or two so it settles. Once it sinks to the bottom of the jar, you can remove the pickles and clean brine (leaving the white stuff at the bottom), clean the jar, and then put the pickles and brine back in. Voila! With this in mind, you might be wondering... Can ferments become unsafe? If a lacto-fermented veggie goes wrong, it will be pretty obvious. It may have a repulsive smell, flashy colors (like pink or black mold), or a foul flavor. While a normal ferment should have a sour, tangy smell, a bad ferment will smell putrid or rotten. This can be a little tricky, especially if you're new to ferments. The flavor can be wild! Often you simply need to trust your gut. Although getting used to ferments can take some time and know how, it's worth it. Why? They're just so darn good for your gut. They're packed with a range of lactic acid bacteria. Fermented veggies usually have bifidobacteria, too, which isn't prevalent in fermented dairy but is crucial for healthy digestion. When you have robust and healthy gut microbiology: The bad stuff simply can't grow. You're less likely to get sick. Your digestion is better overall, meaning that you get max nutrition from the food you eat.Your gut can better produce essential nutrients like short-chain fatty acids and vitamins B1, B9, B12, and K.You can experience less inflammation.Your gut-brain connection is better. You may find yourself in a better mood, with less stress. There's probably so much more, but those are the top ones for me! Do you eat or make ferments? Why or why not? Have you tried the pickles? What's your experience? I'd love to hear from you! Comment below (no account required - start typing for the guest option to appear) or contact us.

Why spring grass milk is the most healthy, creamy, yellow, and delicious.

Ahhhh, spring grass fed milk. It’s just the best milk of the entire year. You can see that it’s yellower and creamier. You can taste its full flavor and earthiness. In your gut, you just know that this milk is good for you. It’s simply the best. With modern testing, we can quantify that we’re not crazy for believing this or feeling this within our bodies. It’s scientifically true. Spring grass fed milk is the healthiest milk. Let’s explore.