Buy These 10 Meats Before Winter (And Freeze Them So They Last a Year)

Presenter / Channel

• Not specified in the subtitles (the video appears to be from a cooking/food-budgeting channel).
• The speaker references their own book (link on their website).
• They suggest buying shares from local farmers / locker plants.

Core Freezer Rule (Applies to All Meats)

• Freezing quality issue is “air” (freezer burn), not safety
  • Meat frozen solid at 0°F does not go bad.
  • What happens is freezer burn: air dries the meat where it touches it, creating a gray, leathery patch.
• Key technique: get the air out
  • Wrap tight
  • Push/squeeze out air
  • Label with the date
  • Use freezer paper or a good freezer bag

Equipment / Prep Mentioned

• Freezer bags (good quality) and/or freezer paper
• Ability to re-wrap items removed from thin store plastic wrap or flimsy trays
• Freezer-safe labeling (write the date)
• A kitchen knife for slicing your own portions (for whole loin / subprimal cuts)
• Optional (implied): use the chicken carcass for broth (pot/broth pot method)

10 Meats to Buy Before Winter + How to Freeze Them

10) Whole Chickens

Why now

• Often the cheapest in fall
• Sale discounts can be substantial.

Freezing guidance

• Buy whole birds (not parts).
• Remove flimsy store wrap.
• Wrap tight in freezer paper or use a freezer bag and squeeze out air.
• Whole chickens freeze well for about a year.

Use suggestion

• Roast one for a meal; use the carcass for broth for another.

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9) Whole Turkey

Why now

• Thanksgiving season brings turkeys to/near “loss-leader” pricing.

Freezing guidance

• Buy extra (the subtitles mention “buy two”).
• Freeze in its own wrapping (no extra work needed).
• Keeps about a year and is easy.

Prep/use tip

• A turkey is essentially a big chicken—roast any time of year (e.g., mentioned for March).

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8) Ground Beef

Why now

• Buy when roasts are cheap in the fall.

Critical technique (common mistake)

• Don’t freeze it as one fat “lump.”
• Ground meat loses quality faster because air contacts more surface area.
• Best quality window: about 3–4 months.

How to freeze

• Press flat in the bag (like a pancake).
• Get air out, freeze flat for faster freezing, quick thawing, and better stacking.
• Use first (prioritize ground meat over solid roasts).

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7) Pork Shoulder (Pork Butt)

Why now

• Often very cheap in fall; a great budget cut.

Freezing guidance

• Solid cut freezes well: 6 months to a year.
• Wrap tight.
• Buy two or three when cheap.

Cooking cue

• Slow cook “all day” until it falls apart into pulled pork.

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6) Chuck Roast

Why now

• Beef often drops before winter price spikes due to fall market timing.

Key concept

• Don’t treat it like steak.

Cooking cue

• Low and slow with a little liquid → turns tough meat into fork-tender pot roast.

Freezing guidance

• Freezes well: 6 months to a year.
• Buy “a few,” wrap tight.

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5) Bacon and Sausage

Why now

• They can dip around holidays, but don’t assume you can stock a full-year freezer stash.

Important correction (Internet myth)

• Cured meats (bacon/sausage with lots of salt) develop off-flavor sooner in the freezer.
• Expected window: about 1–2 months for best taste (not dangerous—just not great).

How to freeze

• Freeze flat.
• Keep strips separated with a bit of paper so you can peel off what you need.

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4) Pork Chops (Better: Buy Whole Pork Loin)

Why now

• Loin often goes on deep fall sale; trays cost extra for slicing.

How to save

• Buy the whole pork loin (whole cut).
• Slice your own chops to your preferred thickness.
• Wrap chops in packages, air pushed out.

Freezing guidance

• Keeps about 6 months.

Batching tip

• “A dozen or more” chops from one loin is implied.

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3) Chicken Thighs

Why now

• Thighs are cheaper and more forgiving than breast.
• They’re less likely to dry out.

Freezing guidance / common mistake

• Because chicken pieces have lots of surface area (like ground meat), plan 6 to 9 months.
• Don’t freeze one giant pack as a single brick.

How to freeze

• Split into meal-size batches.
• Bag and air out, lay flat.
• Pull one bag when you need dinner.

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2) Steaks (Buy the Smart Way: Whole Subprimal Section)

Why now

• Case steaks are often overpriced; the larger section can be cheaper per pound.

How to buy

• Ask the butcher for a subprimal (whole strip / whole ribeye section).

How to portion

• Slice steaks yourself to your preferred thickness.
• Wrap one or two per pack.
• Get every bit of air out.

Freezing guidance

• 6 months to a year.

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1) Whole Animal / Share from a Farmer (Biggest Savings)

Why now

• In fall, farmers sell livestock they don’t want to feed over winter.

Process described

• Buy a quarter of beef or half a hog from a farm or a local locker plant.
• Paid by the pound hanging weight.
• Arrives already cut, wrapped, and frozen.

Cost framing

• Price per pound can be less than half of store-cut meat (often “far less”).

Batching/share tip

• Split with sister or neighbor if the upfront cost is high (a few hundred dollars is mentioned).

Freezer logistics

• Already wrapped by professionals.

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Actions to Take This Week (As Stated)

• Clean out freezer
• Throw out frost-burned mystery bags
• When you see big fall markdowns:
  • Buy three whole chickens (explicit suggestion)
  • Wrap tight, push air out, label date, freeze

Variation Summary (Only What’s in the Subtitles)

• Whole cuts vs pre-cut/tray packaging
  • Whole chicken/turkey/loins/roasts are preferred because there’s less exposed cut surface to air.
• Batching/portioning
  • Ground meat + chicken pieces should be frozen flat or separated into meal-size bags to preserve quality and usability.

Notes on “Common Mistakes” Explicitly Called Out

• Treating freezer storage as “safety” rather than quality
• Freezing ground meat as one lump instead of flat packs
• Freezing chicken pieces as one big brick pack
• Thinking bacon/sausage can be frozen for a full year
• Not removing meat from thin store wrap for whole chickens (increases air exposure)

Plating / Serving Suggestions (Lightly Referenced)

• Whole chicken: roast for Sunday; carcass for broth
• Pork shoulder: slow cook → pulled pork for multiple meals
• Freezer plan goal: “pull one bag” to feed the family with minimal effort