How long can you refrigerate a chub

Rick · Post by **Rick** » Thu Jan 02, 2014 20:02

I've gone into meat markets and seen the big chubs of bologna, loafs of headcheese, and other lunch meats all in various states of popularity by the amount sliced off. I'm going to assume that these meats have been in the case for several days if not a week.

Now I'd like to make a bologna stuffed in a bung or fibrous casing which measures 4.84 inches x 27 inches. So stuffing a casing with a 10# recipe results in a nice chub. Since it's only my wife and myself, how long can I keep that chub in the refrigerator after slicing without worry of spoiling? Based on what I've described seeing above, is a week too long? Do I have to immediately start slicing and freezing packages of meat?

sawhorseray · Post by **sawhorseray** » Thu Jan 02, 2014 22:37

Boy howdy, that's a lot of baloney! I don't do bologna but for the smoked pork loins I make I keep one in the fridge and freeze the rest right away. Two whole pork loins=4 halves, one in the fridge and 3 in the freezer. I keep the one in the fridge in a long shrink-wrap bag and vac-seal it back every time I cut some off, lasts weeks that way, then I just thaw out another. Maybe cut the chub into three nine inch pieces with two in the freezer and one in the fridge, hedge your bet. I know I can shrink-wrap a hunk of cheddar or jack cheese that'll stay perfect for over a month and a half in the deli drawer, starts getting mold spots in a week if it's just in a baggie. RAY

Rick · Post by **Rick** » Thu Jan 02, 2014 23:05

Sawhorse, I could probably do that. That resealing all the time, is something I'd have to speak to the wife about, as she works her food saver.

sawhorseray · Post by **sawhorseray** » Thu Jan 02, 2014 23:45

My wife has never used the food saver, not once. She doesn't use the vacuum, lawn mower, or floor scrubber either. She's smarter than I am. RAY

el Ducko · Post by **el Ducko** » Fri Jan 03, 2014 06:35

sawhorseray wrote:... I keep the one in the fridge in a long shrink-wrap bag and vac-seal it back every time I cut some off, lasts weeks that way, then I just thaw out another. ..

I do my chorizo that way, too, except I keep it in the freezer. I roll 4-ounce portions in cheap sandwich bags, then pack them two-at-a-time, end-to-end, in freezer bags, a total of six to a freezer bag.

It's like this: Before doing any sealing, I make three pockets in a bag (heat seal only) which are open at one end. (Imagine the capital letter "E".) Each pocket gets two 4-ounce portions. I then vacuum seal across the open top, sealing 'em in, and freeze. When I want some, I cut a 1/3 packet open and take out the two 4-ounce portions. One goes into the refrigerator. The other gets cut in two and one half goes into the refrigerator. The fourth half goes into a frying pan on low heat and, once it's thawed, gets fried and scrambled with eggs.

Wordy enough? Sorry about that. My point, though- - things last longer this way.