American Lamb is widely available at grocery
stores, gourmet food retailers and butcher
shows. It you don't see it displayed, just
ask. When shopping for American Lamb, look
for meat that has a soft pink to red
coloring with white marbling.
Fresh American Lamb should be stored in
the refrigerator or freezer immediately
after purchasing. Refrigerate fresh lamb at
40 degrees or below. Ground lamb or stew
meat should be used within 2 days. Lamb chops
and roasts should be used within 3-5 days.
If you plan to freeze lamb for long periods
of time, be sure to wrap the original
packaging with airtight freezer wrap or
place in an airtight freezer bag to prevent
freezer burn. To maintain optimum quality,
frozen lamb should be used within 3-4
months.
There are three ways to safely thaw
frozen lamb:
In the refrigerator - once frozen lamb
has thawed in the refrigerator, lamb roasts
and chops should be used within 3-5 days and
ground lamb or stew meat should be used
within 1-2 days. If you do not use the lamb
within this time period, you may refreeze
lamb without cooking it first.
In cold water - leave frozen lamb in its
packaging, making sure it is air tight. If
not, transfer it to a leak-proof bag. Keep
the lamb submerged in cold water, changing
the water every 30 minutes to continue
thawing. Cook lamb immediately after
thawing. It should not be re-frozen unless
cooked first.
In the microwave - As with the cold water
method, when frozen lamb is thawed in the
microwave, it must be cooked immediately. It
should not be re-frozen unless cooked first. |
