The hot dog is a favorite grilled or steamed link-sausage sandwich with the sausage is placed in the middle of a bun. This food originates from Germany and becomes popular in many areas. I am not an outsider of hot dog lovers so when I have time to go to the supermarket, I often buy a full basket of hot dogs and store them in the freezer for a long time. Now, from my actual experience, I wanna share with you some helpful information on “How long can you freeze hot dogs?” to help you preserve your sausages in the best condition as I did.
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How Long can you Freeze Hot Dogs?
Most of the hot dogs you buy from grocery stores have to be refrigerated or frozen so once you leave the stores, they have to be kept in the same way immediately. According to USDA – United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service, if the product date is not printed on its package, it can be safely preserved in unopened situation for about 2 weeks in the fridge and about only 1 weeks once opened. However, hot dogs usually have a sell-by date not an expiry date , please take notice that they are safe to eat for a short time after that day comes.
To extend the shelf life of hot dogs, freezing it is also the best ideal solution. The USDA illustrates that freezing is a very safe method of storage because: this will slow down the growth of molecules, make microbes enter a dormant stage, prevent the movement of food spoilage and foodborne illness. Therefore, to ensure your hot dogs reach the maximum shelf life and remain safe to eat, people often choose freezing. Hot dogs that are stored properly can last up to 2 months in the freeze even when their seals are opened or not. Though your hot dogs are fully frozen and cooked, thawing and then reheating them will definitely increase risk of foodborne illness and listeriosis.
I believe that, hot dogs can reach the highest period of storage time due to your proper storing methods. Do not just put your unopened packs of hot dogs in the freezing compartment, you should use vacuum sealers or an airtight container to prevent bacteria from other foods entering and spoiling your hot dogs. When defrosting or thawing, don’t leave your food at room temperature for over 2 hours and if it is above 90 degrees F, 1 hour should be the perfect time to safely use. Do not freeze and then thaw multiple times because the continous transformation in storing environment can lose the original flavors of hot dogs and make the movement of bacteria happen faster.
Conclusion
Of course, hot dogs are must-have item of every family, especially for hectic people who always look for fast food for a fast meal. To reduce time and effort to buy and store this kind of fast food, freezing technique will be the most perfect idea in order to maximum their shelf life for about 1 to 2 months. Hope this article bring to you some useful pieces of information on how long hot dogs last in the freezer.
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