How To Freeze Bologna The Right Way (Yes, There Is A Right Way)

Deli meat is a great option for those of us who need a quick bit of nutritious energy on the go, but even with all the preservatives it seems like the meat doesn't last all that long. If you're sitting on a bit of bologna you know you won't finish before it spoils, freezing it starts to sound like a reasonable option. Because of its low water content, bologna is actually a pretty good fit for freezing.

In the refrigerator, unopened bologna will typically stay fresh for two weeks. After the package has been opened, that window of opportunity shrinks to three days. Bologna in the freezer, on the other hand, can retain its quality for up to two months. That being said, if you're serious about keeping bologna in the freezer there are steps you need to take if you want to avoid freezer burn and some other annoying issues.

The main idea here is that you need to keep bologna in an airtight, freezer-safe container. Freezer paper and an airtight freezer bag is really all you'll need. The freezer bags are good for storing the bologna as a whole, but if you've got a whole tube of high quality bologna (Personally, we try to avoid Oscar Mayer Bologna) and you stick the whole thing in, you're going to kick yourself later when all you need is one slice. Better to slice the bologna up and wrap each individual piece in freezer paper before placing them in the freezer bag. This keeps them from sticking together while also shielding them from the air.

Storing bologna in the freezer as individual slices isn't just convenient, it also helps the food last longer. If you're thawing and freezing all of your bologna every time you want to grab a slice, you're putting the meat under serious strain which will inevitably lead to freezer burn and other issues which will affect the quality of the food.

Although the freezer can and will extend the shelf life of bologna, it isn't going to last forever. The same signs of spoilage for fresh bologna apply here as well. Keep an eye out for any unusual smells, a slimy texture, or mold. If you're unsure; Better safe than sorry. You don't want to wind up with food poisoning over a piece of old deli meat.

We here at The Takeout have been on a bologna kick lately. We've been dreaming up a bunch of ways to make a grown-up bologna sandwich, not to mention how often we've been adding bologna into our breakfast routine. It's a surprisingly underrated piece of meat, given how versatile it is. And now that we have the tools to properly freeze it, there's really no reason not to stock up.