Expert warned: ‘Putting meat in the fridge while it’s still hot can spoil it’

Bülent Gürbüz, who has been a butcher for over 30 years, emphasized the importance of resting the butchered meat in a cool place for at least 5 hours after the sacrifice, stating that ‘Meat that is put in the freezer while still hot will definitely go bad, turn green, and smell.’ With the Feast of Sacrifice approaching, citizens are researching methods to preserve their meat in the scorching summer heat right after the sacrifice. During the process of cutting the sacrificial meat into pieces and distributing shares, which can take a long time, there is a risk of the meat turning green and spoiling in the summer heat. There can also be many risks of not properly preserving the meat from the place of slaughter to the homes of the citizens. Bülent Gürbüz, who has been a butcher in Ankara for many years, explained to the IHA reporter how meat can be preserved in a healthy way with the right methods.
Warning citizens to be careful about the summer heat after the sacrifice, Gürbüz stated, ‘When a citizen sacrifices an animal and takes it home within an hour, the meat spoils. It gives off a bad smell, and many people don’t even have the chance to eat this sacrifice. They end up having to bring it home and throw it away because the weather is extremely hot. They apply tactics they think are correct because they do not know the storage and transportation rules, but they are very wrong. Many people cannot enjoy eating their sacrifice.’
Stating that not everyone has the storage facilities like a butcher, Gürbüz said, ‘One of the biggest mistakes that should not be done is cutting meat under the sun. The place where the meat will be cut should be in the shade and preferably in a cool environment.’ Emphasizing that meats should not be stacked in plastic buckets and bags, Gürbüz pointed out, ‘This is the second biggest mistake made. The bacteria and cells in the meat are still alive. The cut meat needs to rest for 24 hours so that it can contract. Since the cells and bacteria cannot die in the sacrifice, it is necessary to ventilate the meat. It should be transported in an airy environment.’
Gürbüz, emphasizing that the meat must be spread in a cool place after the sacrifice, said, ‘First of all, they need to spread the meat over a wide area without pressing on each other. After spreading, the meat should rest in a cool airy environment for at least 5-6 hours before being put in the fridge, after being separated into minced meat, boiled meat, and diced meat step by step. Only then should it be put in the fridge. Meat put in the fridge while still hot will definitely go bad, turn green, and smell.’
‘The meat should be rested in a cool place for at least 5-6 hours, covered with cloth underneath and on top, in a way that will absorb its blood,’ said Gürbüz, pointing out that due to the scorching summer heat, citizens do not have the chance to leave the meat outside. He added, ‘After resting it in a cool place for at least 5-6 hours, allowing it to absorb its blood and water by airing, it can then be put in the fridge.’