Here's How Long You Can Keep Raw Steaks In Your Fridge

It's no secret that grocery shopping involves quite a bit of timing. It's best to choose a day and time when there are fewer people at the store so you can shop in peace. Plus you should pick up any frozen food, like ice cream, at the end so that it stays cold longer. Perishable food doesn't stop going bad once you bring it home, either, especially fresh meat. If you've picked up a couple of steaks at the market, you've only got a window of about three to five days to cook and eat them before they go bad.

Raw beef is highly perishable, and after only a short time, the surface can oxidize, turn brown, and the meat will start to spoil. It can be packaged a couple of different ways, however, which is important because that makes a big difference in how long it will last in your refrigerator. Meat that's packed in vacuum-sealed bags has all of the air removed, so it can last several days in the fridge. On the other hand, steaks that are packed in butcher paper should be used right away because they're exposed to more air. There are also dates printed on all store-bought meats, which are a great guide, but not foolproof. Just make sure you know the signs of spoiling beef so you don't end up eating something that will make you sick.

If you're planning a steak night after your next trip to the grocery store, the best night to do it really depends on how your steak is packaged. Steaks that are spread out in a butcher case may look bright red and delicious, but they're actually the ones you should eat as soon as possible. Fresh cuts of beef are a purplish color before they touch any air. When the meat is exposed to oxygen, it reacts with a naturally occurring chemical called oxymyoglobin, which turns the surface red. This matters because that means that bright red strip steak has been exposed to oxygen while it's been sitting out in the case, and as such, it will start to go bad faster. If you tend to buy your steaks from the meat case, you should use them within the first few days after purchasing.

Beef that's been packed in some type of vacuum packaging, on the other hand, hasn't had much exposure to air, so it will last a bit longer in your refrigerator as long as you don't open it and break the seal. If your steak comes in vacuum-sealed bags, you can get away with storing it in the refrigerator for four or five days, depending on the "best by" date on the package.

Don't rely solely on "best by," "sell by," and "use by" dates, however. These expiration dates have different specific purposes. "Best by," just means that the food is guaranteed to be in its best shape for selling up until that date. You can still eat beef for a few days after its expiration date, but only if it's not showing any signs of spoilage. Sometimes beef will have a "use by" or "freeze by" date, which is a little more helpful because it's the last day that the manufacturer thinks the product will be considered safe to eat.

There are lots of times when you don't know the "best by" or "use by" dates of your steak, however, especially if you've removed it from its original packaging for freezing. In that case, look for visual clues on the surface of the steak to see if it's going bad. If it's starting to get very shiny, slimy, or if it's turning brown, your steak is too old to eat. You can also give the meat a sniff; if it smells like ammonia or rotten eggs, it's time to toss it out.

Steaks aren't really something you want to sit on anyway, though. If you found a couple of good-looking New York strips, grill them up the night you buy them or within a day or two. That way you'll never lose track of time and waste any expensive cuts of beef.