Butcher shares the best way to store mince meat and it's not in a dish

If you've got a packet of mince in your fridge and it's use-by date is coming round all too fast, there's a clever way to preserve it.

Mince is the foundation food for many staple dinners; from spaghetti bolognaise to chilli's. Competent cooks can even make their own meatballs or burgers from a simple packet of shop-bought mince. While it's a popular item many pick up on their weekly shop, there's a real risk of it sitting in the fridge until it's past it's best.

But a butcher has revealed one impressive way to not only slim it down to make it fit in a freezer brimming with other items. user @amintips revealed the genius trick - and it involves a zip-lock freezer bag and a rolling pin, (or similar object to flatten the meat).

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Less space and quicker defrost

The nine-second video showed him using a zip-lock bag to put the meat inside and then completely flattening the meat, occupying the entire bag, using a bottle of sparkling water. He captioned: “Use this tip so your meat defrosts quicker and takes up less space in your freezer.”

The video has garnered over 648k and thousands of likes, with comments from users impressed by this hack.

One wrote: “I actually tried this month or so ago. It does work and it definitely saves space. But I did just mashed it down with my hands. I don’t have no beers around.” A second one said: “I do this all the time! It thaws very quickly when it’s this thin!”

Another suggested: “Best way to store your meat is to vacuum seal it in a bag. That way it doesn’t go bad and gets exposed to freezer burn,” with a fourth user adding: “My girlfriend laughed at me when I first did this. Now she does it all the time.”

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How long can meat be kept in the freezer?

When it comes to cooking, there might be occasions when there will be some leftovers. Instead of keeping the remaining minced meat in the fridge until it goes bad, you can simply store it in the freezer and save it for another time.

Freezing food is an alternative way to extend the shelf life of food. Frozen meat can be kept in the freezer for six to twelve months. However, saving it for too long might affect its flavour and colour. To avoid confusion, it’s also best to label each item and not to re-freeze it if it has been frozen before.

It’s also important to use zip-lock bags designated for the freezer, as those are much thicker and prevents them from breaking. They’re also much more ideal when using the bags for longer periods of time.