TC Farm Meats: Packaging & Thawing

At TC Farm, we put a lot of thought into how we package our food!

We deliver our meat in safe, effective packaging while doing what we can to minimize our environmental impact.

Read below for more details on how we package our meat, get tips for thawing and learn more about why we deliver our meat items frozen.

Not everyone takes as much care as we do in packaging our meats! If you'd like to dive a little deeper and learn more about the risks from chemicals commonly used in grocery meat packaging, read Jack's article here.

How We Package Our Meat

We shrink wrap most of our meats with heat shrink plastic (especially those with bones). This is the ideal packaging for frozen meats since it protects them from small knicks when being handled the freezer.

Our shrink wrap creates an air tight seal once the item is frozen, but is not designed to be leak-proof during the thawing process.

You may notice some liquid escape during thawing, this is normal and expected to occur by design.

For boneless cuts, we typically use a vaccum seal. Be sure to handle these carefully to avoid creating knicks in your freezer. We inspect all packages when they leave our freezer to ensure the seal on these items isn't damaged.

If you received a package of meat that does not meet your expectations or have questions about an item you received, please contact our customer support team and we're happy to assist!

Thawing & Storage Tips

We recommend thawing TC Farm meat items in the fridge, placed on a plate or in a bowl to catch any liquid that might escape during thawing.

If you're looking to speed up the thawing process, try using a salt brine or placing in water.

Once opened, we recommend consuming meat within a week or so (make sure to place it in another container that keeps air out).

What About Deli Meats? Once thawed, many of our deli meats cured with celery salt like bacon, ham, sausages, & brats & more can be kept in your fridge for 45-60 days if package is fully sealed.

(*Our popular Rosemary brats are uncured and should be used within 1 week of thawing.)

Frozen vs. Fresh Meat

All of TC Farm meat is delivered frozen, and we often get asked "why?". We believe frozen meat is the only way to ensure the highest quality, most humanely-raised meat for our members.

Much of the “fresh” meat you see at stores + co-ops can be up to 6-8 weeks old (steaks might even be older!). Only very large processors can maintain a constant supply of "fresh" meat, which requires animals in confinement. This one of the reasons why grocery stores do not offer meat raised to our standards.

Freezing our meat allows us to raise our meat seasonally so animals can enjoy the pasture and the nutrition it provides. It also ensures the tastiest results for our members!