What to do when you receive your box from Hidden Stream Farm
posted on
April 21, 2025
Do you ever wonder, whats the best way to thaw out your Hidden Stream Farm meats when you receive the box and you are ready to start cooking? When you receive your box, it is best to open the box right away and place all the items meat items in your freezer. If you ordered cheese curds, I would eat them right away just beacause they are so good. You can however just store them in the fridge. Veggies can go in the fridge and jams are good till opened and the honey can stay in the cupboard.
When you recieve your box, on occasion you might find that a vacuum seal has leaked. This does happen every once in a while from being moved around. We try to get only the best, but sometimes they slip through. Rest assured, this is still good. All of our meat is packed fresh and flash frozen so it will still be in good condition when it thaws out.
When you are thawing out your meat, we suggest that you place the meat in the refrigerator in a bowl that is large enough to hold the product you are thawing. Sometimes the seal might slip in the thawing process and we dont what juices leaking all over your food in the refrigerator. This will catch everything and you will be good to go.
Then all thats left is to start up the grill, roaster, crockpot, etc and start cooking once the product is thawed out.
Remember, recommended cooking temperatures from the Minnesota Department of Ag are:
| CONSUMER COOKING TEMPERATURE CHART for MEATS and EGGS | |
|---|---|
| FRESH MEATS | |
| Ground meats (veal, beef, lamb, pork, deer, moose, elk or caribou) | 160°F |
| Fresh beef, veal, lamb, pork, deer, moose, elk or caribou steaks, chops and roasts | |
| recommended minimum temperature | 145°F |
| medium | 160°F |
| well done | 170°F |
| Leftover cooked meats | 165°F or safe to eat cold if properly cooled and stored |
| POULTRY and GAME BIRDS | |
| Ground chicken and turkey | 165°F |
| Whole chicken, turkey, duck and goose | 165°F |
| Poultry breasts and roasts; thighs and wings | 165°F |
| Casseroles, all stuffing and reheated leftovers | 165°F |
| Fully-cooked poultry | 165°F or safe to eat cold if properly cooled and stored |
| FISH AND SHELLFISH | |
| Fish and shellfish, any type | 145°F |
| RABBIT | |
| Rabbit | 160°F |
| HAM | |
| Fresh (raw) ham or shoulder | 160°F |
| To reheat precooked ham | 140°F |
| EGGS AND EGG DISHES | |
| Eggs | Cook until yolk and white are firm |
| Egg dishes; egg based sauces and custards | 160°F |
- Reference: Cook: Heat it Up Chart. Partnership for Food Safety Education. May 2011.
