When it comes to cooking, we should always choose fresh and high-quality ingredients in order to bring the best taste to each recipe. But how can you tell if the meat you are buying is really fresh?

1. Chicken

The chicken skin should be white or yellowish in color. Make sure that the skin doesn’t have defects and that there is no exposed flesh (when not yet chopped) or discoloration.

The meat underneath the skin should be color pink or lavender, depending on the amount of fat. Boneless products should not have bone, cartilage, vein, or bruise. While bone-in products should be flesh and meaty, there should be no disjointed or broken bone.

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2. Pork

Fresh pork is pinkish in color. Avoid those that are greenish or brownish because it is a sign of spoilage. You can also press the meat with your fingers to know that it is still firm. Also, check if the fat is white and the bone looks wet but not stinky.

3. Beef

Red or deep red should be the color of fresh beef. If it is grayish brown, the meat is old and over-exposed to air. Beef could be purplish-red if it is vacuum-packed, you should not worry about this because it would be color red again the time it is exposed to air.

Ground beef is more prone to spoilage than whole cuts, especially if not properly stored and packed, so you should be more careful in picking. It should be reddish and has white spots of fat (if the part used is fatty). If you buy ground beef, make sure to cook it immediately to avoid spoilage.

With these tips in mind, you can be sure that you have fresh meat that will make your recipes more delicious, and not only that, your family will also be safe from diseases that bad meat can cause.

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