Thank you for the great question! First of all, let me use my $40,000 degree to talk about freezer burn. That poor diploma is just hanging on the wall and dusting it off from time to time makes me feel better about those student loans…

Freezer burn takes place when air reaches food which has been frozen, causing it to dehydrate. It is important to note that freezer burn is a cosmetic issue, not a food safety issue. While it may affect the texture of your food is still safe to eat provided it has not been in the freezer past the recommended time for freezing whatever it may be (I’ll get a chart up here soon that tells those times for y’all.)

Having said that, there are of course all manner of vacuum sealers on the market to prevent this but I have found them unnecessary for me and mine as we consume the food before anything can happen to it (hungry family of four and mama who cooks a LOT). What I do for beef is drain it well and place it in quart sized freezer bags. Using freezer grade will help. Squeeze all of the air out of them and seal well. For further protection, you can even put several of the quart size bags in a gallon bag if you like.

Another thing I would look at is what else is being stored in your freezer. I wonder if perhaps there might be some old ice or some type of meat or vegetable which is past its prime and giving off negative odors. If that isn’t the case (and I am NOT saying you have a dirty freezer! Lord knows I have things at the bottom of mine that have likely been there just holding space for two or three years!) then you might want to try setting aside a cardboard box to place your bags of beef in inside the freezer to further protect them from picking up any odors or tastes from other foods. This is also pretty handy as you will never have to dig for your beef again!

I’ve never had this problem but like I said, we go through our meat fast! I usually buy no more than thirty pounds at a time and we use about five a week most weeks.

I hope this helps!
I went to the coconut cake post and saw what you meant. I had it in the tutorial and ingredients list but didnt mention it in my instructions! Its fixed now Let me know how you make out and have a great week!
Gratefully,
Christy

you know what my dream house would have? A walk in freezer!!
~rubs her hands together in excitement at the very thought~

Appreciate you taking time to leave such an informative comment!
Christy

okay, three people…this is actually getting exciting. I may do a post in the next week or so with possibilities just to get feedback.

~blows kisses and squeals~