But that hasn’t stopped savvy shoppers hitting the supermarkets to snap up reduced meats for the festive holidays next year.
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One woman took to the Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK group on Facebook to share her finds after heading to her local Sainsbury’s in Shirley.
Posting pictures of the shelves, Claire wrote: “Turkeys scanning £11 and gammon scanning £4.30”.
The slow cooked buttermilk brined turkey crown, wrapped in bacon, was originally priced at £45 – £35 if you had a Nectar card.
And the gammon was originally £17.
People were quick to comment on the post, with one writing: “Gammon good price!”
“Long gone from Southend sainsburys,” another sighed.
Meanwhile, Sharon shared another post on the group gushing about the gammon joint.
“My local Sainsbury’s,” she wrote alongside a picture of the meat.
“Such a bargain and absolutely delicious!
“Just melted in your mouth and so tasty!”
In a description on the Sainsbury’s website, they wrote of the gammon: “Our Taste the Difference gammons are made using using selected cuts of outdoor bred British pork.
“Skilfully butchered, then dry cured by hand with sea salt and finished with a honey & wholegrain mustard glaze for a delicious flavour.
“That’s why you can taste the difference.”
The jury is out on how long you can freeze meat for – and whether or not it would be safe to pop in the freezer until next Christmas.
According to the Butterball Turkey Talk Line, a turkey can be stored in the freezer for up to two years, and will still be safe to cook.
However, while meat can last a long time in the freezer, you don’t want to leave it too long as the quality deteriorates.
It’s best to eat meat within three to six months of popping into the freezer.
“The freezer acts as a pause button – food in a freezer won’t deteriorate and most bacteria cannot grow in it,” The Food Standards Authority (FSA) told The Sun.
The same goes for pigs in blanket, ham and gammon, as well as prawns.
All meats can be frozen for some time, but eating within three to six months will keep it at its freshest.
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