# Freezing Pork Loin? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 12, 2019, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freezing-pork-loin/831004 "2019-03-12T15:33:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2019, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freezing-pork-loin/831004/1 "2019-03-12T15:33:04Z")
Our local Giant Eagle had an ad for pork loin at a really great price. I stopped to buy one and saw that they were huge, like three and a half feet long pork loins, but the price was just too good to pass up. I’m planning on cutting this into 3 or 4 pieces, cooking one and freezing the rest for future use. Has anyone done this? Can I insert garlic pieces before freezing? Can I freeze in a marinade? Any other thoughts? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2019, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freezing-pork-loin/831004/2 "2019-03-12T15:46:01Z")
You can certainly freeze it. It should be pretty lean and the texture won’t suffer greatly from defrosting it. You can slice some of it up into boneless chops wrapped individually also. I don’t think I’ve ever frozen anything in marinade, maybe if the marinade is highly acidic it will break down the meat too much by the time it’s thawed, but I just don’t know. Not sure why you’d stuff it with garlic before freezing, just easy to do after thawing, but I don’t see how it would cause any harm. ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2019, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freezing-pork-loin/831004/3 "2019-03-12T15:47:21Z")
I frequently freeze pork loins, but for long-term storage I make sure they are vacuum sealed. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2019, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freezing-pork-loin/831004/4 "2019-03-12T16:21:27Z")
> [@Barbarian](#): > > I frequently freeze pork loins, but for long-term storage I make sure they are vacuum sealed. Yep, I have a vacuum seal system for sous vide cooking. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Alpha\_Twit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpha_twit/32/265_2.png) [@Alpha\_Twit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpha_Twit)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2019, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freezing-pork-loin/831004/5 "2019-03-12T17:00:02Z")
I often buy these loins and freeze them in a simple marinade. I either slice them into one inch chops, one inch cubes for kabobs or four inch blocks for roasting whole. Either way, the marinade is the same. It’s just equal parts soy sauce and (undiluted) frozen concentrate lemonade and just a bit more garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes as you think it needs. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2019, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freezing-pork-loin/831004/6 "2019-03-12T17:12:16Z")
Great idea!!! ---
**Author:** ![raventhief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raventhief/32/4_2.png) [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2019, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freezing-pork-loin/831004/7 "2019-03-12T17:32:23Z")
I have some frozen pork loin in the freezer as we speak ������ ---
**Author:** ![BeeGee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5a626/32.png) [@BeeGee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeeGee)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2019, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freezing-pork-loin/831004/8 "2019-03-12T17:54:22Z")
If you want to freeze it with marinade and vacuum seal, you’ll want to put the meat and marinade in the bags and freeze them for an hour before sealing. Otherwise, your marinade will get sucked out and make a big mess. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2019, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freezing-pork-loin/831004/9 "2019-03-12T17:55:41Z")
> [@raventhief](#): > > I have some frozen pork loin in the freezer as we speak �� So, what are your plans for it? I’m cooking one in our new airfyer tomorrow, following a recipe that came with the device. In a week or so I plan to grill chops that will be in the **Alpha Twit** marinade. A week later, one will go in the crockpot for pulled pork (I prefer very lean meat, so I like pulled pork made from loin more than from porkbutt). ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2019, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freezing-pork-loin/831004/10 "2019-03-12T17:56:49Z")
> [@BeeGee](#): > > If you want to freeze it with marinade and vacuum seal, you’ll want to put the meat and marinade in the bags and freeze them for an hour before sealing. Otherwise, your marinade will get sucked out and make a big mess. 😃 Yep, found that out the hard way freezing stew! ---
**Author:** ![raventhief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raventhief/32/4_2.png) [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2019, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freezing-pork-loin/831004/11 "2019-03-12T18:07:28Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > So, what are your plans for it? > > I’m cooking one in our new airfyer tomorrow, following a recipe that came with the device. In a week or so I plan to grill chops that will be in the **Alpha Twit** marinade. A week later, one will go in the crockpot for pulled pork (I prefer very lean meat, so I like pulled pork made from loin more than from porkbutt). One will be the entree as chops in a garlic, Rosemary and thyme seasoning mix, and one section will be barbequed- not sure what to do with the rest yet. ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2019, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freezing-pork-loin/831004/12 "2019-03-12T18:16:01Z")
At the beginning of summer I’ll buy 2 of the loins if I see a good deal. I might cut off a portion for a roast but I generally just steak them out in 1.5 inch chops. At the same time I usually buy a few packs of Grill Mates marinades and add them to the bags. I think get 2 vacuum seal bags (with 4 steaks each) for each Grill Mate packet. I aim to have 10 to 12 vacuum bags with 5 or 6 different flavors for dinner pairings (Grill Mates have 12+ flavors but they all boil down to Mexican, BBQ, Steak, Herb). I freeze the sealed meat and take them to the lake for easy dinners. It’s awesome, after lunch I’ll put one straight from the freezer to the sous vide and later pair it with some simple sides. Nobody wants to sit around cooking all day at the lake. > [@BeeGee](#): > > If you want to freeze it with marinade and vacuum seal, you’ll want to put the meat and marinade in the bags and freeze them for an hour before sealing. Otherwise, your marinade will get sucked out and make a big mess. Or get a chamber style vacuum sealer 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2019, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freezing-pork-loin/831004/13 "2019-03-12T19:10:35Z")
If it was me, I’d probably make them into 1" chops, and then freeze them as-is, under the theory that I could cook them as chops, marinate them, or chop them up and use them in stir-fry, or other dishes. No sense in locking down their potential before freezing them. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2019, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freezing-pork-loin/831004/14 "2019-03-12T20:04:03Z")
Ohhhhh yeeeeaaaah…nothing like picking up a huge one of those bad boys at .99/lb. I cut off the ends in to roasts, and slice the rest in to chops. Freeze flat in bags of 4 for easy defrosting. Not that this posts added anything that hasn’t been said, but I’m just really enthusiastic about it. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2019, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freezing-pork-loin/831004/15 "2019-03-13T11:35:38Z")
> [@sitchensis](#): > > Or get a chamber style vacuum sealer 🆒 Hehe, trying to get me killed?! A year or two ago WOOT had a vacuum sealer on close out _very_ cheap. I purchased two, one for me and one for my daughter (we had recently been discussing them). I already owned one, so I was buying a backup. A few weeks later the same vacuum sealer was back as a WOOT-Off, priced even lower. The price was actually lower than the cost of the roll of replacement bags that came with the unit. I ordered eight. My gf was a little weirded out by the venture. I’ve since given a few away. ---
**Author:** ![Alpha\_Twit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpha_twit/32/265_2.png) [@Alpha\_Twit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpha_Twit)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2019, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freezing-pork-loin/831004/16 "2019-04-01T17:24:26Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > So, what are your plans for it? > > …In a week or so I plan to grill chops that will be in the **Alpha Twit** marinade. Just wondering how the pork turned out? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2019, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freezing-pork-loin/831004/17 "2019-04-01T17:35:35Z")
> [@Alpha\_Twit](#): > > Just wondering how the pork turned out? So far, I’ve roasted one piece section that was delicious. The rest was all vacuum sealed in individual sections. The four chops in marinade I cooked on the grill and served with a salad and ranch fries. It was delicious!! This week I’ll defrost another section for crock-pot pulled pork. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2019, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freezing-pork-loin/831004/18 "2019-04-01T17:38:57Z")
Another vote for vac seal and freeze. I buy loin chops at CostCo and freeze all but the pair we’re going to chow down on that night; they come out fine. > [@BeeGee](#): > > If you want to freeze it with marinade and vacuum seal, you’ll want to put the meat and marinade in the bags and freeze them for an hour before sealing. Otherwise, your marinade will get sucked out and make a big mess. There are [vacuum chamber](https://www.webstaurantstore.com/vacpak-it-vmc10op-chamber-vacuum-packaging-machine-with-10-1-4-seal-bar-and-oil-pump/186VMC10OP.html?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=GoogleShopping&gclid=Cj0KCQjw7YblBRDFARIsAKkK-dL5C8Oy5RXTnHcTigwfKIlZ6a3GU0nGgrNh3mPLBWdYzp7t2OffZncaAoZuEALw_wcB) systems out there that will successfully take care of a marinade and meat combo but they ain’t cheap. I don’t marinate those chops until I’m ready to use them but I freeze soup or stew in a small bowl, then drop the result into a vac bag and seal that.