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How much space does a side of beef take up in the freezer?

17 years ago

I have a full size upright freezer. Hubby doesn't think a half a cow will fit with room to spare for a few other things other than BEEF... so if a half is "Hanging" at 315, how much will be actual packaged weight?

~but the butcher that did the piggie I bought has a Feb special coming up at whole or half beef for 1.99lb!!!!!!!!

When I bought the 1/2 pig of course it was only 40lbs of packaged meat..I could have gotten all the flat wraps on one shelf, and I put all the sausage baggies in the door.

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Comments (12)

artsyshell
17 years ago
I have a about a 22- 23 cubic foot freezer, and one side of it has a shelf ledge built into it. Taking that into account I would say the side of beef I just put into it, took up a little over a third of the space.
Hope this helps.

Shelley S.
weed30 St. Louis
17 years ago
Hmmmmm.

The standard Hubby is about 70% the size of a side o' beef.
Take hubby and jam him into the freezer as best you can*, and figure things from there..
.

*Probably not a good idea to put the sausage baggy in the door in this case.
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lindac
17 years ago
Good one, Weed.....and pretty close to right on the mark..
Packaged meat is usually about 80% of hanging weight...And that may differ depending how much sausage baggies and dog bones you want to save...
Linda C
annie1992
17 years ago
Terri, how big is your "full sized" freezer? 18 Cubic feet? 22 cubic feet.

I think your beef is going to get you somewhere between 225 and 250 pounds of packaged beef, depending on your cutting instructions (less if you get a lot of ground beef, more if you take all the soup bones, etc).

One cubic foot of freezer space will hold about 35 lbs. of frozen foot, so it depends on the freezer size.

Annie
vacuumfreak
17 years ago
I'm not sure.... But I think Lucy and Ethel would know!
Terri_PacNW
Original Author
17 years ago
LOL WEED!!!!!! Hubby says...ha ha...with much sarcasm..

Annie, I don't know how big it is..I just pulled the book..which of course doesn't tell me..it shows two freezers on the book...and it's to bloody cold to run out just to check...It is seems to be the same size almost of my side by side fridge.
Thank you for your little "formula".

Shelley, thanks for the been there done that information.

Linda, I want ground beef, but I'd rather have more steaks and roasts. And of course I'll want all the bones!!
robinkateb
17 years ago
I say at that price buy it and worry about where it fits later. although I am betting your starting price is much lower then mine. Do you have any friends who would go in on it with you?

LOL at weed.

-Robin
Terri_PacNW
Original Author
17 years ago
LOL Robin..it's now morning..and he's "IN" on the purchase..I'll call the butcher this week and pre order my February special!!!

And start eating out of that freezer more the next few weeks. LOL
KatieC
17 years ago
Good timing. A friend has just brought her beef in to fatten them up for a couple of months and will sell us a half for $2/lb. We were just discussing whether or not to get a half or half of a half...it's been so long since we've had a side in the freezer, we couldn't remember how much space it would take up. And we had no idea if two bucks a pound was a good deal. So it's a half for us. Can't wait for some homegrown beef....mmmm....
Terri_PacNW
Original Author
17 years ago
katie..the regular price at this particular butcher for whole or half is 2.49lb..so yes...$2 is good.
Around here you can barely get "grocery store" ground beef for 2.49lb..so home grown grass feed LOCAL beef for that..is a really good deal, especially when you figure that that's home much that New York is costing you, and the ribeyes..wooo hooo...
of course with butchered meat you pay a little extra per pound than "you pay" because of waste..but I intend on asking for as much "waste" as I can get away with.. LOL
dgkritch
17 years ago
Bobby, I am cracking up here!!

My two cows NAMES are Lucy and Ethel.
Wait here........ I'll go ask them if they know!! :-)

Don't tell Ricky the sausage bags are going in the freezer.....(Ricky is my steer, slated for butcher next fall).

Deanna
fred_gmail_com
15 years ago
If you bought 1/2 a hog and got 40# you got ripped!...1/2 a hog should dress at 60-75 lbs...your butcher kept the other 20-25labs and made money off that, also.

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