How to store rabbit
Best place: the fridge. USDA gives rabbit a fridge time (2 days, from purchase) and no pantry time, so it belongs in the fridge as soon as you get home. The freezer gives 9 months.
No guideline
2 days
from purchase
9 months
best quality within
How to tell rabbit has gone bad
General signs for meat: fresh, the group USDA lists rabbit under.
- Sticky, tacky or slimy film on the surface
- Sour or ammonia-like smell instead of a mild, fresh one
- Grey-green colour throughout, not just where air touched it
- Torn or leaking packaging that let air or juices escape
- Texture that stays dented when pressed instead of springing back
More on meat: fresh. The times above are quality guidelines, not safety limits; food that shows these signs goes out regardless of the date.
Storage habits that make the difference
Keep raw meat in the coldest part of the fridge, ideally on a tray to catch drips, and use within a few days of purchase. Freeze anything you will not use in time, wrapped tightly to prevent freezer burn. Thaw in the fridge, not on the counter, and never refreeze raw meat that has fully thawed.
How to store other meat: fresh
Source: USDA FSIS FoodKeeper dataset (public domain). How we decode the data.