AHNP FAQ OUR PRODUCTS AND PROTOCOLS Q - What does All-Natural mean? A - While the term "All-Natural" is very loosely defined by the USDA, American Homestead honors the true and most stringent definition of Natural for any meat product available. Our true "All- Natural" protocols assure that our animals are: * Never administered antibiotics. * Never administered growth promotants or added hormones. * Are 100% vegetarian fed. * Are not restricted in farrowing or gestation crates. * Given free access to food and natural outdoor environments while growing. * Are sustainably raised on Midwestern family farms on a low-stress environment. * Have the highest standards for animal welfare that include annual audits and verification by trained third-party organizations. * Additionally, all of our products contain no additives or preservatives. Q - Are your products antibiotic free? A - Yes. While many other competitors sell the term "Antibiotic Free" as following a withdrawal method in which no antibiotics are administered to the animal within the last few months of life, American Homestead follows the standard of "No Antibiotics... Ever." Q - How are your animals raised? A Our animals are raised by D&M Holdings, the livestock division of American Homestead and by carefully selected independent, family farms that are the core of our business. These family farms are meant to be handed down to the next generation, with real families working on real farms. These are not "corporate" farms. The care and attention given our Hampshire hogs in this setting is unmatched, with "hoop" barns that allow both indoor and outdoor access and shelter, where our hogs enjoy social interaction, fresh straw bedding and clean, tested water. We feed a corn and soybean-rich vegetarian diet and administer no antibiotics or growth hormones from birth. We do not use gestation or farrowing crates and our hogs have ample space for mobility and complete radius movement in these critical stages of their development. Q - Are your animals vegetarian fed?
A - Our animals are raised on a corn and soybean-rich based diet that s all-natural and vegetarian and the majority are fed a diet that is Non-GMO Project verified. STORING & COOKING Q - How long can I keep my fresh pork in the refrigerator? A - Sealed, pre-packed fresh pork cuts can be kept in the refrigerator for 4-6 days; sealed ground pork will keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. If you do plan on keeping the raw, fresh pork longer than 5 days before cooking it, store it well-wrapped in the freezer. Q How long can I keep pork in the freezer? A - Generally, fresh cuts of pork, like roasts, chops and tenderloin can be kept well-wrapped in the freezer up to 9 months or more. Well-wrapped ground pork can be kept for about 6 months in the freezer. However, the product should not be frozen, thawed and then frozen again as that can create off-flavor issues. Q - How do I wrap my fresh pork for freezing? A - Follow these steps to help keep your pork fresh in the freezer. Use one of these freezer wrap materials: specially-coated freezer paper (place the waxed side against the meat); heavy-duty aluminum foil; heavy-duty polyethylene film; heavy-duty plastic bags. Re-wrap pork in convenient portions: leave roasts whole, place chops in meal-size packages, shape ground pork into patties. Put a double layer of waxed paper between chops and patties. Cover sharp bones with extra paper so the bones do not pierce the wrapping. Wrap the meat tightly, pressing as much air out of the package as possible. Label with the name of the pork cut and date. Freeze at 0 degrees F or lower. Q - How long can I store ham or other smoked products in the refrigerator? A - Whole smoked ham and whole ham slices can be stored in the refrigerator for 4-5 days or the use by date on the label. Smoked sausages, hot dogs, bacon and other luncheon meats can be kept for up to 7 days. Q - What about freezing ham? A - The National Pork Board does not encourage freezing cooked ham, since it affects the quality and mouth-feel of the meat. However, leftover ham for use in soups or casseroles can be cut up into slices or cubed and stored in the freezer for 2-3 months. Q - I have leftovers from a big roast, how long can I keep them? A - Leftovers should be placed in the refrigerator within 1 to 2 hours of serving. Store cooked leftovers in the coldest part of the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Well-wrapped leftovers can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Q - Can I brown my fresh pork this morning, put it the refrigerator and finish cooking it tonight? A - Never brown or partially cook any meat. Q - Is it safe to eat leftover food that was left out on the counter to cool at dinnertime, then forgotten until morning? A - No. Bacteria grow most rapidly in the range of temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees F, some doubling in number in as little as 20 minutes. Some types will produce toxins that are not destroyed by cooking. Pathogenic bacteria do not generally affect the taste, smell, or appearance of a food. In other words, one cannot tell that a food has been mishandled or is dangerous to eat. If a food has been left in the "Danger Zone" between 40 and 140 degrees F for more than 2 hours, discard it, even though it may look and smell good. Never taste a food to see if it is spoiled. It is always best to use the rule of When in doubt, throw it out. Q - What is the best way to thaw frozen pork? A - The best way to defrost pork is in the refrigerator in its original wrapping. Follow these guidelines for defrosting pork in the refrigerator: Small roast will take 3-5 hours per pound. Large roast will take 4-7 hours per pound. Chop, 1" inch thick will take 12-14 hours. Ground pork needs to be estimated by package thickness. Q - My roast isn t thawed completely, but I need to get my meal started. Can I still cook it? A - It is safe to cook frozen or partially-frozen pork in the oven, on the stove or grill without defrosting it first; the cooking time may be about 50% longer. Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness. It is best if frozen pork roasts are cooked at an oven temperature of 325 degrees F. Do not cook frozen pork in a slow cooker. Q - Can pork be refrozen if it has thawed? A - According to the USDA, once food is thawed in the refrigerator, it is safe to refreeze it without cooking, although there may be a loss of quality due to the moisture lost through defrosting, and potential off-flavors. After cooking raw foods, which were previously frozen, it is safe to freeze the cooked foods. Q - What about trichinosis? A - Because of modern feeding practices, trichinosis is a no longer a concern. Although Trichinella spiralis is virtually nonexistent in pork, if it were present, it would be killed at 137 degrees F. That's well below the recommended end cooking temperature for pork, which is 145 degrees F with a 3 minute rest period. Q- How long should I cook pork?
A - The National Pork Board suggests cooking to a final internal temperature of 145 degrees and letting it rest 3 minutes. Because today's pork is leaner than in years past, it's important not to overcook it. Yet, for many, one of the first food safety rules learned was never to serve pork unless it's been cooked to well-done in order to avoid trichinosis. The good news is that this advice is outdated. Modern methods of farming have made trichinosis virtually nonexistent. Plus, the USDA has established that cooking pork to an internal temperature of 137 F kills Trichinella spiralis. The USDA currently advises the final temperature for cooked pork should be 145 F with a 3 minute rest period. Remember to "Think Pink". For fork-tender, juicy pork, cook to medium-done which is an internal temperature of 145 F. Pork cooked to 170 F will lose almost all of its pink color and juiciness. ORDERING & SHIPPING Q - How do you ship meat through the mail? A - American Homestead uses insulated coolers and dry ice to ship our fresh and frozen products. All orders are shipped Via FedEx standard ground shipping for a flat fee of $10.99 and will take 2-3 days to arrive once your order is shipped. If you would like overnight shipping, you can make that request in the Notes section in the order form. The cost of overnight shipments varies based on location. Q - When will my order ship? A - Homestead Natural Meats works hard to fulfill your online order quickly, with most orders shipping the same or next business day if possible. We ship product on Monday through Wednesday, except holidays. Depending on your location, shipping method selected, and the day of the week that you place your order, you can expect your products to arrive from 1 to 7 days after placing your order. Shortly after submitting your order, you ll receive a confirmation email with the projected shipment and delivery date. Once your order has shipped, we ll send a second email with your tracking information. Q - Where do you ship? A - American Homestead currently ships within the contiguous United States. We don t yet ship to Alaska and Hawaii, nor can we ship to PO Boxes. Q - How can I tell when my order has shipped? A - American Homestead will send a FedEx tracking number at time of shipment to the email address you provide with your order. Q - What if I have a problem or changes to my order? A - Please contact us at customerservice@americanhomesteadnp.com and we will make every effort to rectify any product and shipment issues or make changes to existing orders.
Q - What forms of payment do you accept? A - American Homestead accepts Visa, MasterCard and Discover cards. Q - What do I do with the dry ice remaining in the cooler? A If there is any dry ice remaining with your shipment, please do not touch with exposed skin and simply allow the ice to dissipate naturally. Q - The package says "Keep Refrigerated" yet there is no ice in the cooler? A - We adjust the amount of dry ice placed in each cooler based on the size of cooler used, the amount of product ordered and seasonal ambient temperatures. Our goal is to include enough dry ice to ensure your product remains at the correct chilled temperature during transportation from our facility to its final destination. Q - My product arrived thawed, it is still good? A We ship all of our products in a refrigerated fresh or frozen state. Feel confident that your products are in good condition, if they are frozen or chilled and cool to the touch at time of delivery. However, if you have any concerns please feel free to contact us at customerservice@americanhomesteadnp.com. Q - My product arrived frozen? A We ship all of our products in a refrigerated fresh or frozen state. Feel confident that your products are in good condition, if they are frozen or chilled and cool to the touch, at time of delivery. However, there are instances in which fresh primal products may arrive with a slight exterior frozen crust. If you have any concerns please feel free to contact us at customerservice@americanhomesteadnp.com.