Sunday, November 06, 2011
Evaluating the Freezer Contents
I have some meat that's been in the freezer for probably way too long. (It's been in the fridge freezer for a really long time... probably more than a year.) Is it just garbage now? Can it be rescued by using it in a stew? Can stock be made from it? Any ideas? It's a shame to just throw it out... although my dad's dog would probably take care of it.
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5 comments:
it depends on what sort of meat it is. if it's ground meat, it generally holds up to being in the freezer that long. If it's steaks, the texture will likely be off after over a year, but stew or braising will combat that. This is all presuming it hasn't defrosted-refrozen since the initial freeze. :)
I would have to say that the chances of it being free of freezer burn after all that time is very slim. It will be dry and leathery and rather unpleasant but I am certain it would be much appreciated by your dad's dog ;>). What kind of meat, by the way?
The US Dept of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service says, "Because freezing keeps food safe almost indefinitely, recommended storage times are for quality only." (http://www.fsis.usda.gov/help/faqs_hotline_preparation/index.asp)
I haven't worried about it much, because things get eaten reasonably rapidly.
H
Packaging and freezer burn - those are the two things to worry about. As someone else pointed out, the texture may be off, but as long as the meat isn't the wrong colour (dried out freezer burn still looks "right") it won't kill you. As for the packaging part - I've had meat that gets freezer burnt in less than a month if if is in store packaging. I bought some ground pork from the meat store "across the street" when I was working - and forgot about it. It was just wrapped in butcher paper, and we ate it this summer - over a year later - and when I unwrapped it, expecting to feed it all to the dogs, it was as good as the day I bought it.
I rewrap all my meat, now. Air is the enemy here...
Mostly beef. (I think I'll just toss the pork chop.) Nice steaks that I really shouldn't have forgotten about. :(
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