Deep freeze question -- would you eat it?

[bubbaray]

I was going through our deep freezer and found a pack of chicken from last April (along with other various meat that had freezer burn, so I chucked them). This package has no visible freezer burn. We live about 10 minutes from the grocery store, so it wouldn't have warmed up during transport.

Would you eat it?

[ThreeofUs]

Personally, I would. I'd cook it on a really high temperature for about 20 minutes to ensure any bacteria that could possibly be there are gone, but I'd still eat it.

Maybe a high-temp bake and then use in enchiladas or something?

[TonFirst]

In all honestly, yes, I probably would. But I'd cook it in a way that the chicken's texture wasn't super-important, like in poppy seed chicken casserole.

(What's that, you ask? It is Teh Awesome, is what that is. Recipe is here ((http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Poppy-Seed-Chicken/Detail.aspx)) or in any Junior League cookbook in the universe. I always omit the sherry, fwiw.)

[Jo..]

Yup. I eat questionable meat on a regular basis.

[bubbaray]

Thanks everyone! Its a large family/warehouse size pack, so I really d/n want to throw it out if I didn't have to....

I'm off to check out the poppyseed chicken recipe! :)

[skygoddess]

I would definitely eat it, but I have an iron stomach, so maybe I'm not the best person to comment!

[JTsMom]

I am the queen of food poisoning paranoia, and even I would say it's fine. The only thing that might be off a bit is the texture, but I wouldn't throw it out for that. Enjoy!

[JBaxter]

yes eat it :) We get 1/2 a beef yearly and sometimes find packages in the bottom that have been there for longer than that. As long as its not freezer burnt your fine.

FYI wrapping meat in plastic wrap( or freezer ziplock bags) then freezer paper keeps it for a LONG time ( just press the air out of the bag before wrapping)

[caleymama]

I am the queen of food poisoning paranoia, and even I would say it's fine. The only thing that might be off a bit is the texture, but I wouldn't throw it out for that. Enjoy!

:yeahthat: Can I share your throne? :p

[ahrimie]

eeeeeee... maybe I'm the minority but I would not eat it. Old food just gives me the heeby jeebies. But if there's no freezer burn.... I guess that's different. But I know that in my freezer, there definitely would be freezer burn if that old.

[Radosti]

Hey, you can keep frozen breastmilk in a deep freezer for up to 2 years, so meat is fine. I've had a turkey sit at the bottom for 1.5 years and my mom took it eventually (as I had no intentions of making it). She made turkey soup and several other meals out of it.

[brittone2]

I've always heard a deep freeze is different, because you aren't opening/closing and it stays much more uniformly cold.

I think the max for a regular freezer (that you open daily) is like 6 months but a deep freeze for a year (barring lots of freezer burn) is fine IMO. I think those were the guidelines I used to read when I did a lot of freezer cooking....double check to be sure, but I'd personally be fine w/ it (and I tend to err on the side of tossing if you aren't sure most of the time)

[JTsMom]

:yeahthat: Can I share your throne? :p

Sure, I'll scoot over, but I'm keeping the tiara. :ROTFLMAO:

[o_mom]

From the USDA:

"Length of Time
Because freezing keeps food safe almost indefinitely, recommended storage times are for quality only. Refer to the freezer storage chart at the end of this document, which lists optimum freezing times for best quality."

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/FactSheets/Focus_On_Freezing/index.asp#12

Go ahead and eat it - it may not taste good, so I agree with using it in something where it is sauced or otherwise not the main flavor - not something I would grill, for instance.

[bubbaray]

We ate it last night. It tasted fine. DH had a friend over for dinner, but didn't think to check that he had everything in the house he wanted to make (!), so I ended up making a brush-on sauce (maple syrup, soy sauce, dry mustard, pepper, lemon juice). It was very good!

ETA, we BBQ'd it.