Meat in freezer.

schrodie

Generally how long can you keep meat in the freezer then used safely?

Thanks

nickmack

schrodie wrote: »

Generally how long can you keep meat in the freezer then use safely?

Guidelines often indicate a month to three months, but assuming it's been properly wrapped and not partially defrosted, alot longer should be fine.

I've eaten meat that's been kept for six months, I've seen reports of a year or more which tasted fine and had no ill effects.

santer_2

Some views here

http://www.helpwithcooking.com/food-storage/freezing-meat.html

http://www.martins-seafresh.co.uk/frozen_facts.htm

http://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/storagetimes.html

schrodie

Thanks to all. So beef from last March seems OK then according to the charts.

stephen77

safely. indefiantly .
Assuming it was fine by the time it was frozen.
Eg if you by a big ham joint at the end of life, it may take a day or two to freeze the centre by this time the micro count may have increased.

quality wise - not so long and depends how well wrapped, how often you open the freezer door etc. any defrost cycles. freezer burn is most likely to cause the main quality issue.

If you leave your freezer door closed thi

lollol

just had bacon this morning had a jan 2011 date. It was fine and I am still here to tell the tale

twiz21

I cooked a joint of beef in November that had been frozen for nearly a year. It was lovely when cooked and still looked perfect when defrosted.

I vacuum sealed it myself before freezing. No freezer burn.

WhiteHorse

Unless it's an oily meat like duck or goose (ie something specifically designed not to freeze), it will last for years, although it will very gradually deteriorate in quality.

VoucherMan

I stocked up on meat when the supermarket had it on offer before Christmas. I'm hoping that I've enough there to last me until December when the offers come on again.

The last food chart I looked at said up to 9 months for lamb, but they all seem to offer different time-scales. Well I've just had a leg that's been frozen for almost a year and it was lovely.

I certainly take no notice of the supermarket guidelines on the labels (freeze for up to 1 month :rotfl:)

Emuchops

I had some pork chops in the freezer for over 5 years. I eventually used them and they (and me) were fine. Although I must admit it's a little strange to think that the beast you are eating has been dead for half a decade...

Sharon87

I had a whole chicken after it had been frozen for 6 months. Was perfectly fine