Will this beef be edible?

Turtle

Hi

I've had some chunks of stew beef in the freezer for more than a year, but not more than 2 (I don't think!). Will it still be ok to eat? (slow cooker) or should I just throw it away and kick myself for not using it sooner?

Thanks

madnotstupid

I'd use it. The quality might have deteriorated a bit in that time, but there's no reason why it would be unsafe to cook and eat.

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth

No problem. Just chop up onion, fry in pan with lard. Dust chunks in flour, add to pan to brown. Make up some ale pastry. Add chunky carrots and get round my pad. I'm starving!

Turtle

Thanks, I will give it a try then. If I don't come back it killed us off :rotfl:

Turtle

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth wrote: »

No problem. Just chop up onion, fry in pan with lard. Dust chunks in flour, add to pan to brown. Make up some ale pastry. Add chunky carrots and get round my pad. I'm starving!

Can you wait til Wednesday? There won't be any pastry involved though, it's going in the slow cooker with some carrots, onions and button mushrooms. Will do some mash (poss sweet potato) and a load more veg

S_Wales_Saver

Yes absolutely. I cleared a number of packs of meat early in the summer Oops.

Chicken in slow cooker with tinned tomatoes and onions.

Beef and venison together with onions and red wine.

Deliberately kept the simple base base and refrozen in meal sized portions. Then added other seasonings/veg to make different meals.

An unqualified success and I was very pleased.

krlyr

Freezing for long periods of time may result in a deterioration of taste and texture, but as long as it has remained frozen properly (i.e. not defrosted and refrozen, kept at too warm a temperature in the freezer, etc.) and was fine before it was frozen, there shouldn't be anything unsafe about it.

Slow cooking in a stew type meal should help with the taste and texture issues, so your meal choice sounds a good idea

Pollycat

Turtle wrote: »

Can you wait til Wednesday? There won't be any pastry involved though, it's going in the slow cooker with some carrots, onions and button mushrooms. Will do some mash (poss sweet potato) and a load more veg

I use my slow cooker to make the base of a pie (beef, onions, mushrooms & potatoes) then when it's cooked, I put the filling in a pie dish and top with pastry. I use quite a lot of liquid.
Whilst it's cooking in the oven, I thicken the gravy in the slow cooker.
Yummy!


ETA:
I would definitely use the beef.
I might have second thoughts if it was pork as I think that tends to take on a 'sweetish' flavour after too long in a freezer.

Liz_M

Thanks for this, I have the exact same situation! I've been trying to clear the freezer and the beef is just sat there looking at me whenever I open the drawer - didn't want to use it in case it was horrible, but didn't want to bin it.....because what a waste!

Was thinking of SCing it anyway so will definitely do that now! A pie would be nice but I'll probably be lazy and keep it as a stew/casserole (is that the same thing?!).

Perfect meal for this weather too

lollipopsarah

Just defrost it in the fridge overnight and do the sniff test.
We went on holiday a few years ago and the boys cooked a duck that had been in the freezer for well over 2 years and they are still here.
If it smells ok and you cook it thoroughly it should be yummy.
xx

siegemode

I found Beef Brisket in the freezer and cooked it Saturday and used the left overs for shepherds pie tonight. I had frozen it back in Feb 2013 and it was just as yummy as if I'd frozen it last week.