I pulled out some organic beef that has been frozen for some time (approximately 6-8 weeks). I noticed on the package it said use by May 15, 2012! I didn't cook it, but didn't throw it out until I can find out if the shelf life is longer if the meat is frozen. Anyone know? First the milk I left in the car (which I threw out) and now this...I hope I don't make my family sick!!
TIA,
A.
Thanks, everyone! It is in vacuum-packed packaging and frozen since the day I brought it home. We will definitely use it up soon! I'm glad I didn't throw it out!
The date you saw is for refrigerated meat. When you freeze meat it is good for 6 months after which it tends to start losing flavor but is still safe. After a year it really starts to lose flavor and can actually start to smell rotten. Never thaw and then refreeze raw meat. If you need to refreeze it, cook it first.
If you froze it before the Use By date, it should be fine.
If I find meat in the freezer a year later, or it's poorly wrapped, turning white around the edges, and has a freezer smell- I toss it.
Just last week, I thawed out some chicken legs that had been in my freezer for easily over a year. It was delicious and nobody got sick. Your beef is just fine, but now that you've defrosted it, use it within a couple of days.
If it has been frozen this whole time it is fine.
I read an article by the Butterball Turkey "Help Line"..
Someone called in and said she was cleaning out a deep freeze and" found a frozen turkey that had been in there for 8 years.". She wanted to know if it "was safe to cook and eat.?". They told her "it is safe to eat, but it will not have much flavor.". The woman replied. "Oh ok, I will just donate it to the church." !!!!.
Frozen meat never goes bad, but can get freezer burn which will give it a yucky taste and dry texture. If the meat itself has turned white around the edges, then it would be freezer burnt. If it is well wrapped it should not have freezer burn if dated May 15, 2012. Maybe if it was May 15, 2011...I buy a side of beef each summer, and I use it until the following summer. I also buy turkeys on sale and keep them for a year or more.
My husband just made turkey for dinner tonight. The turkey had been in the freezer since Thanksgiving. It was fine and delicious!
It should be fine, just make sure that you defrost it properly and then just cook it to temperature as you would fresh meat. All my meats go in the freezer right away when I get home from the store, with the exception being if I know I'm going to use it within a day or so. I've thrown out too much food from having it sit in the fridge unused for too long. Freezing is a better solution for me; it doesn't take that long to defrost in the microwave.
As far as freezer shelf life, I think the recommendation is about 6 months, unless you have a deep freezer and then you can keep it longer (temp is usually more stable in a deep freeze).
I feel your pain about the milk. Once I left a whole large container of yogurt sitting on the table overnight in a forgotten grocery bag. I called their 800 number, and they said it wouldn't cause sickness but that the quality might be compromised. Yeah, it was watery and just looked yucky, so I ended up tossing it. I'm sure the milk wouldn't have made your family sick from a bacteria standpoint, but it probably would have tasted nasty so you were right to pitch it.
We butcher our own beef and we have kept frozen beef for over a year without trouble. If it is sealed where it won't get freezer burn it will be ok.
