Six year old beef lurking in the freezer.

Update, today I took the 2017 frozen lump of pork out to defrost. Sad to report it was all dried out and had a bit of a green look about
it. I doubt any amount of cooking methods can save it.
After making my discoveries of old meat I’ve today sorted out my freezer foods in date order.Feeling quite pleased with myself😏

ExDancer

I'd thaw it out and if it smelled and looked OK I'd offer a small piece to the cats. If its the slightest bit 'off' cat's won't entertain it.
If they gobble it up and ask for more I'd consider it safe to eat - but I wouldn't cook it rare - I'd make sure it was really well done all through.
Birds would eat it, especially carrion like crows and magpies - they love decaying meat. But be careful about leaving it out in the garden, rats would eat it too.

Oh, I shouldn't have laughed but I thought I was going to read
"I'd thaw it out and if it smelled and looked OK I'd offer a small piece to the cats. If the cat keels over, don't eat it"

Sorry to all cat lovers 🐱

My uncle was in the Selous Scouts and as part of their training they had to cook various dead animals which were absolutely rotten and stinking. The point of the exercise was to show that the meat was okay to eat as long as it was thoroughly cooked through to a high temperature. So I wouldn't worry about something in a freezer😁.

I'd thaw it out and if it smelled and looked OK I'd offer a small piece to the cats. If its the slightest bit 'off' cat's won't entertain it.
If they gobble it up and ask for more I'd consider it safe to eat - but I wouldn't cook it rare - I'd make sure it was really well done all through.
Birds would eat it, especially carrion like crows and magpies - they love decaying meat. But be careful about leaving it out in the garden, rats would eat it too.

I have a six year old lamb shank, vacuum packed so might slow cook that with lots of herbs etc?

Doodledog

Mr Dog 'helpfully' defrosted the freezer when I was out, and threw out anything with a sell-by date before 2023. I've never seen it so empty😡.

He meant well, but honestly!

My MIL's home help used to go through her freezer and throw out anything more than a month or so old.
We'd go and stock MIL up with easy meals which could be microwaved then they'd disappear.
We think she took them home.

Mr Dog 'helpfully' defrosted the freezer when I was out, and threw out anything with a sell-by date before 2023. I've never seen it so empty😡.

He meant well, but honestly!

When I had a chest freezer, which was as recently as a year ago. It needed defrosting so whenever I did that, I checked the contents, mainly to see what restocking was needed.

I now have a frost free upright freezer, but I still do an inventory every few months for the same reasons as before, to check what is running out. I tend to buy three to six months supply of meat at a time, so need to check when the next trip to the farm shop is due.

Good for you Bunty. Waste not, want not- words I remember from my childhood. I hate waste, particularly of food - and even more so when it’s food that an animal has produced or given its life for.

Absolutely we would eat it.
We enjoyed a turkey crown this Christmas that was date marked 2012!
It was utterly delicious and no one was any the wiser.

I tried making pulled pork with what I got out of the freezer. But no amount of slow cooking would tenderise it and I just had to throw it away.
You are right about chest freezers!

Why would you take the risk?

Freeze and defrost your food correctly
Freezing acts as a 'pause' button on food. If you freeze food correctly, it won’t deteriorate or spoil as bacteria cannot grow on frozen food. However, the longer the food is frozen, the more likely that the texture will be affected. This will not affect safety.

The above is from the UK Food Standards Agency.

It’s only a small one, so not too much pot luck! Literally.

When next you purchase a freezer - buy upright. I suspect that's a valid point to be gained from this post.

My Mum had a chest freezer. So difficult to dig stuff out and I’m not surprised if people end up with food they forgot they froze years ago. I can see exactly what I’ve got. I don’t have everything labelled because things don’t stay there long enough for me to wonder what they are.

Jaxjacky

Bijou

When reloading my freezer after defrosting I make sure that the food is in date order and listed so no way could anything could be left too long. Or maybe some people don’t regularly defrost and clean their freezers.

Oops, good job my chest freezer and f/f are frost free, no I don’t label and date everything, another blot on my domesticity, never mind.
Glad it worked out Llamedos, I’d have done the same, I expect the pork will be delicious.

Ours is not a chest, too hard to dig stuff out, huge blot on my domesticity, as well as no labels and mismatched container-ing.

Bijou

When reloading my freezer after defrosting I make sure that the food is in date order and listed so no way could anything could be left too long. Or maybe some people don’t regularly defrost and clean their freezers.

Oops, good job my chest freezer and f/f are frost free, no I don’t label and date everything, another blot on my domesticity, never mind.
Glad it worked out Llamedos, I’d have done the same, I expect the pork will be delicious.

… joint of topside. Sorry.

I recently defrosted and roasted a jount if topside which had been in the freezer since late 2017.
It didn’t occur to me to do otherwise.
It was fine. (I prefer fore rib on the bone. )

Bijou

When reloading my freezer after defrosting I make sure that the food is in date order and listed so no way could anything could be left too long. Or maybe some people don’t regularly defrost and clean their freezers.

Maybe indeed - I’m just not organised! such a chore - should like a new fridge freezer - but no money - so….!

I ended up nearly dying and was in hospital for 4 weeks in 2001. My 40 year old son came to look after me whilst I was in hospital and proceeded to throw out everything in my food cupboards that was ‘out of date’ - this included salts, peppers, condiments, sauces, unopened tins, bottles, soups, pastas, rice, etc, etc, - and proceeded to leave about 2 items per shelf with a post-it note and the expiry date!!!
I was horrified and it took me about a year to replace things as I kept going to the cupboard to get herb salt or similar only to find nothing.
I too have used ‘years out of date’ items from the freezer (not fish!) and fed them to my sons unbeknownst to them, with compliments. Unless it looks or smells off once defrosted - I use it . Old Frozen veg however seem to dry and become stringy! Enjoy the beef.

I have used one dated nearly 10 years, made a beef stew a d just added an Oxo cube to add flavour, tasted fine. You honestly couldn't tell. I think it's the lack of flavour that is the issue but as long as flavour is added to the dish it's more than safe.

You have inspired me to delve into our freezer and get out some belly pork slices. I used to make a meat loaf from a recipe of Elizabeth David but decided to ring up GS aged 16 who does terrific pulled pork. The pork is in a slow oven beginning to smell good!

Bijou,my freezer is frost free so doesn't require de -frosting!I have been known to swipe my cloth over its inside once in a while.But I’ve learned my lesson and will be vigilant in the future.