How long to keep freshly frozen foods?

[Gretchen]

Found a Lamb joint in the freezer yesterday that was freshly dated seven months ago. If the meat is bought fresh, I freeze it on day of purchase, but it's normally recommended to be eaten within a month. Is this best to be strictly adhered to?

Usually i'd throw it, but a few friends said they'd have no qualms about using it. So I did.

My 'fussy eater' six year old even complimented me on the dinner!

Yet a part of me is still uncomfortable with using 'over' frozen food, but is being balanced by the 'waste' factor.

What to do?

(I know, clear the freezer, use it earlier...)

[ali_kat]

I've eaten stuff that has been in the freezer for years at my parents!

The most recent one was some clotted cream, bought in 1997, eaten 18th August 2007!!

[grumbledoak]

'They' normally state a limit of three months on the packaging. But frankly, that's crap. Provided your freezer is working (i.e. hasn't defrosted and re-frozen), I'd go with 'six months, or cook it a little more'.

No idea what an actual upper limit would be.

[Rude Girl]

A friend who has a smallholding gave us a whole lamb last year (butchered). Took us nearly a year to eat it all, and we don't appear to have suffered any unpleasant side effects yet!

[H_Kan]

I heard that some meat is stored for years before coming up for sale at supermarkets. Freezer temps inhibit growth so much that I wouldn't worry about it.

[Night Rider]

We could always ask Walt Disney when he wakes.....

[dickymint]

H_Kan said:

Freezer temps inhibit growth so much that I wouldn't worry about it.

Yep everything I've put in my freezer has always come out the same size

[Gretchen]

dickymint said:

H_Kan said:

Freezer temps inhibit growth so much that I wouldn't worry about it.

Yep everything I've put in my freezer has always come out the same size

You must have some fantastic meat dick.

[Rude Girl]

Gretchen said:

dickymint said:

Yep everything I've put in my freezer has always come out the same size

You must have some fantastic meat dick.

[/quote
Very clever!

[parakitaMol.]

Gretchen, what the bejesus is an 'Idle Shopper'?

You walk halfway to the shops and then go home muttering 'nah, can't be bothered'...... do you fill you supermarket trolley and then fall asleep in the aisle murmuring 'oh take it away, I'm tired of looking at it filled with things I need', a kind of mid-shop narcolepsy? do you stare the check-out person in the eye as they ask you to enter your pin and reply "do you know what? I simply can't be bothered with this now, you bore me with your selling thing"... I just can't work it out. I imagine your house filled with.... well absolutely nothing... but ideas of what you might buy if you could be bothered.

[Gretchen]

parakitaMol. said:

Gretchen, what the bejesus is an 'Idle Shopper'?

You walk halfway to the shops and then go home muttering 'nah, can't be bothered'...... do you fill you supermarket trolley and then fall asleep in the aisle murmuring 'oh take it away, I'm tired of looking at it filled with things I need', a kind of mid-shop narcolepsy? do you stare the check-out person in the eye as they ask you to enter your pin and reply "do you know what? I simply can't be bothered with this now, you bore me with your selling thing"... I just can't work it out. I imagine your house filled with.... well absolutely nothing... but ideas of what you might buy if you could be bothered.

You know me so well.