Lurking in the freezer….

[road2ruin]

Having a tidy up in the freezer and found a pack of sirloin strips that got covered up and then forgotten about. Their use by date was May 2021 although they were bought from a farm shop and already frozen. Are they likely to do me any harm or are they just likely to have lost a bit nutritionally?

 

[Neilds]

Feed one to the kids/wife and wait 24 hours- you should know better after that

 

[Neilds]

Internet says 4-12 months so probably not ok. Is it worth the risk?

 

[AmandaJR]

I'd say defrost and sniff! It's more texture and quality that would be the issue I think??

 

[AmandaJR]

Also if they're strips you'd use in a stiry fry or something and cook right through (rather than medium etc)...

 

[Bunkermagnet]

If they've been kept at -18, they shouldmt hurt you, however they will probbaly have freezer burn and not taste as good. Ideal for cooking up and giving to a dog

 

[srixon 1]

Chuck them in the bin. Not worth risking food poisoning or worse for the sake of a couple of quid.

 

[jim8flog]

I have eaten many a thing that has gone past it eats by date by I would draw the line on something that is two and half years past it's eat by date.

 

[GreiginFife]

I think anything that's being described as "lurking" would not be on my menu...

 

[TimShady]

As long as it’s cooked thoroughly you won’t risk any bugs. A nice slow reverse sear or sous vide just to make sure it’s held above 54 degrees for a couple of hours and you’ll be fine.

 

[stefanovic]

Made me think of of this.

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, the Man Who Exposed the Gulag

Following the death of Joseph Stalin in 1953, his successor, Nikita Khrushchev, denounced his former master’s paranoid and extremely repressive style of rule. In 1956, Khrushchev demanded that the Party reject Stalin’s “cult of personality.” Soviet citizens, and Soviet writers, began cautiously...

journalismisnotacrime.com

quote: In 1949 some friends and I came upon a noteworthy news item in Nature, a magazine of the Academy of Sciences. It reported in tiny type that in the course of excavations on the Kolyma River a subterranean ice lens had been discovered which was actually a frozen stream — and in it were found frozen specimens of prehistoric fauna some tens of thousands of years old.
Whether fish or salamander, these were preserved in so fresh a state, the scientific correspondent reported, that those present immediately broke open the ice encasing the specimens and devoured them with relish on the spot.

 

[Backache]

Recommended freezer times are because the flavour and texture can deteriorate rather than because there is any danger.
Stick em in a curry if you like but the fats can taste funny after a long time but won't be dangerous if it's fatty strips I might not bother.

 

[SocketRocket]

Made me think of of this.

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, the Man Who Exposed the Gulag

Following the death of Joseph Stalin in 1953, his successor, Nikita Khrushchev, denounced his former master’s paranoid and extremely repressive style of rule. In 1956, Khrushchev demanded that the Party reject Stalin’s “cult of personality.” Soviet citizens, and Soviet writers, began cautiously...

journalismisnotacrime.com

quote: In 1949 some friends and I came upon a noteworthy news item in Nature, a magazine of the Academy of Sciences. It reported in tiny type that in the course of excavations on the Kolyma River a subterranean ice lens had been discovered which was actually a frozen stream — and in it were found frozen specimens of prehistoric fauna some tens of thousands of years old.
Whether fish or salamander, these were preserved in so fresh a state, the scientific correspondent reported, that those present immediately broke open the ice encasing the specimens and devoured them with relish on the spot.

Can't beat a nice bite of prehistoric frozen salamander. Very tasty

 

[Robster59]

The biological process still goes on at -20°C and so the food will continue to rot, albeit at a much slower pace. The bacteria will still be active, just much less so.
The only time you can guarantee the biological clock will stop is below -135°C.
Given the age you have found these, I wouldn't take the chance.

 

[Piece]

Bin it. Buy some fresh stuff.

 

[TimShady]

The biological process still goes on at -20°C and so the food will continue to rot, albeit at a much slower pace. The bacteria will still be active, just much less so.
The only time you can guarantee the biological clock will stop is below -135°C.
Given the age you have found these, I wouldn't take the chance.

When cooked thoroughly, any bacteria will be killed meaning there is no danger. If the food tastes fine, there’s no need to waste it.

 

[patricks148]

when i was kid my mother kept stuff for years in the freezer. can't remember any of us feeling any ill effects from it. The current Mrs Patrick148 wont stand for that though, everything is labeled and dated .

if in doubt nicely charcoaled on the BBQ should do the trick

 

[AmandaJR]

We need an update...unless...

 

[Robster59]

When cooked thoroughly, any bacteria will be killed meaning there is no danger. If the food tastes fine, there’s no need to waste it.

If you can convince yourself that all bacteria have gone, and the food has not already decomposed, then fine. It's your choice at the end of the day.

 

[TimShady]

If you can convince yourself that all bacteria have gone, and the food has not already decomposed, then fine. It's your choice at the end of the day.

It’s not about convincing yourself, it’s basic science.