Frozen meat - how long is it safe to keep?

[Bellasmummy]

I’ve got a large gammon joint in my chest freezer that I bought just before last Christmas.

Didn’t get used as planned due to lockdowns.

I know guidelines are not to freeze things for more than 3-6 months but i know I keep other things longer than that in the freezer.

What is the issue with freezing things for longer? Is it just the taste that’s affected or is there a risk of food poisoning?

[Mr Tom Morrow]

I found a one of those M & S little joints of chicken wrapped in bacon at the bottom of the freezer a few Months ago.

It was 3 years old!

When it was defrosted it looked a tad ice burnt but it was fine. Plus it tasted nice.

Edit. A few years ago some Guys mooching around in the area where the California Gold Rush was in 1848 found a stash of tinned fruit in a cave. A local museum opened one up and it was perfect!
Probably get metal poisoning mind!

[meboo]

I think it’s fine in terms of safely - we also have the odd thing lurking in there for years that we eventually eat. ‘Freezer burn’ is a thing and the edges can be a bit dried out if it has not been completely wrapped. I can’t think of any bacteria that are going to affect it in the freezer !

[tspill]

I would use it without a problem.

[TheHughesCrew]

I've been known to serve up all sorts of freezer surprises that have been lurking in the back of the bottom drawer for eons 🙈

Maybe lose a bit of flavour, or be a tad freezer burnt, but perfectly safe...

[Princess Alison]

For a moment I read this thread title as 'frozen meet - how safe is it'

😂

[Sew109]

My dad was butcher and you would not believe some of the life given to frozen meat we had turkeys in for Christmas with use bay that covered not only Easter but the following Easter.

We moved my mum out of her house 5 years after my dad died at the bottom of the freezer I found some sausages he had made and ate them, they were delicious

[cornishfrogboy]

Originally Posted by Mr Tom Morrow

I found a one of those M & S little joints of chicken wrapped in bacon at the bottom of the freezer a few Months ago.

It was 3 years old!

When it was defrosted it looked a tad ice burnt but it was fine. Plus it tasted nice.

Edit. A few years ago some Guys mooching around in the area where the California Gold Rush was in 1848 found a stash of tinned fruit in a cave. A local museum opened one up and it was perfect!
Probably get metal poisoning mind!

See more...

Franklin departed in 1845 on his ill fated attempt to find the NW passage. The madness that was to consume the crews of HMS Erebus and Terror and lead eventually to the death of every one of them is believed to have been due to contamination from the lead sealing on tin cans of consumables.

Good luck with the tinned fruit!

[simon]

It will be fine , I’ve used ducks up that have been in my freezer for two years . To help stop the freezer burns wrapp a couple more bags around it and make sure you removed as much air as possible . 👍

[ScoopsAhoy]

Originally Posted by cornishfrogboy

Franklin departed in 1845 on his ill fated attempt to find the NW passage. The madness that was to consume the crews of HMS Erebus and Terror and lead eventually to the death of every one of them is believed to have been due to contamination from the lead sealing on tin cans of consumables.

Good luck with the tinned fruit!

See more...

I never did finish that series about the HMS Terror but atleast I know the outcome now!