The Deep Freeze

[SeanMike]

I'm sorry if this was another topic. I'd say I had checked, but to be honest, I'm kind of drunk.

How long is it before food has been in the freezer too long? I was reading another thread and have started to get nervous. I'll keep eggs in my fridge for months and eat them, but I've had stuff in my freezer for...errr...quite a while, and while I know they will lose flavor and/or just start to suck, I'm wondering "hey, if I didn't want to waste it, and put it in a crock pot with some wine..." kind of things.

Steak still in the wrap from the store? Turkey in a ziploc bag from last year? Should I call hazmat?

[dcs]

I'm sorry if this was another topic. I'd say I had checked, but to be honest, I'm kind of drunk.

How long is it before food has been in the freezer too long? I was reading another thread and have started to get nervous. I'll keep eggs in my fridge for months and eat them, but I've had stuff in my freezer for...errr...quite a while, and while I know they will lose flavor and/or just start to suck, I'm wondering "hey, if I didn't want to waste it, and put it in a crock pot with some wine..." kind of things.

Steak still in the wrap from the store? Turkey in a ziploc bag from last year? Should I call hazmat?

Although I am sure the FDA will disagree, I think food will last frozen almost indefinitely. It may not spoil, but the longer it is frozen may negatively affect flavor and texture. If you are going to turn this stuff into a stew, I'd say you are good-to-go.

If I spot something in the freezer more than one year old I toss it, not because it is bad, but because something had been causing me to avoid it so I have to start getting honest with myself. It helps if you date the food when you put it into the freezer.

[synaesthesia]

The educated guess here is that your freezer is at a low enough temperature to prevent any biological activity from occurring (mold growth, bacteria, etc.) and often is actually cold enough to kill some parasites (such as those found in sushi fish). So... indefinitely.

[squidsdc]

The educated guess here is that your freezer is at a low enough temperature to prevent any biological activity from occurring (mold growth, bacteria, etc.) and often is actually cold enough to kill some parasites (such as those found in sushi fish). So... indefinitely.

Whew--that's good to hear! We've gone through our freezer and eaten some pretty old stuff (several years old) and had no issues. Granted, we re-wrap from the store and use the vaccuum sealer, but there have been some items that weren't saved that way. Those weren't quite as old when we ate them.