MetaChat - Should I eat this?

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17 December 2008

Should I eat this? I can't believe I actually have a "is it safe to eat" question but here goes:

I looked through the freezer for something to fix for dinner and found some frozen chicken breasts. Great! I put them in the sink to defrost and noticed that the sell-by date on the package was 9-1-07. So, that chicken has been in my freezer for more than a year.→[More:]

It hasn't been defrosted and it looks fine. I was just going to saute it and then use it in some chicken tortilla soup.

Do you think it's still okay to eat?

post by: Kangaroo at: 16:34 | 18 comments

Do I think it's still okay to eat? Do you think it's worth taking the chance?

posted by box 17 December | 16:42

I was just going to saute it

So help me, I read that as "I was just going to salute it," and got confused, then figured it must be General Tso's Chicken.

posted by jonmc 17 December | 16:43

Yes, do it!

posted by ThePinkSuperhero 17 December | 16:44

If it's not freezer burned, it'll be fine.

posted by essexjan 17 December | 16:44

Were they in the regular freezer (part of your fridge) or in a chest freezer (deep freeze)? I'd be fine with the latter, not so much with the former (but I don't actually eat chicken, so I should rephrase to say I'd be fine with cooking the latter but not the former, for others to eat, knowing I would be liable if they died).

posted by goo 17 December | 16:47

If it was vacuumed sealed, eat it. If not, Soupy Sales' salute your chicken dinner goodbye. Least, that's what I would do. YMMV.

posted by MonkeyButter 17 December | 16:48

I would not eat it. But I have extremely high food safety standards and a profound fear of vomiting. Seriously. Oh god..even the thought of throwing up gets me so worked up that my stomach starts to flip, which makes me think I'm going to throw up, which gets me so worked up, etc., etc., AD NAUSEUM.

posted by jrossi4r 17 December | 16:49

On closer inspection, I say cook it. Then eat it in one full swoop. Am I right, goo?

posted by MonkeyButter 17 December | 16:50

I probably would toss it, but at the same time, the thing to be scared of would be bacteria, and if it's in the freezer, could some bacteria that was present when the meat was frozen survive all that time below 32 degrees F?

I honestly don't know.

It might not taste that good, though.

posted by danf 17 December | 16:56

I think it may taste like paper, so, lots of ketchup. It's safe to eat, but you can't call it, food. Freezers keep food 'fresh' for 3 months...after that... taste goes down hill.

posted by alicesshoe 17 December | 16:58

I think it's probably safe to eat, but won't be very tasty.

posted by scody 17 December | 17:03

Erm, does it smell when it's defrosted? If it still smells like okay chicken once it's been defrosted go for it, otherwise no.

posted by goo 17 December | 17:04

Refrigerator - Freezers
If a refrigerator freezing compartment can't maintain zero degrees or if the door is opened frequently, use it for short-term food storage. Eat those foods as soon as possible for best quality. Use a free-standing freezer set at 0° F or below for long-term storage of frozen foods. Keep a thermometer in your freezing compartment or freezer to check the temperature. This is important if you experience power-out or mechanical problems.

From here

posted by danf 17 December | 17:08

I would not eat it, and I have a pretty high tolerance for gross foods. 1) It's going to taste really gross, and 2) if it's a traditional over-under freezer it's not going to maintain a consistent temperature sufficient to ensure that bacteria haven't started to grow.

posted by muddgirl 17 December | 17:11

Thanks for all the input. We're not going to eat it. We just got back from the store to buy more chicken and as a side benefit, my 2 year old greatly enjoyed the display of Christmas lights we saw on the way home ... about the only good thing there is about it getting dark at 4:30.

posted by Kangaroo 17 December | 18:19

Yeah, I think the more likely problem would have been the taste. If you (universal) can afford to replace it, do so.

posted by Stewriffic 17 December | 19:41

It might have freezer burn. It might have poor texture. If your freezer works properly, it's probably safe to eat.

So, what did you do?

posted by theora55 18 December | 11:25

Eat it. What's the worst that can happen?

posted by dg 18 December | 15:47

← A craving for casserole || Bunny! OMG! →

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