Beef mince, would you or wouldn't you?

[Northerner]

I thought I would cook myself a big pan of chilli con carne tonight so went to get some beef mince out of the freezer. It has an expiry date of 27th August. 'Great!' you might say, but this will be August 2013, not 2014 😱 (I'm pretty sure it's not 2012 😉)

Would you risk it? I think it might just be too much so am contemplating chucking it. I've taken out some more 'recent' stuff which expired in February and am willing to chance that.

 

[Pumper_Sue]

I thought I would cook myself a big pan of chilli con carne tonight so went to get some beef mince out of the freezer. It has an expiry date of 27th August. 'Great!' you might say, but this will be August 2013, not 2014 😱 (I'm pretty sure it's not 2012 😉)

Would you risk it? I think it might just be too much so am contemplating chucking it. I've taken out some more 'recent' stuff which expired in February and am willing to chance that.

Yes I would risk it. I had some lamb chops the other day and they were kept in my freezer for at least 3 years.

 

[Hanmillmum]

Defrost and then do the smell test 😱

 

[Sally71]

I would risk it, if it's been frozen all that time it should be safe. I've eaten older stuff than that before and not come to any harm!

As Hanmillmum said, if it smells ok aftermit's been defrosted then you should be fine!

 

[Northerner]

Thanks folks, I think I will risk it next week as the February stuff is already out of the freezer 🙂

 

[Mrs Mad Ronin]

I wouldn't but that's just me lol

 

[Donald]

If well wrapped it can last I would risk it

 

[gail2]

i would risk it. have had stuff thats been in freezer for couple of years

 

[bill hopkinson]

I thought I would cook myself a big pan of chilli con carne tonight so went to get some beef mince out of the freezer. It has an expiry date of 27th August. 'Great!' you might say, but this will be August 2013, not 2014 😱 (I'm pretty sure it's not 2012 😉)

Would you risk it? I think it might just be too much so am contemplating chucking it. I've taken out some more 'recent' stuff which expired in February and am willing to chance that.

There are freezers and freezers. I got rid of the Beko because the temperature was inconsistent, and now I would trust my german-made Leibherr to keep mince for as long as it takes.

 

[KateR]

I would risk it too. Just make sure you cook it thoroughly.🙂

 

[Northerner]

Well, I have used the 'February' stuff tonight and made a chilli and it tasted OK 🙂 I cook the stuff very thoroughly. Might make some spag bol next week with the older stuff.

I wouldn't normally have questioned it, it's just that I was sooo poorly over the New Year that I never, ever want to feel that bad again 😱 I'm pretty sure that wasn't food-related though.

Thanks everyone! 🙂

 

[Pete H]

Well, I have used the 'February' stuff tonight and made a chilli and it tasted OK 🙂 I cook the stuff very thoroughly. Might make some spag bol next week with the older stuff.

I wouldn't normally have questioned it, it's just that I was sooo poorly over the New Year that I never, ever want to feel that bad again 😱 I'm pretty sure that wasn't food-related though.

Thanks everyone! 🙂

Just make sure your fridge runs at 5 Celsius or just below and your freezer runs at minus 18 to 20 Celsius, because bacteria can still grow if only just below freezing, also wrap food up well when freezing saves freezer burn, then all should be ok but the older it gets the more taste it loses..

 

[Northerner]

Just make sure your fridge runs at 5 Celsius or just below and your freezer runs at minus 18 to 20 Celsius, because bacteria can still grow if only just below freezing, also wrap food up well when freezing saves freezer burn, then all should be ok but the older it gets the more taste it loses..

Cheers Pete 🙂 Never had a problem with the fridge/freezer, food always well frozen and wrapped. Machine did struggle in the hot weather though! It's an 8 year old Zanussi. I only use the meat for a bit of protein and texture really, as I add so much chilli you wouldn't know if it was cut straight off the cow or one of its long-dead distant relatives 😱

 

[Sally71]

I only use the meat for a bit of protein and texture really, as I add so much chilli you wouldn't know if it was cut straight off the cow or one of its long-dead distant relatives 😱

Tee hee - you'd get on well with my husband - he used to like his food so spicy it would blow your head off! Once when we hadn't been going out very long he made a chilli con carne, enough for 4 portions, and put 25 whole chillies in it 😱😱 he watched me struggling with it for a while and then found me something gentler to eat! His comment was, "hmmm, I could take it hotter but it would spoil the flavour..." 😱

Actually now we've been married 15 years I think we've met in the middle, he doesn't like it that hot any more and I can cope with it a bit hotter than I used to!

 

[Northerner]

Tee hee - you'd get on well with my husband - he used to like his food so spicy it would blow your head off! Once when we hadn't been going out very long he made a chilli con carne, enough for 4 portions, and put 25 whole chillies in it 😱😱 he watched me struggling with it for a while and then found me something gentler to eat! His comment was, "hmmm, I could take it hotter but it would spoil the flavour..." 😱

Actually now we've been married 15 years I think we've met in the middle, he doesn't like it that hot any more and I can cope with it a bit hotter than I used to!

Hehe! I'm the same with curry, has to be chicken vindaloo! 😱 I can only ever remember one curry I couldn't eat, in a restaurant - it was literally like eating fire, burning my tongue, cheeks, lips and throat - had to give up!

 

[AlisonM]

Hehe! I'm the same with curry, has to be chicken vindaloo! 😱 I can only ever remember one curry I couldn't eat, in a restaurant - it was literally like eating fire, burning my tongue, cheeks, lips and throat - had to give up!

That was probably a Farl. I had a mouthful of one once and my tastebuds wouldn't speak to me for a month. I swear that curry had a half life of at least 100 years!

PS: It was on a dare from a couple of the lads I was working with at the time (I was often the only woman on these IT teams) and they couldn't do it either.

 

[MacG3]

Alison, it must be an IT thing! We used to have a curry house that for an appetiser would give us a plate of 'chillies roulette'. A plate of deep fried in batter sweet chillies with a special one for the loser

 

[HOBIE]

Freezers are pretty good. Its prob the taste that gets a hard time ?