To not want to throw away all the food in the fridge?

[naturalbaby]

When I opened the fridge this morning it was not cold, it was almost warm. None of the food feels cold and I had just been to the supermarket and bought meat for the week. I can't bring myself to throw away a week's worth of meat that I've just spent £15 on. I have done a food hygiene course but have put all that info into the black hole of my memory.

Can you cook it and freeze it?

My first though was to put it all in the freezer.

It will be fine. Fish can be a bit dodgy, but just use common sense. If it smells of meat you can eat it, if it smells a bit off just bin it. A night in a room temperature fridge will not do it any harm at all.

Personally, I would not worry about beef or lamb and would immediately freeze chicken and pork (rinse in cold water and smell the chook first if you're worried).

I would cook first and then freeze. I wouldn't imagine it would have gone off overnight but the smell will tell you if it has and you may have to bin some of it.

yes, cook it and freeze.

cook first. Then you kill the bacteria in it before you freeze it.

What I'd I freeze then cook? (lazy option)

Doesn't freezing kill bacteria just as well as cooking it?

I hope so, it will be very well cooked when I use it. I don't want to leave it in the fridge any longer so have left the mince to slow cook later and frozen the rest.
This isn't the first time, looks like we'll be fridge shopping later.

Freezing stops bacteria from multiplying but you need heat to kill it. Cook and freeze.

I thought raw meat could only be at room temperature for 2 hours before bacteria started multiplying to dangerous levels.

If you cooked it first then froze it bacteria would start to multiply again during the cooling process before it is frozen.

Id say what ever you decide to do with it make sure it is well cooked before it's eaten

What did people do before fridges were commonplace? I have a vague recollection of my gran's pantry, I'm not sure she actually kept meat in it but I'd imagine she did?

Yep my nana says it was wrapped up and kept in the pantry

Smoking, curing and salting?

Although they didn't have much meat so it wasnt there long before it was cooked and left overs made stews, soups etc

i think the freezer is slowly defrosting!!

My nana only had a cold cupboard (this was in the 80s!) and she shopped for meat and perishables every second day. that was great fun when I had to go and stay with her for weeks on end, honest

OP sorry about your meat shop!

You can't freeze it before cooking it. Cook it and freeze it, or cook it and give it to the dog. You can give it to mine of you don't have one.

our cats might eat it!
so what will happen if I freeze it first? Not that I can freeze it now, the ice cream has melted so the rest will not be far behind.
oh well, ben & jerrys for lunch!

Cook it and see if a friend has some space in her freezer until you sort out your fridge. I've done this with friends and neighbours over the years.

Use common sense, but you can marinade the meats in an acidic marinade - something with plenty of lemon juice or vinegar in - and then cook it, and then freeze it if there's more than you can eat.

'common sense' is not my strong point when it comes to food! I scraped the mould off the top of the baked beans and ate them for lunch . I have an iron stomach so will eat most things rather than throw them away. The dc's won't eat most of the family food anyway so they'll be o.k.

House insurance?

Put a claim in - you'd be surprised how it tots up - they did quibble over my pot of jam though - apparently jam doesnt have to be refrigerated, even though it says refrigerate.

As others have said - cook the meat.