Lamb in chest freezer for 2 years. Would you throw or eat?

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Posting here for traffic.

I've just gone through my chest freezer in the basement and I have 5 lamp chops and 2 pieces of lamb chump. Given to me by the FIL from his friends farm TWO YEARS ago .

They are wrapped and sealed but I assume they won't be much good now. Do I bin or defrost and use them?

Suppose I could always cook them up for the dog if not.

I would bin it...only because the very idea of eating it makes me gag a bit

The problem is, you're just going to get anecdotal stories about how someone did it and was ill (although how you say it was just the meat that made you ill is another question) and how someone did it and was fine.

I recently defrosted a leg of lamb (that was still in its vacuum pack from the supermarket) that had been in the freezer for over two years and I was fine.

So I'd do it.

I would eat it, probably done in the pressure cooker.

I’d give to dogs but wouldn’t eat myself

I’d eat it. But I also happily eat reheated rice, which a lot of people would never do!

Even gov and food hygiene are saying it can be frozen for years🙄 As long as your freezer works properly, best is -18 degrees, it's ok. You just have to make sure it's cooked throughout after defrosting because the bacteria can penetrate meat better during that process.
3 months is when the quality starts to deteriorate.

@EverTheConundrum 3 months is batshit. Sorry but no wonder food waste is so high with idiotic cut offs like that being incorrectly regurgitated!

@DungeonDweller exactly! Same like the best before dates

If I ate meat I wouldn't eat it because I've had food poisoning once and never again it was that bad.

I wouldn't eat it but only because I don't eat meat. If I did I would eat it if it looked and smelled ok.

I don't really take any notice of best by or sell by dates. I am perfectly capable of using common sense and my eyes and nose to see if things are ok.

I absolutely hate food waste and most of the time it is so unnecessary. Food stays in my freezer for much longer than 3 months most of the time

I've eaten meat that had been frozen as long, if not longer,and been fine. As long as it looks and smells okay when defrosted I don't see a problem.

Eat it, just cook through not rare

@KetoWithIF they should be on same temperature. -18. The difference between commercial and domestic is an engine because commercial is open way more often so needs to keep the temperature

Eat it. Its frozen totally fine to eat. In other countries they store food in the snow for years to eat.

You cannot eat meat that's been frozen for more than 3 month. Do you want food poisoning?!

How dramatic. Government advice is 4 x as long as that.

I'd eat it. Its been in the freezer, with no malfunctions. How can anything have happened to it in that time which makes it unsafe?

Yep. As long as the meat's kept frozen below 0 degrees, it is safe to eat indefinitely. Might not taste of much though, so a well-flavoured casserole would be the best idea.

I'd eat it

You cannot eat meat that's been frozen for more than 3 month. Do you want food poisoning?!

Source for this ‘fact’, please?

If it smells ok I'd eat it. That wee lamb died for you, don't waste it.

You cannot eat meat that's been frozen for more than 3 month.

Why not? Whether it's been frozen solid for 3 months or 6 months, it's still frozen solid. What exactly is going to change to a frozen piece of meat in 3 months?

I'd eat it OP.

It will be completely safe, food can be frozen indefinitely and still be safe. The flavour might be slightly diminished though, so I wouldn't spend hours cooking something extravagant.

Save it and use it as a murder weapon.

Leave it for Brexit. As long as you have a properly working freezer then it's fine. The worst that could happen is it could have a bit of freezer burn which might make it more chewy/less tasty but it won't harm you.