Would You Cook This Or Throw It Away?

[TheShellBeach]

Neighbour was in having a cup of tea with me and saw me take out some chicken thighs from the freezer for tomorrow's dinner.

She saw the date on the pack and was horrified. The food had a use-by date of four months ago (but had obviously been frozen) and she told me that you can't keep chicken in the freezer for longer than three months.

I have to be honest, I do not look at dates once stuff has been frozen - we do use it eventually (I suppose within a year, anyway) and nobody has had food poisoning yet. I say "YET" meaning in twenty years.

Do you keep tabs on the dates you put food in the freezer? AIBU to think it's find once it's frozen or am I taking risks?

fine

I have stuff in the freezer that we moved house with two years ago.

You'll be fine, crack on.

I would cook it as long as it’s in a proper freezer - those ones which are one shelf at the top of a fridge don’t tend to freeze as well as a proper freezer

You'll be totally fine - I leave things in the freezer for much longer then that!

I would definitely eat them.

I've eaten stuff from the freezer that's years out of date

Absolutely fine. Same as PP, years can go by in my freezer.

If they were frozen when fresh, they won't poison you now. The longer they sit in the freezer, the more the flavour and texture might be adversely affected.

Phew. Those first three answers have confirmed to me that neighbour is batshit overly cautious.

Yes it's fine, it's a quality thing rather than safety.

So long as they were frozen before the use by date, stored at -18C or below and cooked through thoroughly, I would be completely unconcerned.

The thing about freezing chicken for 3 months is either a myth or it's about quality not safety (check out the best before dates on a packet of frozen chicken nuggets!)

I've got a level 3 qualification in food hygiene for what it's worth

Yes I'd eat it. We've got a frost free freezer with a habit of dessicating things if they're not properly wrapped/sealed before freezing but as long as I pick the right recipe even those are fine and I'm too tight to waste food just because it's a bit old

id definitely eat that. I don’t really believe in use by dates anyway…

With chicken I hope you mean when it's in the freezer and not just the fridge.

Definitely eat them! Chicken doesn't last long in our freezer, as in it's gone before I get more in the next shop, but we def eat less popular food that has been there longer! I also have a thing that I cannot throw out frozen breastmilk even though it's been there longer than recommended! Not sure I'll ever give it to DD but I like it being there

I've always been brought up with the rule that once it's gone in the freezer then time has stopped 😆

I remember a friend of mine having dinner at my parents with me in like 2010 and she took something out the freezer and it was a ready meal from 1998, Jesus Christ I was so embarrassed haha thankfully I'm not as bad as my mum 😂

Many people don't understand how freezers generally work🙈

That said.
There are some freezers which don't reach the temp though, but you would probably know that when buying. But I have never personally had below 4stars

Pps are correct the recommended times are about quality (in proper freezer) not safety.. . Everything changes consistency a bit

I'd be mainly concerned with deterioration in taste and texture due to frost bite but you can normally tell by the look if that is legally to be the case and also consider the smell.

It will be fine

I think she’s technically right but, I’d still eat it.

So would I. In fact, we did.