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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To feed DD my homemade beef stew from freezer 16 months old

36 replies

EJ72 · 06/02/2023 18:09

Just that really. Looks perfect. What do you reckon? Should I be cautious and bin it? Date was October 21

OP posts:
Girasoli · 06/02/2023 18:12

I probably wouldn't eat it myself but DH would.

I wouldn't feed it to a toddler personally.

Original poster
EJ72 · 06/02/2023 18:13

Sorry, I realise message was ambiguous. DD is 9; stew’s been frozen for 16 months. I still probably won’t give it to her actually…

OP posts:
AlwaysFoldingWashing · 06/02/2023 18:13

I would eat it but wouldn't give it to my toddler

ModerationInEverything · 06/02/2023 18:13

I'd eat it and I consider myself very careful with things like that.

Original poster
EJ72 · 06/02/2023 18:14

I’ll give it to DH. She can have baked beans with her potato! She’s 9. My weird message title!

OP posts:
ReamsOfCheese · 06/02/2023 18:15

As long as you cook it to be piping hot throughout the food I don't see the issue. Assuming the beef was in date and the food was frozen within an hour of cooking it, that is. The recommendation is 3-6 months for frozen meat so if I had something like that in the freezer, I'd feed it to my DD, as it's only a bit over 3 months.

AmigoDogs · 06/02/2023 18:15

I've got things in the freezer older than some of my kids. Perhaps I'm not the best person to ask 😁

parietal · 06/02/2023 18:15

heat it properly to boiling point and let it simmer for another 5 mins. then it will be fine.

bloodywhitecat · 06/02/2023 18:17

I would eat it and feed it to my toddler provided the freezer has maintained its temperature. The safety of food in the freezer is not compromised by the length of time it has been in there.

Original poster
EJ72 · 06/02/2023 18:17

It’s been in there since October 21!

OP posts:
Original poster
EJ72 · 06/02/2023 18:18

It was definitely frozen quickly etc as I’m very conscious of food safety and batch cook quite a lot… but…

OP posts:
ThreeLittleDots · 06/02/2023 18:19

As long as you cook it to be piping hot throughout the food I don't see the issue

Because many bacteria produce toxins that can't be made safe by heat.

Original poster
EJ72 · 06/02/2023 18:20

Thank you, all! I think I’m binning it! Just to be safe x

OP posts:
ThomasWaghornsConeHat · 06/02/2023 18:28

I don't think it will be unsafe, but it won't taste the best either. Things get freezer burn after a while

StrawberryAnnie · 06/02/2023 18:31

I wouldn’t eat it

Beneficialchampion2 · 06/02/2023 18:32

It will be safe to eat provided it has remained frozen. It is likely it won't taste as good though

forfuckssake23 · 06/02/2023 18:32

No chance. Anything homemade in our freezer that hasn't been eaten within 3 months is binned. Very unlikely anything lasts longer than that anyway, but if it does I won't eat it past then.

OneTC · 06/02/2023 18:33

Frozen food lasts basically forever unless your freezer crapped out without you knowing. Don't believe the three month nay sayers. 😅 My mum was a food hoarder and I've eaten things years and years out of date and never even died once

GideonSmideon · 06/02/2023 18:37

ThreeLittleDots · 06/02/2023 18:19

As long as you cook it to be piping hot throughout the food I don't see the issue

Because many bacteria produce toxins that can't be made safe by heat.

But they would have to be there in the first place, they won't suddenly multiply in the freezer. The timescales for using frozen food are not for safety but taste and texture. If it's safe at 3 months, I'd eat it at 33 month <ancient degree in microbiology>

BananaPie · 06/02/2023 18:40

It’ll be fine. As in no chances of bacteria having multiplied on it while frozen. However it might be a bit dry and less tasty.

itsabigtree · 06/02/2023 18:40

It will be freezer burnt and chewy

AllThingsServeTheBeam · 06/02/2023 18:41

I'd eat it and I'd feed it to my family. In fact I do. All the time. I have no idea how long some stuff has been in my freezer(s)! I just come across it and heat it up!

AllThingsServeTheBeam · 06/02/2023 18:41

I'd eat it and I'd feed it to my family. In fact I do. All the time. I have no idea how long some stuff has been in my freezer(s)! I just come across it and heat it up!

Timesawastin · 06/02/2023 18:55

forfuckssake23 · 06/02/2023 18:32

No chance. Anything homemade in our freezer that hasn't been eaten within 3 months is binned. Very unlikely anything lasts longer than that anyway, but if it does I won't eat it past then.

How wasteful. I've eaten stuff much older than ops and no ill effects whatsoever

Clarich007 · 06/02/2023 18:59

"If in doubt, chuck it out"!!
It's not worth the worry for the sake of a bit of food.

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