WWYD, frozen duck!

[monkeyfacegrace]

Ok not an AIBU, more of a WWYD, but I need a busy topic .

Fresh duck, put in freezer April 5th (bought it v.cheap on its Use by date)

Says eat within 1 month. Surely 3 months is ok??!!!!

So, to eat or not to eat?

i would eat it but i do have a tendancy to ignore use by dates....

i wouldn't but im really fussy about best befores etc

was kind of disappointed. thought you'd found a really cold duck in your garden

Eat.

I have eaten meat that has been in my freezer for MUCH longer than three months. It will be fine.

I ignore Best before's too, but am just a tad more cautious about meat. And my mum is a drama queen who thinks I will keel over and die instantly.

Sorry to dissapoint witchy

I think I read that the for frozen foods the best before date is more than the item quality won't taste as good (freezer burn or whatever) rather than being microbiologically unsafe. Might've been on the lovefoodhatewaste website? But there again I'm quite a stickler for best before dates and do tend to adhere to them - I just couldn't be arsed with food poisoning rather than using something that might be even slightly dodgy. Not much help, am I?

I'm sure it will be fine - being poultry it will get cooked right through anyway, so no worries at all.

I'm with JeezyPeeps. As long as you cook it properly, it'll be fine. I also ignore BB dates, preferring to use smell and sight to check that food is OK. We've never had food poisoning.

another vote for eat it, just cook it properly and it will be fine

Yey, thanks all!

Ditto SDeuchars,

due to health problems I;m very prone to food poisoning, so I DO need to be extra careful, but even I wouldn't worry too much about the length of time something is frozen for, & prefer sight/smell over BB & UB dates, so you'll be fine

Best before is ok but with use by I'm more cautious. Think it just won't be quite as lovely. Hope you enjoy it!

If you bought it fresh and froze it it will be fine [think it would be ok for 6 months properly frozen]but make sure you defrost completly in fridge and cook fully [not to pink]

It will be fine I am sure it is at least 6 months for frozen poultry. Ducks freeze very well my late chinese SIL used to buy loads when really cheap and they would be in freezer for months and we were never ill after eating one. So defrost cook and enjoy it makes my mouth water thnking about it.

I bought some frozen cooked duck legs from Aldi's on Saturday and have just checked use by date and that is September 2011.

what are you going to cook?

I have a whole frozen duck and I have no idea what the hell to do with it.

Ruthie crisoy duck is good but turn off smoke alarm
Prick the skin of duck place in pot covered with boiling water and bring to boil, simmer for 45 min,
remove, drain and pat dry,
place in preheated 500 deg F oven covered for 30 min remove foil cook 15 min more
Serve with plum sauce pancakes[ wraps work well too] and cucumber, onion etc
Clean oven is good for this recipe [I have done the final bit on a bbq gas oven when I could not clean oven in time]

Crispy duck with soy sc even

Ruthie - Aside from just plain roast duck, I like Delia's How to Cook roast duck with sour cherry sauce (basically plain roast duck with lovely tangy sauce). Sour cherries usually found in Sainsbo's.

www.deliaonline.com/recipes/type-of-dish/roasts/crisp-roast-duck-with-sour-cher ries.html

Or duck on the BBQ is really yummy (indirect heat method with lidded BBQ).

Thing with frozen duck (well, all ducks) is to make sure they're really dry before cooking (and with the pricking and salting) so that the skin really crisps up.

Id say it depended on how many stars your freezer has. Freezers with more stars keep things longer.

Just googled it and it says poultry can be kept in a four star freezer for 12 months.

I have just spread Marmite on my toast from a jar that says Use Before April 2003. Think Marmite is pickle though but I would eat the duck provided you cook it first .

Eat it-sheer madness ot waste a good duck.

thanks for the ducky ideas, Buzzy and zam