If I bought meat today, can it really still be ok to eat on Saturday??

[UserBot]

Feeling a bit concerned about this and wondering if I should cook the meat the day before and then reheat it. Ideally I'd prefer not to.

I had a tesco shop due to arrive on the 23rd between 20.00 and 22.00, felt organised, but I was looking at it earlier and the stuffed chicken joints I'd ordered were now showing up as ''this product is no longer available''.

So I bought meat in lidl on my way home. It looks fine, the ham is good til January but the turkey goes off 27th December.

How can it be ok for 6 days? It's in a fridge but should I freeze it?

Do you think they add another day on to the end of the best before dates at Christmas?

It should be fine but just freeze it if you’re worried.

I’d happily freeze it!

I collected my turkey from the butchers today as working now till Christmas. They tell me it will be fine in the fridge

It’ll be absolutely fine, but if you’re worried then freeze it and defrost on Friday.

My shop came today and my stuffed chicken joint which we are having Christmas Day says the 26th on it.
I never thought anything of it until reading your post. Now I'm wondering as well!

If its dated 27th then it will.be fine in the fridge and no need to freeze it. You would no sooner have put it in the freezer then would have to get it back out again to defrost it.

Why wouldn't it be ok? I got a turkey today and it says 26th on it, it didn't even occur to me that it wouldn't be ok? I am planning to cook it on Xmas day.

If it's got "packed in a protective atmosphere" (which I think is Nitrogen) on the packet, then that will help it last longer.

I wouldn't freeze it. It will take as many days to defrost!

Thanks for all the answers folks. It doesn't have any special protective packaging. Just normal. But glad to hear that a butcher confirmed meat bought today would be ok to eat on the 25th.
Although that might be fresher. But I'm over thinking this.
If it was meatballs and it was a rainy Tuesday 11th January and the meatbalsl were best before 12th, I'd eat them.

Supermarkets have put their Christmas poultry out on the 21st December for as long as I can remember and the use by date is always 26th December .

I did wonder if I left it a couple of days would the meat be dated best before the 29th? But I stood in the supermarket pondering this and decided to just buy it now.

I got my Christmas food shop today, all dates are 26th- 29th for meat, veg, dairy etc. It’ll be fine

Why wouldn't it be fine? A lot of people only shop once a week or less. It'd expect meat to last a week or more, especially if that's the use by date on the packet.

I bought my Christmas Day meat last Saturday 18th and it’s in the fridge ready. (Bought meat for the 26th and 27th too and ditto)

I bought a chicken today, use by 25th.
It's waitrose so it had better be ok.

I bought bacon and meat etc last Saturday that's still ok beyond Xmas day.

I just cooked by best before/use by date and then put back in fridge/freezer what's leftover!

Unfortunately I had a terrible experience one year with an expensive free range Turkey crown, best before date 26th December, I bought it straight home and refrigerated properly. Went to cook it on 25th December and it was rancid 😢
Now I always buy and freeze, even if it’s only
frozen for a couple of days before I get it out to defrost. Possibly was just very unlucky that year but I’ve never forgotten not having any meat to cook!!!

I bought a turkey crown from tesco last night dated 26th, its in the fridge

Is it saying 'no longer available' and 'item has been removed' when you checkout or is it saying that in your basket but still showing as in your basket? If the latter, then Tesco are bringing it still, you just can't/add or remove it? Also, it was from the special Xmas range, they changed it to a message similar to that on the 14th Dec. Mine said that and my two chicken crowns came in a shop today.

I think I’m missing something, why would it not last till its date?
If you freeze it, note that it takes at least 48 hours to defrost.

It will be fine, do you not usually do a weekly shop where you buy stuff for the next 7 days? Every week I buy meat on Friday that will be good till at least the next Thursday.

I brought my meat all say 24th will season it on the 24th for Christmas day.

@LazySundayPlease

Is it saying 'no longer available' and 'item has been removed' when you checkout or is it saying that in your basket but still showing as in your basket? If the latter, then Tesco are bringing it still, you just can't/add or remove it? Also, it was from the special Xmas range, they changed it to a message similar to that on the 14th Dec. Mine said that and my two chicken crowns came in a shop today.

Oh maybe I panicked unnecessarily then, but you can't really risk it! If I'd been heading in to christmas eve (and I have to work) with no turkey then I would have had to go the supermarket after work! To see what scraps were left. They'd have been down to chicken slices by then!

I'd already paid for the shop, so it was available when I put it in the basket but when i was just viewing what was in the order it said ''no longer available''..

I searched for other similar food and saw nothing that would work.

They usually give you a substitution, but not always, and they can't if they are all out of similar products! Lots of small families doing the same thing

Anyway, crisis averted.

Just make sure your fridge is cold enough, if it's above 5 degrees meat can go off quicker. Keep it at the back and don't leave the door open. I tend to freeze it as have meat go off before even in date.