Can we eat last year's frozen turkey?

[Balaya]

Bought a turkey crown last year and put at bottom of chest freezer just in case our booked meal out was cancelled due to covid, it wasn't.

Intended to eat it at Easter, but didnt.then couldn't figure out a safe way to defrost it over summer (need cold room, no space in fridge), and so here we are.

We're out again this year so no need to be buying a turkey. Should I just throw it away? It seems such a waste. Happily give it away but don't want to give anyone food poisoning.

Personally, I would throw it away. It’s been in the freezer way too long! Sorry!

I was wondering the same, we also have a turkey crown in the freezer from last year

Of course you can. It will be completely fine.

I would probably cook it first ....

Yes definitely, my family do this all the time

it may not be as tasty but it certainly won’t do you any harm as long as it’s cooked properly. I would probably cook it for left over sandwiches etc rather than the as the main meal on Xmas day unless money is tight.

If it was bought frozen and still within use before date - that's fine.

If bought fresh then frozen at home I'm sorry but you will have to throw it away.

Not worth the risk - such a shame though!

I'd use it.

Yes you can eat it

Oh yes, was fresh but straight in the freezer when I got home.

Hmmm. I really can't stand waste. Don't feel confident enough to give it away but maybe defrost and see if it looks/smells dodgy? Try it on DH....

We def used to eat older frozen meat than this when I was a kid.

Yes you can. I had a Turkey crown last year that was frozen from the year before. It still came out great. (Was purchased fresh & went in the freezer straight away) . Most meat is good in the freezer for up to 12 months

It’ll be fine but will probably have lost flavour having been been nesting for so long - I’d turn it into a curry or a gratin or something.

There is no risk. It’s been frozen. It’s grand.

If bought fresh then frozen at home I'm sorry but you will have to throw it away. Not worth the risk - such a shame though!

@BT11 risk of what exactly?! You're being ridiculous.

How can so many people on this thread saying throw it away be so uneducated?!

It will be fine, but likely dry. Advise pouring a cup of dry white wine over turkey before baking. It will make it more moist and the alcohol will cook out into the juices to give a pleasant taste to the gravy too.

Thank you. I'm going to give it a go. After Christmas, just in case!

I like the idea of having it as something other than roast turkey, will check out recipes.

Another vote for 'it'll be absolutely fine' it's what freezers are for!

My husband is a butcher and it’s perfectly fine to eat. We had a couple of crowns not collected last Xmas so we did a trial run last week, with one that we had frozen from last year. It was absolutely fine 😊

Meat can get freezer burn or lose flavour or change texture slightly if frozen for ages but it won't be unsafe. Def eat it!

I think the advice for Frozen meat is 3 months in the freezer. I definitely wouldn't risk it, especially with poultry.

I'd eat it

I'd definitely eat it

Guideline for frozen poultry is a year so you should be ok

Goodness! Of course it will be fine. I’ve eaten three year old frozen turkey and it was very tasty. We are so wasteful as a nation. Honestly I’m sure it will be delicious 😋

@Rosesandstars all you are "risking" is a bit of freezer burn .... maybe a dry old bird that's even dryer than it is anyway! Definitely not anything worse "especially with poultry"

Please don't advise people to throw food in the bin when you don't know what you're talking about