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Original poster

Can we eat last year's frozen turkey?

60 replies

Balaya · 11/12/2022 22:20

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.

OP posts:
BT11 · 11/12/2022 23:21

lookoutkid · 11/12/2022 22:37

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?!

Not really 'uneducated'.

Managed restaurants for years. The risk depends on many factors.

But seeing as you're so educated about it I clearly don't need to explain that to you 😉

MasterCherry · 11/12/2022 23:22

I'd definitely eat this. Slightly less delicious than a new one - maybe; dangerous - no.

ShakespearesSisters · 11/12/2022 23:22

We had turkey for tea today (trying to empty the freezer) from last Christmas. I had bought a 2.5kg rolled turkey joint but plans changed due to sickness. So I cut it into 3 and put 2 in the freezer. Tasted great. Well cooked. No freezer flavour.

pigonalipstick · 11/12/2022 23:40

@BT11 why is meat frozen before being sold safer than meat frozen after being sold please?

Daffodilsandtuplips · 11/12/2022 23:40

Same here. A frozen turkey crown and a boneless leg of pork. Thinking about it, the pork was bought for Easter.
I sometimes buy pork fresh when it’s on offer in Sainsbury’s to freeze. It’s always a success.
I’ll be cooking both on Christmas Eve to take to our daughters on Christmas Day.

Moon22 · 11/12/2022 23:42

I think it will be perfectly fine and tasty

BT11 · 11/12/2022 23:49

pigonalipstick · 11/12/2022 23:40

@BT11 why is meat frozen before being sold safer than meat frozen after being sold please?

It's usually frozen on site and then transported in minus temperatures.

Just keeps the meat at lower risk of contamination in the long run.

As long as it's handled and stored correctly of course. 🙂

pigonalipstick · 11/12/2022 23:54

@BT11 but how is that different from being out on a freezer where it's kept at minus temperatures for a year? In both scenarios fresh meat is stored at frozen temperature.

Quweenie · 11/12/2022 23:57

I always find chicken/turkey to have a funny smell after being defrosted. It puts me off having frozen poultry.

BT11 · 11/12/2022 23:58

@pigonalipstickJust Google the safe practices of storing frozen meat.

It depends of the temperature of the freezer, how the meat was transported and lots of factors.

Honestly, if you're trying to bicker with me over a turkey then I'm out 🤣🤣

Youdoyoubabe · 12/12/2022 00:00

I would eat it. I put half a cow in my freezer three years ago. Still working our way through it…

chaosmaker · 12/12/2022 00:01

Shouldbeworkingnotreadingtalk · 11/12/2022 22:23

I would probably cook it first .... Wink

This, obviously......

ADifferentKindofChristmas · 12/12/2022 00:56

Balaya · 11/12/2022 22:45

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.

I highly recommend Cynthia Shanmugalingam’s, Sri Lankan Spicy Roast Turkey, Coconut and Rice Soup OP.

It was in the Dec issue of the Ocado mag and it's delicious!

I don't know how to do a link but it is on the Ocado website in the recipe section.

It's my new "go to" for left over Turkey and really easy!

BarbaraofSeville · 12/12/2022 04:19

BT11 · 11/12/2022 23:21

Not really 'uneducated'.

Managed restaurants for years. The risk depends on many factors.

But seeing as you're so educated about it I clearly don't need to explain that to you 😉

Show quote history

But restaurants have to follow ridiculously overcautious food safety regulations.

If something is frozen and stays frozen it will probably never become unsafe to eat. Even if it's in there for decades.

At some point it will probably be dried out and unpalatable, but if the OPs turkey was frozen in properly sealed packaging it will be just as safe to eat now as it was the day it went in the freezer.

smooththecat · 12/12/2022 04:29

Think it’s up to a year at -18

pigonalipstick · 12/12/2022 07:25

BT11 · 11/12/2022 23:58

@pigonalipstickJust Google the safe practices of storing frozen meat.

It depends of the temperature of the freezer, how the meat was transported and lots of factors.

Honestly, if you're trying to bicker with me over a turkey then I'm out 🤣🤣

Jesus I asked you a question Confused

Roussette · 12/12/2022 07:39

Why on earth would you throw it out?

Last year we ate a huge boneless turkey crown that we hadn't eaten the year before. There was no freezer burn and it was delicious.

I always do Jamie Oliver's cranberry christmas turkey recipe to keep it moist.

HumptyNumpty76 · 12/12/2022 07:44

I did this last Christmas. I'd bought it the previous January (already frozen) and had intended to eat it at Easter. Didn't get round to it so had it at Christmas. Was perfectly fine!

rickandmorts · 12/12/2022 07:45

I'd deffos eat that. We ate some beef we found in the freezer the other week. It had been in there since last summer and was absolutely fine!

GettingStuffed · 12/12/2022 07:53

I know the current thinking is that nothing should be frozen for more than 3 months but if you look in older freezer books they recommend a lot longer

butterpuffed · 12/12/2022 08:08

Strangely enough, I threw out a large turkey crown at the weekend bought for the family as it'd been in the freezer for a year as I had covid last Christmas and spent it on my own . Beginning to wish I hadn't !

Tiredalwaystired · 12/12/2022 09:33

For those calling out those saying 3 months as uneducated, here is the official guidance on food safety.

www.foodsafety.gov/food-safety-charts/cold-food-storage-charts

Knors · 12/12/2022 09:52

Yes you can! Please don't throw it away .

TerraNostra · 12/12/2022 09:53

JustBkind · 11/12/2022 22:21

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

What's your scientific basis for saying this?

BarbaraofSeville · 12/12/2022 09:54

Tiredalwaystired · 12/12/2022 09:33

For those calling out those saying 3 months as uneducated, here is the official guidance on food safety.

www.foodsafety.gov/food-safety-charts/cold-food-storage-charts

From your link The guidelines for freezer storage are for quality only—frozen foods stored continuously at 0 °F or below can be kept indefinitely

So no need at all to throw the turkey away. And the quality is likely to be fine if it's properly wrapped up.

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