How long can you keep meat in the freezer?

@ratty79 (284)
United States
December 21, 2006 10:13pm CST
I have meat in my freezer for so long I don't even know if its safe to eat anymore
1 person likes this
8 responses
@archabu (205)
• India
22 Dec 06
not more than 1 day
1 person likes this
@ossie16d (11821)
• Australia
22 Dec 06
You will be able to tell if it is freezer burnt because the meat will be whitish, or not it's normal colour. It depends on the type of meat of course, but you can keep it safely in the freezer for at least 6 months. You should freeze the meat while it is still fresh and so you know how long you have had it, mark on the outside of the bag what the meat is and the date you put it into the freezer. We live in the country and do our grocery shopping once a fortnight, so that is the only time we buy food. We freeze all our meat, and sometimes it doesn't get eaten in the fortnight. I have had meat in the freezer for over 6 months and it was okay when I took it out and cooked it. :)
@kutchi (12320)
• Pakistan
22 Dec 06
I think one or 2 week thats it
1 person likes this
@puppers (185)
• United States
22 Dec 06
I don;t think I would use it if it has been over one year I would throw it out!!!
1 person likes this
@onesiobhan (1327)
• Canada
22 Dec 06
It safe if it's frozen, in that it won't make you sick. However it may be suffering from freezer burn, which means it may be unpalatable. Freezer burn can cause a change in texture that makes it not very pleasant to eat.
1 person likes this
@jennifer611 (2514)
• United States
22 Dec 06
I would guess if it looks bad, it probably is... thaw it out.. if it smells bad you may not want to eat it..
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@Lydia1901 (16351)
• United States
30 Dec 06
Usually the meat will start to have colors on it when it's been in the freezer for too long, but I won't risk eating that meat. Just get a new one.
@ukchriss (2097)
6 Feb 07
Properly handled food stored in a freezer at 0°F (-18 °C) will always be safe as long as it hasn’t thawed. The food is safe because the bacteria has entered a dormant stage. For best quality, store frozen raw ground meats no more than 3 to 4 months; cooked meats, 2 to 3 months. Storage for a long period of time is not dangerous, but flavors and textures can deteriorate. For this reason, date packages before you put them in the freezer. Initial freezing is most efficient if the packages are placed on the lowest shelf of the freezer in a single layer. Once frozen, they can be stacked on the shelves. Hope this helps