cleaned out my freezer today...

[jfoofj]

and I found a package of pork chops dated December 08.... are they still good? I usually rotate the meat I put in the freezer, but these obviously got missed. I HATE to throw food away, but I have never frozen meat for that long before in my freezer.

TIA!

 

[JoiseyMom]

As long as there is no freezer burn they will be fine.

 

[java]

Well according to the FDA CHOPS good about 4-6 months. BUT the Pork council says up to a year.

Here is a food safety guideline from the FDA.(they err on the side of caution)
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/ResourcesForYou/HealthEducators/UCM109315.pdf

 

[jfoofj]

Thanks... I guess I will give it a try. I don't think they are freezer burned... I am embarassed to say I'm not really even sure what that is.... I usually freeze stuff for a month or two.

Thanks!

 

[Corwin12]

I have eaten meat that has been in my freezer for over a year ... and I am alive to write about it

 

[RobinFabulous]

I bet at most they'll just be tough. They probably won't make you sick though

 

[BridgetBordeaux]

You should be fine.

Regarding freezer burn--that is just a portion of the product that has lost its moisture. Not really a health issue.

A non frost-free freezer causes less freezer burn than one that is frost-free. The combination of the circulation fan and the heating elements inside the frost-free unit causes the loss of moisture.....especially if the package is not air tight.

 

[rapriebe]

Yes, it would be fine to eat. I frequently find older items in my freezer and have not had a problem yet with eating them.

 

[jfoofj]

Thanks guys.... I threw the pork chops in a crock pot w/ Sweet Baby Ray's barbeque sauce and they were great.... our boys had a friend over for dinner and he asked me to tell his mom how to make them, he liked them so much. I suppose I will give her the recipe... let pork chops sit in freezer for 8 months, thaw in fridge, put in crock pot, dump bbq sauce on them, cook on low for 8 hours.

Thanks again!

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

That sounds sooo good! I saw this thread and thought "cook them in some kind of sauce and they'll be fine." I'm going to have to get some pork chops and sweet baby ray's now!

 

[pixiewings71]

Oh I love Sweet Baby Rays sauce! YUMMMMMMY!!! That's what I do when I find old meat, just toss it in the crock pot with some kind of "sauce" over it. LOL Works every time, we've never been sick and the family says those are their favorite meals. LOL

 

[Donnask8pro]

They sounded so good I just went through my freezer looking for pork chops. Darn.. all I found was old chicken, turkey and spiral ham.