N/A - How does stuff last in the freezer?

[Brian Austin]

The wife left me for a week. Some would say that's a good thing, some bad. It's been a while since I've bached it for this long without my Dad here so it's a bit of a "new" experience all over again.

Her instructions as she was leaving: "Go to the grocery store or just eat out." Sadly, this woman seems to have forgotten that once upon a time, in a land far, far away, I was a somewhat decent cook. And I couldn't help but notice all the crap that's still in the freezer.

So...

I found a half leg of lamb with a sell by date of January 2004. It's been in the freezer for over two years. Is this still good? I know stuff lasts quite a while in the freezer but there just has to be SOME limit on it, right? In my bachelor days, the freezer was a temporary, longer-than-a-week-but-never-more-than-a-month type solution. I didn't have enough money to store that kind of food that long.

If nothing else, I figured I can empty the upright freezer enough to unload it into the refrigerator's freezer and the camper so I can defrost and clean it.

Rachel Ray rocks, by the way. On top of being a hottie, she cranks out recipes that I can do in next to no time.

 

[JRitt]

Take the lamb and get rid of it. The max freezer time for Lamb is 12mo. freezers should be kept at 0deg F for best long term storage but most people keep theirs at around 15deg so they can scoop the icecream. for more info go here. http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/HGIC3522.htm

 

[ejensen]

A good freezer or the one on top of the fridge? If kept at 0 or below it should be safe to eat but no telling on how it will taste.

 

[woodstock]

I'd throw everything out that's older than 6 months, tops. maybe even less.

 

[alaskaflyer]

The wife left me for a week. Some would say that's a good thing, some bad. It's been a while since I've bached it for this long without my Dad here so it's a bit of a "new" experience all over again.

Her instructions as she was leaving: "Go to the grocery store or just eat out." Sadly, this woman seems to have forgotten that once upon a time, in a land far, far away, I was a somewhat decent cook. And I couldn't help but notice all the crap that's still in the freezer.

So...

I found a half leg of lamb with a sell by date of January 2004. It's been in the freezer for over two years. Is this still good? I know stuff lasts quite a while in the freezer but there just has to be SOME limit on it, right? In my bachelor days, the freezer was a temporary, longer-than-a-week-but-never-more-than-a-month type solution. I didn't have enough money to store that kind of food that long.

If nothing else, I figured I can empty the upright freezer enough to unload it into the refrigerator's freezer and the camper so I can defrost and clean it.

Rachel Ray rocks, by the way. On top of being a hottie, she cranks out recipes that I can do in next to no time.

You mean the freezer is for more than temporary storage for frozen pizza, ice cream and ice for the blender?

 

[Brian Austin]

Take the lamb and get rid of it. The max freezer time for Lamb is 12mo. freezers should be kept at 0deg F for best long term storage but most people keep theirs at around 15deg so they can scoop the icecream. for more info go here. http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/HGIC3522.htm

We move the ice cream from the big freezer to the fridge freezer for scoopability.

Interesting link. Thanks.

 

[Brian Austin]

Anyone tried the vacuum storage systems that are supposed to extend the life of frozen food?

 

[alaskaflyer]

Anyone tried the vacuum storage systems that are supposed to extend the life of frozen food?

Ok, aside from my post above (that was true of me until I started living and working 2 hours from the nearest grocery)...

I use the Foodsaver vacuum system. For frozen foods I think it is great. I always ended up with freezer-burned chicken and vegetables, once you vacuum pack them they last MUCH longer. Anything going into the freezer for more than a day gets vacuum packed now (except for the pizza, ice cream, and ice .) The owner manual (I can't find mine right now) has a chart for meats that basically claims you can keep it double the time over regular freezing.

As for fresh food storage, I'm not convinced about all their claims, but I use it for things that can get moldy like cheese and bread (yes, there is a way to vacuum pack bread without crushing it) and it seems to preserve it much better.

 

[gkainz]

Rachel Ray rocks, by the way. On top of being a hottie, she s out recipes that I can do in next to no time.

My son -in-law worked with her ... his assessment is her on-screen hottie status is erased by 10 seconds of dealing with her off-screen uhhhh, less than pleasant personality.

 

[The rogue]

I double dog dare you to eat the lamb!

(I skipped the "regular" dog dare!)

--Matt

 

[Skip Miller]

I found a half leg of lamb with a sell by date of January 2004. It's been in the freezer for over two years. Is this still good? I know stuff lasts quite a while in the freezer but there just has to be SOME limit on it, right?

The most important question is: how was the lamb wrapped? Modern frost-free freezers are a very dry environment and the moisture will be sucked out of the food if it is not really wrapped well. If your lamb is in the supermarket shrink-wrap, toss it out without a second thought.

A year is a long time but if it were properly wrapped it would be ok. Even properly wrapped, after two years I'd bet that it will be gone, but maybe not.

-Skip

 

[Brian Austin]

My son -in-law worked with her ... his assessment is her on-screen hottie status is erased by 10 seconds of dealing with her off-screen uhhhh, less than pleasant personality.

Allllllrighty then.

Crossing Rachel off the fantasy list.....

Only 99 more to go.

 

[Brian Austin]

The most important question is: how was the lamb wrapped? Modern frost-free freezers are a very dry environment and the moisture will be sucked out of the food if it is not really wrapped well. If your lamb is in the supermarket shrink-wrap, toss it out without a second thought.

A year is a long time but if it were properly wrapped it would be ok. Even properly wrapped, after two years I'd bet that it will be gone, but maybe not.

-Skip

It was still in the supermarket wrapping. I tossed it....along with about $150 worth of other stuff.

I found a package from sometime in 2002. That must have been right after we bought the freezer. Sheesh. I need to keep an inventory or something. The wife keeps buying things for the freezer...but I rarely see stuff coming OUT.

 

[mattaxelrod]

My son -in-law worked with her ... his assessment is her on-screen hottie status is erased by 10 seconds of dealing with her off-screen uhhhh, less than pleasant personality.

Oh, you really need to elaborate on this....

 

[Ed Guthrie]

Rachel Ray rocks, by the way. On top of being a hottie, she cranks out recipes that I can do in next to no time.

My wife has been a big Food TV fan for quite some time. I never understood the fascintation, but then on a Frontier Airlines flight a caught a segment of the show hosted by Giada de Laurentiis--suddenly Food TV has redeeming social value.

 

[wsuffa]

Two years is too long.

I don't find Rachel particularly attractive, at all. And (as someone else noted), I've also heard that the off-screen persona is not nice.

You DO know, don't you, that there is a group of people who watch her shows and have to drink a shot every time she does a Rachelism? ("EVOO", "Yum-O", etc.)

Giada, however, is hot.

 

[mattaxelrod]

Giada, however, is hot.

Nah, her head's way too big for her body. Haven't you ever noticed that?

 

[mikea]

Rachel Ray rocks, by the way. On top of being a hottie, she cranks out recipes that I can do in next to no time.

You DO know that NOBODY has been able to duplicate any of her recipes in 30 minutes?

And nobody knows why she posed for FHM
http://www.torontopics.com/digital/ray.html

Besides, we're digging Giata now:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/hosts_celebrity_chefs/article/0,1974,FOOD_9889_1842136,00.html
Jann says she's hotter. I agree. I wanna know how many FILM cameras they use to shoot her show. Think it has something to do with being related to De Laurentiis?

 

[Brian Austin]

Giata doesn't look THAT good, at least from her promo shots.

Rachel comes across as the girl next door. That's all. She seems fun and I like the $40/day shows she did, too.

Some of you take this stuff waaaay too seriously. It's a chick who markets herself on TV. It's not like that's never happened before...

 

[mikea]

Giata doesn't look THAT good, at least from her promo shots.

Tivo a couple of her shows. She often lets her UMMM assets show.

Rachel comes across as the girl next door. That's all. She seems fun and I like the $40/day shows she did, too.

She had breakfast in Chicago at the popular trendy joint on my corner although the other choices were a little strange. And a $1.17 tip?

Yeah. She's cute. HOW COOL IS THAT?

 

[wsuffa]

Nah, her head's way too big for her body. Haven't you ever noticed that?

Head? (oh, never mind....)

 

[Brian Austin]

Tivo a couple of her shows. She often lets her UMMM assets show.

Quite honestly, the concept of Tivo means I'd actually have to watch TV. I don't watch enough to justify buying that type of stuff. I basically have a $2,000 Mitsubishi movie screen that gets used maybe 10 times a month.

She had breakfast in Chicago at the popular trendy joint on my corner although the other choices were a little strange. And a $1.17 tip?

Yeah. She's cute. HOW COOL IS THAT?

I always thought she was a little light on the tipping.

She's cute. I've seen it all of four times. Make a simple comment and suddenly I'm obsessed with her apparently...

 

[Everskyward]

I tossed it....along with about $150 worth of other stuff.

This is why I have almost nothing in the freezer. If I don't plan on eating it within the next few days I don't buy it at all.

A number of years I cooked and tried to eat a ??-year-old turkey. Wrong move.

 

[gkainz]

Oh, you really need to elaborate on this....

Since Friday was my son-in-law's last day with the Food Network, hopefully there's no repercussions from my repeating. He didn't elaborate, but did say that she's a super b**ch and a diva wannabe off-screen. He's moved on to a new opportunity that has me about half tempted to chuck the IT consulting gig and try to get play the nepotism card - I'm a qualified go-fer and can make coffee in anything from a Gevalia maker to tin can on a camp stove. He starts tomorrow as a producer with Outdoor Life Network working up a new show that promises to be quite interesting.

On a similar vein but different network, anyone watch Adventure in Flight by Tom Gresham on The Outdoor Channel? http://www.wingstoadventure.com/ Looks interesting but is unfortunately not included in the Comcast standard package for us.