How long can meat be stay frozen?

Question

I have some chicken and hamburger meat in the freezer (regular kitchen type), and I'm wondering how long it will stay "good" for. I think it was purchased in June (its now September).
Besides the taste not being great, is there any other down side or something to be worried about?

TYPO!!!...... I meant.... " How long can meat stay frozen"....... sorry.

Answer 1

FREEZER STORAGE CHART (0° F)
NOTE: Freezer storage chart is for quality only. Frozen foods remain safe indefinitely.

Bacon and Sausage 1 to 2 months
Casseroles 1 to 2 months
Egg whites or egg substitutes 12 months
Gravy, meat or poultry 2 to 3 months
Ham, Hotdogs and Lunchmeats 1 to 2 months
Meat, uncooked roasts 9 months
Meat, uncooked steaks or chops 4 to 6 months
Meat, uncooked ground 3 to 4 months
Meat, cooked 2 to 3 months
Poultry, uncooked whole 12 months
Poultry, uncooked parts 9 months
Poultry, uncooked giblets 3 to 4 months
Poultry, cooked 3 to 4 months
Soups and Stews 2 to 3 months
Wild game, uncooked 8 to 12 months

BACTERIA AND PARASITES
Food stored constantly at 0° F will always be safe. Only the quality suffers with lengthy freezer storage.

FOOD QUALITY
Freshness and quality at the time of freezing affect the condition of frozen foods. If frozen at peak quality, foods emerge tasting better than foods frozen near the end of their useful life. So freeze items you won't use quickly sooner rather than later. Store all foods at 0° F or lower to retain vitamin content, color, flavor and texture.

The freezing process itself does not destroy nutrients. In meat and poultry products, there is little change in nutrient value during freezer storage.

ENZYME ACTIVITY
Enzyme activity can lead to the deterioration of foods quality. Enzymes present in animals, vegetables and fruit promote chemical reactions, such as ripening. Freezing only slows the enzyme activity that takes place in foods. It does not halt these reactions which continue after harvesting. Enzyme activity does not harm frozen meats or fish and is neutralized by the acids in frozen fruits. But most vegetables that freeze well are low acid and require a brief, partial cooking to prevent deterioration. This is called "blanching." For successful freezing, blanch or partially cook vegetables in boiling water or in a microwave oven. Then rapidly chill the vegetables prior to freezing and storage. Consult a cookbook for timing.

PACKAGING FOOD FOR FREEZING
Proper packaging helps maintain quality and prevent "freezer burn." It is safe to freeze meat or poultry directly in its supermarket wrapping but this type of wrap is permeable to air. Unless you will be using the food in a month or two, overwrap these packages as you would any food for long-term storage using airtight heavy-duty foil, plastic wrap or freezer paper, or place the package inside a plastic bag. Use these materials or airtight freezer containers to repackage family packs into smaller amounts or freeze foods from opened packages. It is not necessary to rinse meat and poultry before freezing. Freeze unopened vacuum packages as is. If you notice that a package has accidentally torn or has opened while food is in the freezer, it is still safe to use; merely overwrap or rewrap it.

FREEZER BURN
Freezer burn does not make food unsafe, merely dry in spots. It appears as grayish-brown leathery spots and is caused by air reaching the surface of the food. Cut freezer-burned portions away either before or after cooking the food. Heavily freezer-burned foods may have to be discarded for quality reasons.

COLOR CHANGES
Color changes can occur in frozen foods. The bright red color of meat as purchased usually turns dark or pale brown depending on its variety. This may be due to lack of oxygen, freezer burn or abnormally long storage.

Freezing doesn't usually cause color changes in poultry. However, the bones and the meat near them can become dark. Bone darkening results when pigment seeps through the porous bones of young poultry into the surrounding tissues when the poultry meat is frozen and thawed.

The dulling of color in frozen vegetables and cooked foods is usually the result of excessive drying due to improper packaging or over-lengthy storage.

FREEZE FOODS RAPIDLY
Freeze food as fast as possible to maintain its quality. Rapid freezing prevents undesirable large ice crystals from forming throughout the product because the molecules don't have time to take their positions in the characteristic six-sided snowflake. Slow freezing creates large, disruptive ice crystals. During thawing, they damage the cells and dissolve emulsions. This causes meat to "drip"--lose juiciness. Emulsions such as mayonnaise or cream will separate and appear curdled.

Ideally, a food 2-inches thick should freeze completely in about 2 hours. If your home freezer has a "quick-freeze" shelf, use it. Never stack packages to be frozen. Instead, spread them out in one layer on various shelves, stacking them only after frozen solid.

REFRIGERATOR FREEZERS
If a refrigerator freezing compartment can't maintain zero degrees or if the door is opened frequently, use it for short-term food storage. Eat those foods as soon as possible for best quality. Use a free-standing freezer set at 0° F or below for long-term storage of frozen foods. And keep a thermometer in your freezing compartment or freezer to check the temperature.

REFREEZING
Once food is thawed in the refrigerator, it is safe to refreeze it without cooking, although there may be a loss of quality due to the moisture lost through defrosting. After cooking raw foods which were previously frozen, it is safe to freeze the cooked foods. And if previously cooked foods are thawed in the refrigerator, you may refreeze the unused portion.

If you purchase previously frozen meat, poultry or fish at a retail store, you can refreeze if it has been handled properly.

Answer 2

Since you have had the meat in teh freezer for a few months, there is nothing wrong with the meet. Because your meets bad taste you did not store it properly causing your meet to have freezer burn. Freezer Burn does give food an odd taste. As for as health you can eat the meat. I just won't taste as good as if you had cooked the meat when it was fresh.

Answer 3

Package and freezer type makes all the difference. Freezer paper works best and will keep meat from freezer burn longest. I have only gone for a year, but I'm sure it lasts longer. Same with vacuum seal packages I get from Omaha Steaks. Store package is the worst. Zipper bags work well if you get the air out. Plastic containers are very poor, too much air inside. A freezer that is frost free does not work as well a non frost free one. Even if you keep it too long, it won't hurt you it just becomes freezer burned and tastes bad.

Answer 4

Dependant on how well you stored it....if when you go use it you notice it has turned brown and ice got in then your meat has been compromised and is gonna taste bad. But overall I would say about 6 months I know I always buy meat when it is on sale and use it many months later but I make sure I leave no air in the freezer bags and try to prevent any air or moisture from getting in.

Answer 5

Basically meat can be kept frozen for about 3 months ( depending on your freezer). After that it will not spoil but will start to lose it's taste and nutritional values.

Answer 6

Turkeys 6 months ,beef 3 to 4 months ,if you get a vacuum seal machine a lot longer your meat will last , and you can add to the meat seasons.

Answer 7

I think it's 3 - 6 months, but I have had stuff older than that and it tasted fine. If it was from June, I wouldn't worry about it at all!

Answer 8

Thanks for correcting that. It looked like some kind of ebonics. Meat will keep indefinitely in the freezer if you use some kind of vacuum sealer.

Answer 9

About a year but its flavour disappears the longer it is frozen.

Answer 10

I would guess 6-8 weeks...ask the butcher next time you buy it. It also freezes better if you immediately freeze it instead of letting it sit in the fridge a few days then transfer it.

Answer 11

it can stay frozen forever..as long as the package is not open - then you get freezer burn