Sooo, let's say you had a turkey and two hams in your chest freezer

[melissel]

And let's say, for the sake of argument, that they were 2-3 years old, but had been at the very bottom of the relatively new, very reliable chest freezer the whole time. Would you cook and eat said turkey and hams? Or would you leave them hidden at the bottom of your deep freeze and continue to pretend you'd never made such a grievous oversight in your food management? I'm not saying, of course, that I've done such a thing. I just wondered, if it were to happen, what the hive mind might do.

:D

[jail warden]

As long as the packing is still intact and when you open it, there is no visible freezer burn, I'd cook and eat. Not that anyone has this meat in their freezer or anything!;)

[Closeacademy]

We just threw out our year old turkeys. There were two of them and they are gone now.

Everyone does this.

[Elisabeth in IL]

We just threw out our year old turkeys. There were two of them and they are gone now.

Everyone does this.
Why did you throw them out? Does one get sick from old frozen meat? I just thought that the meat may or may not taste good if it has been frozen for so long....

[DIY-DY]

Sounds like soup, to me! I'd eat it, as long as the wrapping had survived. (which would be the biggest problem, here)

[melissel]

According to this page (http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/HGIC3064.htm) that I found, recommended storage times are for quality only. So I guess that means that we can eat them as long as the packaging is still intact. They're all packed in plastic, and have been well protected at the bottom of the freezer, so I guess I'll figure out some way to use them.

Uh, I mean..we could eat them...they would be packed...wait, I'm confused. Shoot! http://easyfreesmileys.com/smileys/free-scared-smileys-366.gif (http://easyfreesmileys.com/)

[KH_]

I'd probably cook them . . .they may have some freezer burn, but it's not going to make you sick or anything. If they tasted really freezer burnt after cooking, then I'd throw them out, but that hasn't been an issue with our chest freezer. We did throw out some smoked turkey legs (don't know how old they were), because after trying them, they just didn't taste good (and it may have been the smoke and not how long they'd been in the freezer).

[DIY-DY]

According to this page (http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/HGIC3064.htm) that I found, recommended storage times are for quality only. So I guess that means that we can eat them as long as the packaging is still intact. They're all packed in plastic, and have been well protected at the bottom of the freezer, so I guess I'll figure out some way to use them.

Uh, I mean..we could eat them...they would be packed...wait, I'm confused. Shoot! http://easyfreesmileys.com/smileys/free-scared-smileys-366.gif (http://easyfreesmileys.com/)

The meat may be dry, or the texture may be off. But it's not going to be bacteria-ridden at all.

ENJOY!