How long does ground beef last in the freezer Reddit

Yes, especially if it was vacuum sealed.

Frozen meat will be safe to eat indefinitely. However, if it is exposed to air, you get freezer burn, which will degrade the texture and flavor. Properly packed, it should last a year or even more. The less air in the packaging, the better.

I've also heard of people freezing food with an ice glaze- they pour a small amount of water over the food and allow it to freeze (and may repeat this) until a layer of ice is built up so the ice protects the food from the air.

Use your common sense. Does it look ok? Does it smell ok? If it passes these two tests, then eat it. But I would cook it thoroughly rather than try to eat it with any pink at all remaining after cooking.

The dates on packages and other sources can never be more than guidelines. The "2 days" errs to the very, very conservative side. You have to be able to use your own judgment and common sense, or you throw out way too much food. For example, a colder fridge will keep food fresher than a slightly warmer one will, and food kept on the bottom shelves will last longer than food on higher shelves or in the door. So a statement like "1-2 days" is never more than a (very cautious) guideline.

Ideally ground beef not in a protective atmosphere should be cooked within 24-48 hours of manufacturing. In reality however humans can digest quite suspicious looking meats because our gut isn't all that delicate and somewhat older ground beef is usually ok. In my opinion 6 days is pushing it because the beef must've been ground up multiple days prior to the best before date.

Ground beef is notoriously tricky though: sometimes it's bad early and sometimes it lasts longer. There is no way to judge for subtle and often dangerous nasties based on color or smell. It might be ok but it's hard to say. If it looks slimy or very grayish from oxidation and smells sour/rancid then don't eat it.

You can cook it and taste a small piece to see if it is ok. You just need to be aware that it can seem fine while it really isn't. You can usually trust your senses but they are not perfect. Life's a gamble.

It's condition depends on the quality of the meat ground up, the hygiene of the factory, the coldness of your fridge and transport conditions between the store fridge and your fridge. Even short exposures to warmth will increase bacterial growth considerably.

Edit: I'm well aware that the beef was tainted or improperly handled long before I got to it. I was just providing the background to my silly question. Thank you all for letting me know that it'll last indefinitely in the deep freezer. So I got a bad case of food poisoning from some beef short ribs and a brewing argument between me and my roomie that got it from a local farmer (I want to toss put all meat from that fucker and he doesn't want because "my family has never gotten sick from it") made me wonder just how long meat, beef in particular has to be in a freezer before you won't eat it anymore. I think for me 6mos is my max and that's if it's frozen immediately.

There's no set time because it depends on different factors such as how cold your fridge is, where in the fridge it's stored, how fresh it was to begin with, etc. A week is definitely on the outside, though, in most situations.

I think a better question would be, "How can I tell if ground beef is bad?" The answer is by the look of it, the smell of it, and the feel of it. If it looks discolored or has anything growing on it, toss it. If it doesn't smell like raw meat, toss it. If it's slimy to the touch, toss it. If it's none of these things, then cook it up ASAP or re-package it and freeze it. (Do not use the styrofoam tray for freezing--it's porous and will promote freezer burn. Use a ziploc or wrap it in saran wrap, then foil.)

Added context: i bought this wagyu ground beef (in its air tight seal from the meat provider, snake river farms) about 16 months ago. It’s been in my freezer ever since. I’ve never opened it, until now (and it’s defrosted in the fridge for the last few hours). Naturally, it’s a mix of grayish and red color. No smell after opening the package.

Is this safe to cook?

level 1

It's safe. Might not be at its best due to freezer burn, but it might be just fine. But either way it's safe.

Bon apetit!

level 1

It would be safe even after a decade if it stayed frozen.

level 1

Unless your freezer is above zero degrees or you’ve had extensive power outages, of course it’s safe. It could have some freezer burn, but the packaging may have prevented that. Freezer burn only affects flavor/texture, not safety.

level 2

If it stays frozen correctly. Keeping long term items at the front of your freezer can result in it going bad if there's some air. Frequent temp changes from opening the freezer will allow bacteria to do some work

Long term items and especially meat should always be near the middle back of the freezer

level 1

Safe maybe freezer burned and a lack of taste and poor texture.

level 1

The ground meat will turn grey. It happens unless there is an additive to prevent it.

level 1

It'll be fine but you'll definitely taste the freezer burn.

Vacpak doesn't prevent it. It just delays it.

level 1

I buy meat on sale whenever I can. I have a massive freezer filled to the brim with it. Some of the meat is easily 5 years old, and I'm only now getting to it. My family has done things this way since before I was born. If there's something wrong with the meat, it wasn't caused by the deep freeze.

level 1

If it got grey in the freezer it was to exposed to much air. after a year unless I was starving I would chuck it.

level 2

When in doubt, or if it looks WAY too freezer burned, I poach the meat and feed it to the dogs. They don't care about the texture.

level 1

I'd trim a bit of the grey, but it wouldn't be unsafe if you didn't