Frequently asked questions about meat:

• How long does a ring of ham kielbasa stay fresh and safe to eat?

• How long can I freeze fresh homemade sausages?

• I left packaged lunchmeat unopened in a bag at room temperature for about six hours. Is it safe to use?

• We purchased a cooked spiral ham (not canned) 1 week ago. The 'sell by' date is two months from now. We were planning on eating this in 1 week for Easter. However, I'm wondering if the 'sell by' date is wrong. This seems like a long time for a ham to be good even if it is already cooked.

• How long do vacuumed packed meats last thawed in the refrigerator?

• Is beef that is fully cooked safe to eat if it is left out of the refrigerator all night?
• How long will a roast last in the refrigerator if it was frozen when it went in?
• What is the shelf life of canned luncheon meats , there is no best before date indicated?
• I purchased some hamburger on Sunday and was wondering if it is still good? It has been in the fridge . It is Tuesday -So 3 days is it worth it?
• How long will refrigerated hamburger keep?
• how long does thawed ground beef last in the refrigerator?
• I have had a piece of raw top round in balsamic vinegar for a week, can I still cook it or should I throw it away?
• After preprared food has thawed, how many days is it safe to keep? (e.g. a cooked brisket thawed yesterday?)
• Hello! I took some pork loin chops out of the freezer and placed it in the fridge to thaw 3 days ago. Is it still good to eat? It is past it's expiration date but was wrapped and frozen before that date.
• Hi!  How can we tell if my sterilized spaghetti sauce in Mason jars are well closed?
• How long can you keep turkey breast cold cuts before they go bad?
• I have a marinated burger in the fridge for 3 days is it still safe to eat?
• I have purchased AAA veal at the supermarket butcher shop.  The veal is kept in their refrigerator without any wrapping paper and the butcher cut me 2 slices.  Their surrounding was dried slightly hard but the meat did not have any objectionable odor.  Is it hazardous for food poisoning? 
• It happens sometimes that the sliced ham purchased to make sandwiches become sticky (without bad odor) the day after the package has been opened.  Can we still eat it?  What could cause this viscosity? A preservative?  Thanks!
• How long can marinated meat stay fresh in the refrigerator and until I can cook it?
• I have prepared a meat loaf and once cooked, I would like to know how long the ground meat will keep in the refrigerator?
• Is it ok to freeze or eat meat if it has been in the fridge two days past the sell buy date
• How long can I keep a cooked roast in the fridge until it goes bad? Will it last 7-8 days?
• I bought a precooked ham and left it on my counter for probably about two hours before I realized I forgot to put it in the fridge. Is it still safe to cook and eat?
• I bought too much turkey breast cold cuts can I freeze them?
• I made spaghetti sauce with ground meat. I forgot to put the container of leftovers in the freezer. How long will this sauce be good in the refrigerator?
• Is it safe to prepare meat (and perhaps other foods) in a slow cooker (crock pot)? Any specific tips that I should follow?
• I pulled out of the freezer a rib roast last Wednesday night and put it in the refrigerator.  We are Saturday, can I still eat it?
• How long is deli sliced roast beef good for?
• How long can hamburger meat stay fresh in the freezer?
• How long will uncooked sausage keep in the fridge?
• If I thaw a stew and I cooked it, can I put it back in the freezer if I have any left since the meat will be cooked then?
• I bought a pork loin from Costco, the kind that is marinated and packaged really good. It is 7 days past the sell by date and it has been kept in a cold refrigerator since I bought it. Is it safe to cook it and eat it now?
• Can I freeze ham?  I vacuum-packed it.  Thanks
• How long should I boil a ring of fresh kielbasa?
• I thawed a vacuum-packed pork tenderloin and left it for a week in the refrigerator still vacuum packed.  Is it still good to eat?
• How long can you keep sliced cold meat and still eat it
• How long can we kept cold cuts in the refrigerator once the package is opened?
• I bought a ham last Christmas and cut it in 1/2. We froze the unused 1/2, is it still good? Thanks
• Hi!  I bought a vacuum-packed pork tenderloin.  On the package, there is packaging date but there is no expiry date.  The meat has always been in its vacuum-package and I have it for 12 days now.  Is it still good?  I cannot count on the odour as my sense of smell is poor.  And as for the colour, I don't know; it is the first time that I bought that kind of meat so I do not know what it is supposed to look like. 
• How long after opening a package of sushi can I eat it? The 'sell-by' date was yesterday.
• I purchased some turkey cutlets at the butcher shop tuesday morning.  We are sunday night.  Is it to late to eat them?  Thanks!
• I cooked to many sausages vacuum packed that I purchased in a supermarket.  Can I freeze them once cooked.
• I have left 2 large cans of duck confit with an expiry date of 10/07/2006 and a can of cassoulet with an expiry date of 06/06/2006.  Are they still safe to eat?  Thanks!
• Hi!  I prepared a horse roast yesterday.  How long can I keep it in the refrigerator?  If I remove the cooking juice, would that extend the time of preservation?  Thank you!
• I bought hamburger meat and thawed it in the fridge and never didn't eat it when I planned to so it's been sitting in the fridge for 4-5 days. Can I still eat it? I was going to make tacos.
• I have a butt ham in the freezer for one year. Is it safe to cook.
• If I cook a honey roast ham for xmas how long will it keep for and how do i store it
• After I cooked my marinated kal-bi I still had extra sauce so, we decided to dip out cooked kal-bi into the sauce for extra taste. Is that bad?
• Does the ground beef already sold in packages freeze well?  I have some vacuum packed duck magret that is frozen for close to a year, is it still good to eat?
• how long can I keep beef frozen before using
• I purchased a honey baked ham and found out that someone in the house left the fridge cracked open all night for about 5 hours the ham was cold when I bought in fact frozen do you think this safe to eat
• How long can I keep cooked sliced ham in the refrigerator once opened and wrapped in a clear plastic wrap?
• Can we freeze half salted raw meat?  Thanks!
• I prepared meatloaf yesterday but didn't cook it. Can I still cook part of if and put the uncooked portion in the freezer?
• I bought ham sliced and prepacked. We opened it and used some. Now 2 days later can I freeze the unused ham?
• How long can I keep in the refrigerator  a vegetable stew (pot au feu style) made of turnips, carrots and cabbage?
• I cooked pork one week ago.  Can I freeze it and be safe?
• Hi!..If the presealed sliced ham purchased to make sandwiches became sticky (without bad odor) after having been opened and refrigerated (air tight, but not vacuumed)for 5 days. Can we still eat it if thermo processed again- like fryed or something ? Thanks...
• I bought a frozen turkey breast & put it in refrigerator to thaw for about 2 days before Thanksgiving & did not cook it..is it ok to refreeze it for another time???
• After preparing a marinade for a beef tenderloin last evening around 11:00, I forgot to put in the refrigerator until this morning around 6. Is is still ok?
• I have purchased a vacuum packed double smoked ham from Costco. It says it was packaged Nov.27th and the best before date says Jan.29th. Is that the best before date after it's frozen or can I keep it in the fridge until then? If That's the frozen best before date how long can I keep it in the fridge before I should freeze it?
• I cooked a lamb shoulder after I did thaw it.  I did not use it after all.  Can I refreeze it for a short period of time?
• Can we freeze a raw food that we have cooked after thawing?
• how long does smoke turkey legs last in the fridge?
• Can I store boiled ham in the freezer?
• I am travelling with vacuum sealed frozen meat (brisket, ham, turkey, etc.). The meat will be in a soft sided cooler. It will be 8 hours from the freezer to it's destination. Will the meat be alright?
• I have a turkey in the refrigerator with an expiry date passed since yesterday.  Can I still wait one or two days before cooking it.
• Can we freeze some raw horse hash?
• How long can I keep cooked grounded meat with taco seasonings in the refrigerator?
• I have heard about pork products being full of bacteira. Is this true? And if so what types of bacteria is in it?
• We cooked a large smoked ham (with bone) and ate part of it 7 days ago. The meat was removed from the bone two days after cooking the ham. Is this ham still okay to eat on day 7? Thank you
• I have thawed Thursday 28/12 a piece of beef with an expiry date of 20/11/06.  Can I still use it without any risks knowing that I did not pull it out of the packaging.
• i purchased a striploin roast and a tenderloin roast back in May,2006 and its was vacuum sealed and then frozen since then. i am going to pull them out of the freezer this week and cook them, will they still be good or should i throw away?
• I cooked a pork roast in a crock pot and froze it. I took it out of the freezer after a month and warmed it up. Is it okay to refreeze it a second time?
• I had a frozen turkey that I thawed in the refrigerator Thursday.  They say that it takes three days to thaw in the refrigerator and I want to cook it Sunday.  Is it still good?  The turkey was deeply frozen
• I purchased a tri-tip, 1.5 lbs roast that has been marinated in a bordalaise marinade from a meat market, they did the marinade. Purchased Mon how long can I keep it in the refrigerator?
• I had frozen turkey BURGERS, then I thawed them in my refrigerator, and forgot about them. It has been over three days (At least), are they still good to eat?
• Hi!  I pulled out some game meat (moose) cubes from the freezer to thaw them in the refrigerator on Tuesday night and I marinated them on Wednesday at noon.  They were still a little bit frozen.  Can I eat them on Friday night?  Thanks!
• Is it advisable to leave freshly made sausage in an unclosed package in the fridge for 1-2 days so that it can dry out a bit before freezing it?
• We accidentally left a package of vacuum-sealed pancetta, a slab of parmesan cheese and a package of fresh ravioli out on the counter for about 4 hours. Is any of this still safe to eat?
• I cooked a pork tenderloin last night and left it on the counter - didn't realize it until morning. Served it at 10 pm central and found it on the counter at 7 am central. Is it safe to eat? Thank you
• I have raw hamburger meat in the fridge its been in there about a week is it still good? My fridge is cooler than most fridges it around 35 degrees F.
• Can you reheat meat leftovers the next day?
• Can I make a marinade and freeze meat (chicken breast, steaks, pork chops) in it?
• Is it safe to keep meats or fishes in a marinade made with vinegar for a week?  Would it be better to refreeze  cooked meat or raw meat kept for three days in the refrigerator?
• Hello. I bought ground beef, boneless chicken breasts, and chicken liver. They were packaged and refrigerated. Their expiry date is after 3 days. I left them at room temperature 20 degrees for 13 hours. Can I still cook them? Thank you for your help. Nour
• I left a bolognese sausage that I have prepared with grounded meat (beef) all night at room temperature (out of the refrigerator).  I ate it at 2 pm today and now I am afraid to be sick.
• I would like to know if I can put meat that does not have any blood in the refrigerator?  There is no risks.
• Can we freeze black blood pudding?
• I made seafood cioppino containing clams, fish, shrimp and scallops. How long will that last once cooked and refrigerated?
• Hi!  I bought some frozen chinese fondue meat that I thawed in the refrigerator.  I had to much of it, so I put it back in the freezer.  Is it still good or should I throw it away?
• I found the jackpot in my chest freezer: pork tenderloin dating September 2004 and a whole (small) chicken from slightly earlier. Can these still be used? Is it a taste issue or a safety issue?
• I have a bone in vaccuum packed ham that is two months past the 'use by' date, can we still eat it?
• I have marinated ground beef overnight with garlic and ginger etc. I skewered it today at 3 pm. My friends will come at 8 pm. Can I leave the skewered meat in the oven (uncooked) till about 7 pm when I intend to cook it. I don't have space to keep in the refrigerator.
• I bought roast chicken over a week ago and stored it in the refrigerator. It's now been 10 days I have still have some leftover. Can I reheat in an oven to eat or should I toss it out? I just think my stomach is made of ironsteel.
• I started thawing a 4 lb top round roast,in the refrigerator, on Thursday. It was still partially frozen until Tuesday. Today is Wednesday, how long will it keep now that it is fully thawed.
• I bought hamburger meat about 5 days ago it expired on 3/6/07 today is 3/7/07 is it safe to cook and then freeze.
• Can I safely freeze a 1 lb. wedge of blue cheese, and if so, for how long?
• Hi, I purchased veal from the supermarket. The sell by date is next week. I haven't cooked it yet but the flesh is slightly beige and there's an eggy smell off it. Should I bother cooking it? I'm going to give a small quantity to my 6 month old daughter if it's ok.
• I thawed in the refrigerator some meat (beef) for a chinese fondue on Saturday.  I had an extra package.  How long can it stayin the refrigerator? 
• What is the best way to store cold luncheon meats in the fridge?
• How can I cook a roast pork?
• How long can I keep ham slices in a Tupperware container in the fridge?
• I just realized that my vacuum packaged ham slices have past their best before date since 12/03/07.  They don't look spoiled, can I still consume them?
• I thawed a 10 pound prime rib roast for company who did not come. I put it back into the freezer. Will it be safe to thaw again and cook?
• I boiled a corned beef with cabbage and vegies last night, refrigerated leftovers but forgot to put the boiling liquid in fridge. I wanted to use the liquid for cabbage soup. If it is boiled again is it safe for consumption?
• My friend put a pork loin in the freezer and it expired October of 06 and it is now March of 07.Is it still good?
• My friend put a pork loin in the freezer and it expired October of 06 and it is now March of 07.Is it still good?
• I ordered seared prime rib at a restaurant, and of course, couldn't finish. What is the best way to reheat the steak to cook out the bacteria and avoid food poisoning?
• How long can I keep a raw steaklet of duck in the fridge? 
• After cooking my spaghetti sauce all day, I had intended to have it cook on low through the night. I must have set the temperature one notch too low because the burner was not on when I got up this morning. The sauce was hot at 10:30 p.m. but cool at 6:30 a.m. it contained meatballs, beef and 1 pork chop. Is it ok to serve for dinner? 
• If a sausage is left at room temperature for 6 hours then frozen will it go bad. Also can I micro-wave it to make it safe to eat after all this has happened, and if I can for how long should it be micro-waved for.
• I have bought bacon at the butcher;  I have cut it and put it in the fridge.  How long can I keep it for?
• How expiry date on foods does get established?
• I bought a spiral sliced honey ham, fully cooked today, one week prior to Easter. I noted that it is only to be refrigerated for 3-4 days so I put it in the freezer. After reading some of your Q/A, I noted that hams become dry, less flavorful after being frozen. I believe it is vacuum packed. Would it be better to keep it in the refrigerator a few days longer or should I keep it frozen?
• I bought bacon at the store and did not put up all my groceries when I got home. The bacon sat in my kitchen for 5 hours. Is it safe?
• Yesterday, I thawed a roast beef and a roast pork in a slow cooker filled with water.  The meats were in their wrapper and had spent all night in the water.  Can I cook them?
• How long can I keep deboned cooked chicken in the refrigerator? 
• I purchased a whole mutton and left it at room temperature for 2 days.  Is it dangerous to consume?
• I have cooked ground pork meat for several hours (to prepare meat pâtés).  I wanted to put the pot in the refrigerator the same evening before going to bed but I forgot about it and noticed the pot the morning after.  Can I salvage the meat to make my meat pâtés?
• I prepared & froze a bolognese sauce. I am thawing it now & plan to heat it through with some passata & then use it (with bechamel)for lasagna which I will serve 1 day later. Is that ok? thx
• I thawed out a pound of frozen shrimp, in the refrigerator, on Thursday can I still use them on Sunday?
• I put packaged frozen ground beef in a cooler with ice, Friday evening. Meat was kept on ice but was thawing. Meat was completely thawed by about Sun morning or early afternoon. Meat was kept in ice. It is now Tues. Am i pushing it to cook it tonight or should I just throw it away?
• I thawed out pork chops on Thursday and it is now Monday. They have been in the fridge, is it still safe to cook and eat them?
• I prepared deep frozen vegetables by boiling them.  I ate some but did not eat it all.  So since there was some left over; I put it in the refrigerator.  How long can I keep it before eating some again?  Is 4 days good?  Thanks!
• We grilled a beef tenderloin last night. We sliced it all and we had lots left over. What is the best way to reheat for the next night's supper?
• I bought a flank steak last Sunday and the sell by date was the following Tuesday. Is it still safe to eat tonight? Tomorrow will be a week past the sell by date.
• Hi!  My 5 year old daughter ate by mistake half a slice of chicken (presented as a thin slice if ham and purchased in a prepacked container).  Package must have been opened for a week and the expiry date has been passed 10 days ago.  The slice did not change physically, no bad taste, no odour.  Is she risking something?  There are no symptoms so far in the first 18 hours.  Which bacteria could develop?  Should she pass some medical exams?  Can she have listeriosis?  
• I want to preserve some fish pâtés after seasoning and before cooking them.  At what temperature should I preserve them?  After storage,  can I cooked them without risk?  Thanks!
• Hi, I have some beef stewing steaks that are 7 days beyond their use-by date. They are discoloured, but otherwise smell fine. The steaks were kept in their store package until today. Can I still use them?
• How long will vacuum packed beef tenderloin last in the freezer?
• I cooked a pork roast one week ago today. After 3 days of eating on it, I sliced it up, simmered it in BBQ sauce and have been eating on it since, heating it up each time. If I reheat it again, is it still safe?
• What is the best kind of wrapper that should be used to keep fish pâtés after seasoning them?  Thanks!
• Can I freeze sliced deli cold cuts? (turkey, ham, liverwurst)
• Eatable or not?  I cooked a crossed rib roast and wanted to left it out for it to cool down.  I forgot it for 2 hours on the counter.  Can we still eat it?  My boyfriend says yes and I do tell him no.  I am hesitating because as I am looking at it, I cannot believe that we cannot eat it.  An answer before dinner time on Monday would be appreciated.
• defrosted a steak in the refrigerator - did not cook. Put thawed steak back in freezer to refreeze. Is it safe to defrost again and cook? Thank you.
• Last night my wife fully cooked two meatloaves made of ground turkey in oven bags last night. we ate one and the other still needed time...afterwards we forgot to take the meatloaf out of the oven and put it in the fridge, it finished cooking at about 9pm. in the morning we realized our carelessness, my wife said it's no good, i told her to stick it in the fridge. it was still in tact, sealed in the oven bag. is it still o.k to eat? 
• How long can you safely eat canned (Reece's) brisling sardines packed in water. (lightly smoked-cocktail)
• I ate expired lunch meat 6 days after the expiration is it okay??
• Can we keep horse ground meat purchased that morning until the next day at lunch?  In what kind of container can we keep it?
• Friday night I noticed my son had turned the freezer to zero.  The ground beef had thawed a bit but my husband put it back to freeze, so I took it out Sat morning and put it in the fridge today is Monday and i'm wondering is it still good to eat!?!
• All my frozen meat is no good since a year or two ago.  Should I throw everything away or can I eat some foods such as knaki?
• How long can we keep a spaghetti sauce in the refrigerator?
• After freezing prepackaged lunch meat like oscar mayer bologna or hotdogs, how long will they still be good for in the fridge after defrosting?
• Is hamburger that has been in the fridge that was bought from the deli on May 29th,2007 and it's now June 7th, 2007 any good still?
• Is roast beef with an iridescent color still safe to eat.
• I prepared some hamburgers last night and used a raw egg to bind the meat mixture. I only cooked some of them and left the remaining ones in the fridge. Is it ok to cook the remaining ones tonight?
• Can luncheon meat kept in the fridge for longer than 1 week cause gas bloating and diarrhea?
• I made Sloppy Joe's last night using hamburger, onions and mix, and forgot to put the leftovers in the fridge. The leftovers were left in the saucepan, on the stove with the glass lid on overnight at room temperature. Is it still good to refrigerate or eat?
• If hamburger was cooked and then put into the fridge, how long before it would be bad to eat?
• I prepared a lamb shank dish which was cooked for 3 hours in wine/stock/garlic, then a sauce was prepared from the stewing liquid and poured over, it was then topped with caramelized onion. I had one shank left over which I have stored with some of the sauce and onion in the fridge for 48 hours. I thought I would eat it tonight but I can't - would it be ok for me to freeze it now for eating later? I wouldn't eat it if it was in the fridge any longer but thought it would be ok if I froze it. I normally freeze things immediately after cooking but I thought I would be eating this sooner rather than later.
• I cooked a beef roast 7 days ago, is it still alright to eat sandwiches made from it?
• Can you refreeze hot dogs that were thawed in the refrigerator?
• My husband and I were helping cleaning out my grandmas freezer there was meat in there that is past the expiration date. She thinks there still okay, but i want to make sure, i don't want her to get sick. Is meat that has been frozen before the expiration date still good to eat? and what should be the limit on the expiration dates?
• I have noticed that my wrapped ham has expired since June 19th (3 days ago).  Can we still eat it?  Do we risk something?
• The blood pudding that we purchased at the butcher shop; is it already cooked?  Is so can we eat it like that at room temperature?
• Is it ok to eat hotdog's right out of the package? Do they need to be cooked even though the package states "fully cooked" ??
• I partially thawed a fully cooked smoked turkey on Saturday and put in the fridge to complete the thaw, is it still going to be good by Monday?
• We went camping on Thrusday and came back on Sunday. When we came back our freezer on top of our refrigerator had been turned off. All the meat that was frozen was vaccuum packed but room temperature to the touch. Is it edible?  I meant to ask if it was edible to eat if i refreeze it.
• I purchased sausages that were vacuum packed.  I planned to visit my daughter who lives 1200 kilometers away using a cooler and large ice blocks to carry them.  Right now they are in the refrigerator since Saturday June 28th and we could not leave on time.  Is there any danger while keeping them refrigerated?
• I have an opened box of pâté in the refrigerator for a week now.  Is it still safe to eat?
• I defrosted and marinated a pork tenderloin 2 days ago. Can I refreeze it?
• Hi!  I have a meal to prepare for 40 persons and I would like to know that if I cook a roast beef and a roast pork and slice them, can I freeze them until the "D" day.  Can I freeze too homeade chocolate cakes? 
• I purchased vacuum packed ribs from Costco with a sell by date of July 4. They have been in the frig since. Today is July 10. Can I cook them?
• I had some lamb frozen since 2005.  Can we still eat it two years later?
• I have thawed a turkey Tuesday to eat it on Sunday.  I prefered to cook it on Thursday (afraid that it would not keep).  How can I heat it up on Sunday?
• Is it safe to put ''starch'' items back into the freezer once defrosted and thawed under room temperature? Starch items such as english muffins, pancakes, etc.
• Hi I have purchased some frozen turkey burger from the supermarket and I noticed some sporadic light gray colored spots on the burger patty. The spots are small and round in shape. Someone has suggested to me that the spots are freezer burns. Is it safe to eat the patties?
• We frequently enjoy beef "grilling medallions". We like to cook our steaks rare to medium-rare. It has come to our attention that these cuts are "needled" with a device to make them more tender. They are not marked with a warning or anything, my concern is e-coli penetration to within the meat from the piercing of the surface. Is this a valid concern??
• Can I freeze hamburger patties I just made with a raw egg in them as a binder?
• How long can I keep a thawed vacuum-packed leg of lamb in the refrigerator?
• I bought raw ribeye steaks,boneless chicken breasts, and also hunter sausage, and it was accidently left out from about 5pm to about 9am the next morning. Is any of it okay to cook or should it be discarded?
• Today, I cooked in a frying pan some raw shrimps that I thawed three days ago.  Were they still good to cook and eat?  Would I be sick?
• I bought turkey ham slices in an airtight package. how long can it last after I opened the package? Currently it's unopened and I'm putting it in my fridge. no expiry date on it though.
• I purchased some rainbow smelt and some crab that were vaccum packed and frozen.  I put them in my plug-in refrigerator in the car for my return home trip.  Once at home, meat had started to thaw, so I put them immediately in the freezer.  Would they be good to eat?  I hope so, crab meat is so expensive?  Thank you!
• My family is from the East Coast and is always desperate for me to bring back White Castle hamburgers when I travel. I usually buy a 30 pack that is cooked and packaged and carry it on the plane. Sometimes it takes over 7 hours to arrive home. I have done this in the past and no one has gotten sick. Is this safe?
• I took pork chops out about 3 days ago and put it in the fridge to defrost is it still good to cook.
• We grilled hot dogs Saturday night and the extras (cooked) were left out over night in 73 degree temperature. Are they safe to eat? Could we microwave them and kill any microorganisms?
• I purchased three days ago a vaccum package of cold cuts.  There was a month left before its "Best Before" date.  Today, the meat looks fine without seeing any changes in the package except that it seem th have a little bit of air in it.   Can I eat them since there is 25 days left bfore the expiry date and the package stayed sealed in hte refrigerator all the time?
• I just put together a beef meat loaf recipe that includes; seasonings, 1 egg, tomato sauce, bread crumbs, etc. I put it in a stainless steel loaf pan and put it in the fridge. Can I wait until tomorrow to cook it?
• I bought some fresh ground beef to prepare some spaghetti sauce.  Can I freeze that meat to eventually prepare my sauce; meaning to thaw it and refreezing it in the sauce?  Thank you!
• Without a meat thermometer, how can I know when my ready to cook ham is coming up to 71 degrees?  It weights approximatively 5 pounds.
• After reading most of the questions and answers present on this site, I see that you always say that even cooked, spaghetti sauce does not keep in the refrigerator or at room temperature for more than 2 to 3 days or 2 hours respectively.  You apply the same answer to all situations described on the database.  Here is my question in two parts:  First of all, wouldn't you think that tomatoes (main ingredient present in the sauce), with is relatively high acidity (pH 4.3) would have the power of extending the shelf-life of the food?   Like other picklings (such as pickles, pork tongues and others), they would go on the same principles, (vinegar acidity preserving food longer); especially when the meat has been cooked.  I do not see any problems to keep that sauce longer independently of the temperature.  Isn't it restrictive to bring every down to that simple table?  All situations cannot be reduced to these numbers of days.  Anything that I am missing here in my way of thinking?  Secondly, does the person answering those questions been properly trained or does he/she only know the tables that everyone have access to?  I just want to make sure that we are not using the same answer by copying and pasting it to all the questions.  I find that some preservation times (especially all the one related to cooked foods) are at the limit of paranoïa sometimes....
• I pulled a roast out of the freezer bought 6 months ago, it thawed in the refrigerator and was there 7 days....is it okay to eat?
• How long can vacuum packed pre-cooked BBQ pork ribs stay in the freezer?
• Should we cool down spaghetti sauce prior to put it in the refrigerator?
• Do meat and vegetables loose their vitamins after freezing?
• Hi!  I went to an agricultural fair and I bought frozen vacuum-packed lamb sausages.  By the time that I came back home, the sausages were thawed.  Can I refreeze them?  I did not open the package.
• How long can I store uncooked pork spare-ribs in the refrigerator? If they're purchased on Friday, will they be okay for cooking on Monday?
• I have cooked a beef broth all night long in a slow cooker and this morning the slow cooker was still hot.  I left it all day on the counter.  Should I be concerned?
• Hi!  I bought some fresh beef hash at the butcher shop.  When I cooked it; it had a sausage taste.  Is it normal?  Can we still eat it?
• What is the best way to reheat a 1 1/2 pound cooked pork tenderloin?
• I want to know why in some countries they eat raw meat and not get ill, like kibbi in the middle-east? or raw fish in sushi and in cuba escovitch fish dish?
• I bought some sliced ham and turkey breast from the deli. How long will they keep in the fridge if I vacuum pack them in smaller portions?
• I have thawed some pancakes.  How long can I keep them?
• I set out a rack of pork spare ribs on Sunday to thaw for about 3 hours and then put them in the refrigerator to finish (still partially frozen). We had to cancel our dinner party on Monday and they are still in the fridge. My husband wants to cook them tomorrow, Saturday (6 days in the fridge) but I'm a little nervous about the meat being safe to eat. Especially since I began the thawing process at room temperature. What do you think? Thanks for your help!
• How long can you marinate beef before you HAVE to cook it?
• Hi, i have turkey lunch meat that expired on 9/14, we put it in the freezer on around 9/16, today is 9/25, is it still ok to eat and for how long will it be ok to eat? thanks
• I have some free range chicken boneless breast that were frozen, that were not vacuumed packed properly and now have freezer burn. Can I still use them?
• I have two toupie hams I bought a few weeks ago. In the freezer were buns and bread and squares.  Somehow, the door was left ajar and the hams seemed to be partially thawed.  They are vacuumed packed.  The freezer was still cold and there were frost cyrstals on the racks.  What should I do?  They are for a birthday party this weekend; Oct. 6/07
• Hello, A few days ago we had a pig roast at our house for a party. We put the leftovers in a tupperware in the fridge. My family can't eat all of the pork and I was wondering if it's too late to put in the freezer. Does it make a difference that we know the meat is very fresh considering it was roasted at our house?
• On a vacuum sealed package of turkey smoked sausage (fully cooked), how long can it be used past the use by date? I just discovered two unopened packages in the back of refrigerator. Today is October 27, and the use by date was September 10.
• How long can I refrigerate tuna spread before it goes bad? I made it from can of tuna, mayo, onion, pickle relish and sugar.
• I bought sliced cold cuts that were in a sealed cellophane package inside a plastic container. I am going on vacation. Can I freeze the cold cuts and if I can, how do I go about freezing them?
• Hi I purchased and froze 2 packages of baby back ribs last week that had a use by date of 10/27 (they were vacuumed sealed). I defrosted them (11/1) in the fridge,but when I opened them they had an odor-are they ok? Could the odor be from the blood?
• I bought a brown sugar glazed pre-cooked spiral ham a few weeks ago and immediatly froze it. I want to serve it this weekend and when I took it out to thaw, I noticed that it said "do not freeze" on the packaging. Is it okay to use it?
• Hi!  I have received a moose roast but it is from last year.  It is frozen.  Is there any risks if we eat it?  Thank you!
• My husband and I enjoy our steak cooked quite rare on the BBQ.  Is there a risks of contamination?  Thank you!
• I purchased a defrosted ham shank on October 18,and it has been in the refrigerator since then. Today is Nov. 4. Is it still good to cook and eat?? Thanks
• I took a beef roast out of the freezer about 6pm and left it on the counter throughout the night until 6am the next morning. After noticing my mystake, I immediately put in the fridge! Is it safe to cook tonight without getting sick??
• is it ok to use a packet of ground turkey, even if it says it expired feb. 07, and it's now nov.07?
• I prepared a previously frozen pork tenderloin roast 2 days ago and has been refrigerated since it was cooked. Is is still safe to eat?
• Is it safe to reuse a chinese fondue broth to do a second fondue the day after?
• You say that cooked meat should not be out at room temp. for more than 2 hours or it will be bad...but what if you are going to cook it again. I cooked stew, forgot it on the counter overnight...if I cook it again (boil it) would it not kill the bacteria??
• Can we freeze horse meat?  I purchased a roast and I put it in the freezer.  I have been told that we are not supposed to freeze horse meat.  Should I throw it away or not?  Thanks!
• Can sliced cold cuts be frozen?
• I purchased ground beef with the expiry date being the next day. I immediately put in the freezer. Is the ground beef eatable once thawed?
• I have some vacuum-packed raviolis with tomatoes and mozzarella cheese in the refrigerator since November 21, 2007.  Can I keep them there until November 25th?  Thank you!
• Hello, We purchased some porkchops on Saturday and have kept them in the refrigerator...it is now Wednesday. Are they still safe to eat?
• if you boil turkey hotdogs and refrigerate them are they safe to reheat and eat the next day?
• Can we eat raw meat?  If not, what are the risks?
• I have a fully smoked turkey breast that I put in the refrid. wrapped in tin foil. Forgot about it. That was 7 days ago. Can I still freeze the turkey?
• We cooked a ham and froze the leftovers. We thawed the ham out to make soup. Can we freeze the soup since the ham was already frozen once already? Thanks.
• I recently made more than I needed lasagna, both meat sauce based, as well as one package of frozen vegetable lasagna. I know I can freeze my meat lasagna that is partially cooked - and finish cooking it when I want to use it later, but is the same true for the vegetable lasagna. I would think so, but because it says DO NOT REFREEZE on the box, I'm having hesitations. I'm assuming that means before baking, am I right?
• How long does crab ravioli stay fresh and safe to eat?
• why does some steak and hamburger meat have dark brown patches in it? is it an expiry issue because ive seen it in non expired meat? i got a steak for stew yesterday(11th), froze it for the day and put it in the crock pot this afternoon. the best by date is the 13th so its not expired, but it had dark brown patches..would it be caused by me defrosting it in the microwave so i could cook it right away??
• We bought a ham (not frozen, honey, pre-sliced) on Saturday. We put it not in our refrigerator, but in our cold storage/root cellar (thermometer at the ceiling reads 46 F, ham was on a lower shelf). It is Tuesday evening. Is it still safe to eat? I don't know if it's pre-cooked or not.
• Please let me know how long cooked spaghetti can stay in the refrigerator and then be used for another recipe for example vegetable spaghetti bake?
• Someone accidentally left a frozen cheese lasagna out on the counter for about 8 hours. Is it okay to refreeze or has it gone bad?
• How do you know if raw pork chop is spoiled while it's left out on the kitchen counter? (answer needed asap)
• Can a smoked turkey that was frozen be thawed and frozen again?
• I defrosted my ribeye roast a few days ago and now I was ready to cook it,but there is blood all around the roast and the blood has an odor is the roast still ok to cook.
• I made cioppino and have lots left over. Can I freeze this and then re-heat or does it have to be eated within 2 days.
• I froze a cooked meat loaf.  Can I warm it up in the oven directly from its frozen state (from the freezer to the oven)?  Thank you!
• I bought some pork ribs and a rib roast on 12/21/07 to use during the holiday weekend. ended up that i did not use them and i want to know if they can be frozen or should i cook them and then freeze them.
• Is it safe to eat a honeybaked ham refrigerated for two months? Only about 10 slices remain on the bone.
• I have purchased a spaghetti sauce with meat prepared at the grocery store.  I put it in the freezer as soon as I arrived home and I thawed it few days later in the pot used to prepare a recipe.  We ate the recipe and put the leftover in the refrigerator.  How long those leftovers would be good to eat?
• Hi!  I thawed a pork roast in the refrigerator.  Its best before date was 14/12/07.  Tonight, it will be three days that it has been in the refrigerator.  Can I cook it and eat it tonight knowing that I am in my first part of pregnancy and that I have very young children.  Thank you.
• Hi!  I cooked a roast beef 2 days ago.  It just came out of the freezer.  I would like to know, once cooked, if I can freeze it and if so for how long?  Thank you!
• I have a Moseys corned beef brisket that I had frozen. The expiration date was 4-07 and I thawed it in the fridge and it is now 1-08. Is it still good to eat after I cook it? Thank You!
• Can we freeze cooked blood pudding?  How often can I eat it?  I am lacking iron in my diet?
• Can you freeze horse meat?  Thank you for your response.  Lyonnel
• I ate a piece of Ham (it came smoked and packaged)that we had gotten about a week before christmas. We had kept it refrigerated since then. Was this a dumb decision? (01/23/08)
• Hello! Is meat still good after six months in the freezer?
• My mother and I have prepared an excellent meat balls stew last Saturday.  How long can it keep in the refrigerator?  Thank you!
• Hi!  I have some problems with my refrigerator and I noticed that with my products like the ice.  I do not how much my food thawed.  Should I throw them out ( pieces of raw meat, vegetables, etc...  ) Thanks! 
• How long can you keep a fresh not frozen ham in the refrigerator before you have to throw it away. The ham was not cooked yet.
• Can I ground my left-over ham and put it in Mason jars?  Thanks!
• I ordered from a country vendor a 10 kg case of beef from his limousine.  When my husband came back with the case, the meat had a strong smell and the grounded steaks had changed colour.  They were grey on the surface and had a strong odor.  The rest of the meat seemed to be at the right colour but when I cooked two steaks, they had a very strong taste.  As for the grounded steak, I used some to prepare lasagna and cook them for an extended period of time.  The dish had a strong beefy odor.  I threw away the leftover grounded meat that I had in the freezer but I kept everything else, roasts, steaks, etc.  Are we risking something?  No one has been sick with the lasagna even if I was nauseated for two days.  I think that it could have been psychosomatic....  Thank you!
• Noodles with chicken and soya sauce, how long would it keep in the refrigerator?
• We had smoked pork ribs for lunch and took a large to-go box with us. We did not get home for 5 hours. Are the ribs still ok to eat? Thank you.
• Hi, I have a fully cooked hickory smoked ham where the package has never been opened with a sell by date of 01-07-08. Today is 02-24-08, is it ok to eat or should I send it to David Letterman to drop of his building?
• Hi! I bought some sausage meat yesterday and I noticed that the best before date is today. Should I eat it right now or could I wait an extra day or two? Thank you!
• At what temperature a freezer should be at?
• I bought lamb shanks yesterday and opened the package today to cook them and they smelled like rotten eggs.I soaked them in Balsamic vinegar can I cook them or should I discard them
• Is corned beef still good after having been frozen for a year?
• Hi!  The freezer door was not closed properly during the night and the temperature is at 0 degrees.  Thank you for letting me know if there is a risk by refreezing the food and consuming it.
• I purchased a fresh leg of lamb three days ago. It is vacuum packaged and has an expiration date of next weekend. My children unplugged our refrigerator in our basement without us knowing and it was like that for 1-2 days, not sure. Everything in our freezer is thawed out which I am throwing away. The things in the refrigerator were not as cold as they should be but not warm. Is it safe or do I need to throw it away as well?
• Before freezing a ham, should I cook it first or can I freeze it vacuum-packed after its purchase?  Thank you!
• My husband and I are Vacationing in our RV, I planned to cook Easter dinner, I bought a frozen turkey breast. I put it in the fridge.I later discovered the fridge is only cooling to 60 degrees. The turkey is still frozen, can I put it in the crock pot(frozen),in the am and let it cook breast meat down all day? I only have the ability to cook in the crock pot,electric skillet,or on the gas stove in a dutch oven,either way the turkey will start frozen is that is safe. Please respond ASAP. HELP!!!!!
• i made homemade meat & cheese ravioli's.  I have alot of cooked ravioli's left over can i refreeze them?
• Do burgers with mayo spoil in 24 hours if not eaten and refrigerated?
• I cooked a beef roast on sunday today is thursday is it still safe to eat?
• Can uncooked turkey bologna be frozen?
• Hello I defrosted some minced beef in the microwave however It started to cook, I have put the half cooked meat in the fridge to prepare to cook the day after.Is it safe to eat?
• I have a pork tenderloin roast stored frozen in my freezer that I forgot about dated january 2007. Also, I have a frozen rump roast (also forgotten) dated Oct. 23, 2006. Are these still edible or should I throw them out? Thanks so much.
• I need to purchase a beef tenderloin today (Wednesday) for a party on Sunday because I'm going out of town and won't have time to purchase it before the party. What is the best way to store it so it will still be good and fresh on Sunday? I'd rather not freeze it, since I won't have time to thaw it prior to the party. If I purchase it and vacuum seal it today, how long will it keep in the fridge?
• Is ham safe to eat if it was cooked 3 das. after the date was up and it had a slimy gel on it, however it smelled good and tasted ok after cooked?
• I cooked beef cubes in a stew yesterday.  How long would they be good to eat?
• Toupie hams that are cut in the store, can they be used in a recipe such as in a jambalaya or a quiche not requiring a pre-cooked ham?
• Cooking in water - If we want a very nutrutious broth, shoud we start be using cold water?
• Do we ned top quality meat to make a roast?
• I have a pkg. of ground turkey breast in my fridge that is two days past the "use or freeze" date. Is it still safe to cook?
• I used a 1/2 package of bacon this morning. Later I looked at the expiration date and it said 1/29/07. I wouldn't have something in my refrigerator that long. Is there a danger in eating something with that long an overdue date ~ especially bacon. There was no unusual odor when the package was opened.
• How long after thawing merguez can I eat them?
• I cooked a can ham last night with glaze no bone, sliced it and took it out of oven at about 11:00pm I left out to cool and forgot to put away. My home doesnt get to hot. Is it still good? thanks
• Hi!  I just bought a roast but I do not know if I should freeze raw or cooked?
• I went shopping on Friday and filled my fridge up with yoghurts and cold cooked sealed meats. Someone left the fridge door ajar and temp reached 11(when it should be 5 ). It was left like this for 8hrs and it took a further 11 hrs to go back to 5.  What can I safely eat and for how long. Thank you
• My partner ate a ham sandwich at work yesterday and felt really ill for the rest of the day and night. It was a sandwich from the day before!! Can a ham sandwich really spend the night on a desk and be ok to eat the following day? I want to know about the bacteria it attracts out of the fridge. Can I send my son to school with a ham sandwich to eat 4 hours later (room temp)?
• Can we eat a leg of lamb the same day that the animal has been slaughtered?
• Hi!  How long can we keep cooked gounded beef in the refrigerator and can we freeze it after that time? Thank you!
• I pulled out frozen chicken breasts on Wednesday, put them in marinade for Thursday.  Got busy didn't cook them; left them in the refrigerator.  Want to cook them on Saturday. Are they still good?
• Can I put cooked bacon and some cheese in raw hamburger and then freeze it.
• I left frozen chicken corndogs in my car for 1 1/2 hrs. Are they still good? If so, is it ok that I put them back in the freezer?
• Ca we thaw a meat in its original vacuum packed wrapper?
• i made spaghetti sauce with ground beef last night it was done cooking at around 9pm.  I realized in the middle of the night at 3am I forgot to put it in the fridge, tell its still good.
• The expiry date on a box of conserve of duck has passed of 4 months.  Can i still eat it?  Thanks!
• I have purchased some veal meat two to three days ago to prepare a blanquette.  the expiry date on the package is 6/10.  The meat is gray in colour.  Is it normal?
• How long can I safely keep a marinated uncooked turkey in the bottom shelf of the fridge for?
• I obviously did not notice the expiration date on a large pork loin that I bought on Monday. I had the store cut it in 1 inch slices. I did not get around to packaging them, for the freezer, in smaller packages until Wednesday. They feel slimy. Should these pork loin pieces be dumped or are they safe to use. I have them in the freezed now, but I am hesitant to use any of them.
• If I purchase bulk whole pieces of deli cold meats, eg. ham, coppa, salami, pancetta, etc. slice them on my meat slicer and vaccuum pack them with my vaccuum pack machine, how long will these packets last in the refridgerator, and would you suggest it best to freeze the vacuum bags and just take them out when needed. Overall, how long will they keep in the fridge, and how long will they keep in the freezer? Thankyou.
• Hello. I baked a meat Lasagna and took it out of the oven around 6pm. I left it out and didn't put it in the fridge until 1am. Oops! Should I throw it out?
• A CHINESE TAKEAWAY I BOUGHT LAST WAS LEFT OUT OF THE FRIDGE IS IT STILL EDIBLE AS IS STILL IN CONTAINERS.
• jimmy dean pork sausage thawed int he frig. unopened how long will it keep. and be safe to eat
• How long does bacon last and keep in the fridge.. and can be safely eaten.. this has been opened and is in shrink wrap.
• I purchased some duck magret that I froze and I must drive 1,000 kilometers.  How can I carry it and keep it frozen?
• I received a frozen, I mean a completely frozen 22 pound turkey. I accidently left in my car for abour 3 hours only some parts of the turkey were a little defrosted like the bottom and the legs. I came home and put it int the refrigerator.  Is it safe to cook and eat?
• How long can a frozen standing rib roast be kept in the freezer before using it? My friend says over a year, I say that's too old, and it should be thrown out.
• i had order smoked turkey and smoke ham.  It took a week to get where I had it ship too. They said there was no dry ice or nothing. Meat was warm. how long can smoke meats be out and is it safe to eat.  Thank you!
• how long do i cook toupie hams?
• We took out some ribs on last saturday to thaw. they have been in the refrig until the following saturday. Will they be safe to cook and eat?
• i have had raw marinated ribs in a sealed container in the refrigerator for about 48 hours. are they still safe to cook and serve? thankyou!

 

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How long does a ring of ham kielbasa stay fresh and safe to eat?

If the kielbasa was purchased from the deli then it will be treated like a deli meat which is good for 3 to 4 days. If the sausage is in a sealed package, you need to refer to the best before date but usually it is good for 2 weeks. Once the package is opened use the meat within 3 to 5 days.

How long can I freeze fresh homemade sausages?

You can see in my Handy Storage Chart that fresh sausage made with pork or beef may be frozen 1 to 2 months.

I left packaged lunchmeat unopened in a bag at room temperature for about six hours. Is it safe to use?

Unfortunately, you will need to discard the lunchmeat. Any perishable foods left at room temperature for more than two hours can potentially contain harmful bacteria. Refrigeration after will not reduce the bacteria.

We purchased a cooked spiral ham (not canned) 1 week ago. The 'sell by' date is two months from now. We were planning on eating this in 1 week for Easter. However, I'm wondering if the 'sell by' date is wrong. This seems like a long time for a ham to be good even if it is already cooked.

There are a variety of ham products on the market, and the storage times for each can vary. If this is fully cooked, vacuum sealed at the plant, unopened and dated then the 'sell by' date is the best indicator. If the product was undated then in general terms we would state to use the ham within 2 weeks. Keep the ham refrigerated. To reheat, set the oven to 325ºF. A 7 to 9 lb ham will take approximately 14 to 18 minutes per pound to reach an internal temperature of 140ºF (60ºC).

How long do vacuumed packed meats last thawed in the refrigerator?

Thawed, refrigerated meat and poultry should be cooked within two days.

Is beef that is fully cooked safe to eat if it is left out of the refrigerator all night?

Even fully cooked that beef would not be safe if it is left out of the refrigerator more than two hours.  Overnight exposure to room temperature gives enough time for spoilage and/or harmful microorganisms to grow, spoiled the meat and make you sick.  It should be thrown out.

How long will a roast last in the refrigerator if it was frozen when it went in?

If the roast is raw, once thawed it will keep in the refrigerator for 2 to 4 days.  If the roast was cooked and frozen, once thawed in the refrigerator, it will keep for 3 to 4 days.

What is the shelf life of canned luncheon meats , there is no best before date indicated?

Low acid canned foods such as luncheon meats can be stored for 2 to 5 years.
Because canned goods are not perishable within 90 days, they are not required to have a best before date. However, manufacturers do put on a code that will designate when the food was canned. You would have to contact them to find out their code. 

I purchased some hamburger on Sunday and was wondering if it is still good? It has been in the fridge . It is Tuesday -So 3 days is it worth it?

Sunday to Tuesday; that makes only 2 days.  Ground meat can be kept in the fridge for 1 to 2 days so your meat should be safe to eat.

How long will refrigerated hamburger keep?

If you are talking about raw ground beef fresh or thawed in the refrigerator, it should be used within 1 or 2 days.  If the meat is cooked properly, it can be kept refrigerated for 3 to 4 days.

how long does thawed ground beef last in the refrigerator?

Once thawed in the refrigerator, ground beef should be used within 1 or 2 days.

I have had a piece of raw top round in balsamic vinegar for a week, can I still cook it or should I throw it away?

Discard the meat. Marinating the meat will not extend the shelf life of raw meat, even if refrigerated. Check out the storage charts on my website to determine storage time for raw meat in the refrigerator.

After preprared food has thawed, how many days is it safe to keep? (e.g. a cooked brisket thawed yesterday?)

Once thawed in the refrigerator, cooked food keeps for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.

Hello! I took some pork loin chops out of the freezer and placed it in the fridge to thaw 3 days ago. Is it still good to eat? It is past it's expiration date but was wrapped and frozen before that date.

Your pork loin chops should be safe to eat.  Once thawed in the refrigerator, they should be used within two to four days.  They were frozen before their expiration date which would still make them safe to eat.

Hi!  How can we tell if my sterilized spaghetti sauce in Mason jars are well closed?

Once correctly processed in a boiling water canner or pressure canned your jars will be sealed. Sealed lids curve downward and show no movement when pressed gently with fingertips. Unsealed jars must be reprocessed immediately or refrigerated.

How long can you keep turkey breast cold cuts before they go bad?

Use sliced, cold cuts such as turkey breast meat within 2 to 3 days.

I have a marinated burger in the fridge for 3 days is it still safe to eat?

I recommend that fresh ground meat be cooked within one day, even if it is marinated. Three days is too long.

I have purchased AAA veal at the supermarket butcher shop.  The veal is kept in their refrigerator without any wrapping paper and the butcher cut me 2 slices.  Their surrounding was dried slightly hard but the meat did not have any objectionable odor.  Is it hazardous for food poisoning? 

If the veal has been properly refrigerated and stored for the appropriate time, it will be safe. The problem with the drying edges and discolouring of the meat is more of a quality issue and it is something that you can see. I would also be concerned how long the veal has been in the refrigerator and how well it has been handled. I suggest asking the butcher those questions.
UnfortunatelyMicroorganisms that cause foodbourne illness cannot be seen and do not create an odour. That is why it is important to handle meat and other perishable food properly.

It happens sometimes that the sliced ham purchased to make sandwiches become sticky (without bad odor) the day after the package has been opened.  Can we still eat it?  What could cause this viscosity? A preservative?  Thanks!

That stickiness or viscosity is usually a sign that decay of the meat has begun. This is unlikely to make you sick but, in time, the meat will become slimy, produce an odour and change colour.

How long can marinated meat stay fresh in the refrigerator and until I can cook it?

For best quality, only marinate meat or poultry overnight. Longer marinating reduces the quality.

I have prepared a meat loaf and once cooked, I would like to know how long the ground meat will keep in the refrigerator?

Cooked leftover food such as meatloaf can be stored for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. Freeze for longer storage time.

Is it ok to freeze or eat meat if it has been in the fridge two days past the sell buy date

Yes, it is safe. Once purchased, ground meat and raw sausage should be used with 1-2 days, steaks and roasts within 4 days, poultry within 3 days. For more details check the Refrigerator and Freezer Storage Chart on the web site. 

How long can I keep a cooked roast in the fridge until it goes bad? Will it last 7-8 days?

Cooked meat can be stored in the fridge as long as 3-4 days or frozen for as long as 2-3 months.

I bought a precooked ham and left it on my counter for probably about two hours before I realized I forgot to put it in the fridge. Is it still safe to cook and eat?

If the precooked ham was left on your counter longer than two hours, there is a risk it could be contaminated with harmful bacteria, It should then be discarded.

I bought too much turkey breast cold cuts can I freeze them?

Simply package them in an airtight freezer container or wrap and freeze for as long as 2-3 months.

I made spaghetti sauce with ground meat. I forgot to put the container of leftovers in the freezer. How long will this sauce be good in the refrigerator?

Your leftover spaghetti sauce can be refrigerated as long as 3-4 days or frozen during that period for 2-3 months.

Is it safe to prepare meat (and perhaps other foods) in a slow cooker (crock pot)? Any specific tips that I should follow?

The slow cooker can be a convenient appliance and yes, you can prepare meat in a slow cooker. Make sure you read the manufacturers guide for usage of your particular slow cooker. Following are some tips:
When preparing food in a slow cooker, follow these guidelines:

• Start with fresh or thawed meat - not frozen. Do not use a slow cooker to thaw meat.
• Do not use the slow cooker for large roasts or whole chickens.
• Fill a slow cooker no less than half full and more more than two-thirds full. Place slower to cook vegetables at the bottom and around the sides of the pot. Then add meat, cover all the food with liquid such as sauce, broth or water and cover.
• If your slow cooker and your schedule permits, cook meat at HIGH for one hour, then reduce to LOW for the remaining cooking time.
• Check internal temperature to make sure food reaches 160 degrees F.
• Do not delay starting time.
• Only remove the lid to stir or check for doneness.
• Do not reheat foods in slow cooker.
• If you’re away from home during the cooking process and the power goes out, throw away the food even if it appears to be done. If you’re home, finish cooking immediately by some other means. If the cooking was completed before the power went off, the food will be safe for as long as two hours in the cooker.

I pulled out of the freezer a rib roast last Wednesday night and put it in the refrigerator.  We are Saturday, can I still eat it?

Once the roast is thawed, it should be cooked within 3 to 4 days.  In your case, you should be able to cook it safely.

How long is deli sliced roast beef good for?

Recommended storage time for deli meats is 2 to 3 days.

How long can hamburger meat stay fresh in the freezer?

Recommended storage time for ground meats in the freezer is 2 to 3 months. Check out the handy storage charts on my web site for more information on recommended storage time for a variety of foods.

How long will uncooked sausage keep in the fridge?

Check out my handy chart on refrigerator and storage times! For raw sausage recommended storage time in the refrigerator is 1 to 2 days. or 1 to 2 months in the freezer.

If I thaw a stew and I cooked it, can I put it back in the freezer if I have any left since the meat will be cooked then?

Yes you can freeze the stew once it has been cooked. You can also divide the stew into smaller containers so that you can thaw only what you plan to eat at one meal.

I bought a pork loin from Costco, the kind that is marinated and packaged really good. It is 7 days past the sell by date and it has been kept in a cold refrigerator since I bought it. Is it safe to cook it and eat it now?

A product like the marinated meat should be cooked and served within 2 to 3 days. 7 days is too long.

Can I freeze ham?  I vacuum-packed it.  Thanks

Yes, you can freeze ham for a period of 2 to 3 months.

How long should I boil a ring of fresh kielbasa?

You know, I am not sure! This is a question best answered by a recipe book or try finding recipes on the internet.

I thawed a vacuum-packed pork tenderloin and left it for a week in the refrigerator still vacuum packed.  Is it still good to eat?

As long as the tenderloin has been thawed in the refrigerator and remains in the vacuum package, it will be safe to eat after a week. If the colour of the meat remains good and there is no off odour once the package is opened, it should be safe to cook. Of course, this is as long as the meat has been refrigerated all the time! As always, when in doubt, throw it out!

How long can you keep sliced cold meat and still eat it

As long as the meat has been refrigerated right away and wrapped well to keep it from drying out, it can be stored for 2 to 3 days.


How long can we kept cold cuts in the refrigerator once the package is opened?

Use up those deli cold cuts within 2 to 3 days.

I bought a ham last Christmas and cut it in 1/2. We froze the unused 1/2, is it still good? Thanks

The ham will be safe to consume but you may find that the quality is not very good. Once cooked the texture may be tough and watery.

Hi!  I bought a vacuum-packed pork tenderloin.  On the package, there is packaging date but there is no expiry date.  The meat has always been in its vacuum-package and I have it for 12 days now.  Is it still good?  I cannot count on the odour as my sense of smell is poor.  And as for the colour, I don't know; it is the first time that I bought that kind of meat so I do not know what it is supposed to look like. 

The vacuum-packed tenderloin could be stored in the refrigerator for a week. However, it may still be safe beyond that time. Signs of decay include an off-odour (you may smell this even if your sense of smell is not good), the meat will be a darker colour, and the texture becomes slimey. Since the meat has been in the fridge for so long, if you are concerned or in doubt as to its safety or freshness, throw it out.

How long after opening a package of sushi can I eat it? The 'sell-by' date was yesterday.

Sushi is a highly perishable product so it should be eaten within 24 hours. Make sure it is refrigerated during that time.

I purchased some turkey cutlets at the butcher shop tuesday morning.  We are sunday night.  Is it to late to eat them?  Thanks!

I recommend to consume fresh meat like turkey cutlets within 2 to 3 days. Beyond that time you need to check for signs of decay such as an off odour, a slimey, sticky surface or discolouration. 

I cooked to many sausages vacuum packed that I purchased in a supermarket.  Can I freeze them once cooked.

By all means, yes you can freeze the sausages once cooked.  Please use wrappers that go in the freezer and separate your sausage in single portion.  This way, you will be able to thaw quantities that you will need without pulling out of the freezer all the sausages at the same time.  

I have left 2 large cans of duck confit with an expiry date of 10/07/2006 and a can of cassoulet with an expiry date of 06/06/2006.  Are they still safe to eat?  Thanks!

 The expiry or Best Before Date in Canada is the date to which the food manufacturer guarantees the product will be of top quality and safety. Depending on how the product has been stored, after that date, there will be a gradual loss of quality and, eventually, there may be food safety issues. Use these products as soon as possible, checking for signs of spoilage when they are opened.

Hi!  I prepared a horse roast yesterday.  How long can I keep it in the refrigerator?  If I remove the cooking juice, would that extend the time of preservation?  Thank you!

Once cooked, your horse roast will keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.  Removing the cooking juice will not extend its shelf life.  However, if you want to keep it longer, freeze it by preparing individual portions and wrap them well.  This way, it will keep for 2 to 3 months and you will be able to thaw quantities that you need for a meal.

I bought hamburger meat and thawed it in the fridge and never didn't eat it when I planned to so it's been sitting in the fridge for 4-5 days. Can I still eat it? I was going to make tacos.

I recommend that you discard the ground meat as it is an very perishable product that should be cooked within 1 to 2 days.

I have a butt ham in the freezer for one year. Is it safe to cook.

Ham producers recommend that ham be stored in the freezer no longer than 3 months. After that time you will notice loss of quality such as flavour, texture and nutritional value. Discard the ham.

If I cook a honey roast ham for xmas how long will it keep for and how do i store it

Ham, other than canned ham, can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days and frozen for 2 to 3 months. Canned ham can be stored, unopened, for 6 to 9 months and should not be frozen.

After I cooked my marinated kal-bi I still had extra sauce so, we decided to dip out cooked kal-bi into the sauce for extra taste. Is that bad?

If you used the marinade as a sauce, that's not a safe thing to do because the marinade may be contaminated with harmful bacteria.   

Does the ground beef already sold in packages freeze well?  I have some vacuum packed duck magret that is frozen for close to a year, is it still good to eat?

The ground beef will freeze well if it is well wrapped before being put in the freezer and it will keep for 2 to 3 months that way.  For the duck magret, it will still be safe to eat but since it was frozen for close to a year, its quality might not be as good as it was initially.

how long can I keep beef frozen before using

If you consult my Handy Charts for Storage from my Website, you would be able to see that beef pieces such as steaks and roast will keep for 10 to 12 months in the freezer pending that they are all well-wrapped to prevent freezer burn.  Ground beef keeps for 2 to 3 months in the freezer.  Again it has to be well-wrapped.  Always thaw your meat in the refrigerator. 

I purchased a honey baked ham and found out that someone in the house left the fridge cracked open all night for about 5 hours the ham was cold when I bought in fact frozen do you think this safe to eat

If the ham was left at temperatures above 4 degrees C/40 degrees F for longer than two hours, it should be discarded.You should keep a refrigerator thermometer in your fridge so that you would know the exact temperature when you discover that it has been left open. As it is, there is doubt. When in doubt, throw it out.

How long can I keep cooked sliced ham in the refrigerator once opened and wrapped in a clear plastic wrap?

Your opened package of sliced cooked ham would keep in the refrigerator for three to four days.

Can we freeze half salted raw meat?  Thanks!

Yes, you can freeze half salted meat. But salt inhibits good freezing. So, depending on the amount of salt in the meat, the maximum freezer storage time would be shortened to two to three months.

I prepared meatloaf yesterday but didn't cook it. Can I still cook part of if and put the uncooked portion in the freezer?

They are many aspects to look into with your question.  We can assume that you used ground meat to prepare your meatloaf.  Was it fresh ground meat or did you have to thaw it before making the meatloaf?  Once kept or thaw in the refrigerator, ground meat should be cooked in the next one to two days.  So if you used fresh or thawed ground meat yesterday to prepare your meatloaf, it would be safe to put the raw portion in the freezer the day after as long as your meatloaf or ground beef used did not stay at room temperature for more than 2 hours.  Cook it well at 71 degrees C (160 degrees F).  If you are in doubt, cook your meatloaf completely and freeze any unused portions.

I bought ham sliced and prepacked. We opened it and used some. Now 2 days later can I freeze the unused ham?

If the ham was a pre-sealed package of sliced ham and was within the Best Before Date, it can be frozen for one to two months with some loss of quality. If the ham was from the store's deli, it should be used within three days of purchase.

How long can I keep in the refrigerator  a vegetable stew (pot au feu style) made of turnips, carrots and cabbage?

Your vegetable stew (pot au feu style) would keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days and if you freeze it, it will keep for 2 to 3 months.

I cooked pork one week ago.  Can I freeze it and be safe?

No, it cannot be safely frozen. Cooked meat can only be safely stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Your pork should be discarded.

Hi!..If the presealed sliced ham purchased to make sandwiches became sticky (without bad odor) after having been opened and refrigerated (air tight, but not vacuumed)for 5 days. Can we still eat it if thermo processed again- like fryed or something ? Thanks...

If your pre-sliced ham has spoiled after being stored for too long, it should be discarded. Cooking will not restore quality and may not eliminate harmful bacteria.

I bought a frozen turkey breast & put it in refrigerator to thaw for about 2 days before Thanksgiving & did not cook it..is it ok to refreeze it for another time???

If the turkey breast was defrosted in the refrigerator, it would be safe to refreeze it. But when defrosted the second time, cook it and use it.

After preparing a marinade for a beef tenderloin last evening around 11:00, I forgot to put in the refrigerator until this morning around 6. Is is still ok?

No!  You should not use that marinade as harmfull bacteria could have take the opportunity to grow while sitting a room temperature for more than 2 hours.  It should be thrown out.

I have purchased a vacuum packed double smoked ham from Costco. It says it was packaged Nov.27th and the best before date says Jan.29th. Is that the best before date after it's frozen or can I keep it in the fridge until then? If That's the frozen best before date how long can I keep it in the fridge before I should freeze it?

If the product is sold refrigerated and the package indicates to keep it refrigerated, the expiry date will apply to the refrigeration and not the freezing.  Vaccum-packed product would keep longer in the refrigerator than regular packaging.  Once approaching the expiry date, if you have not opened the package or you do not plan to use the product before it expiry date, it could be put in the freezer safely and should keep for 2 to 3 more months.

I cooked a lamb shoulder after I did thaw it.  I did not use it after all.  Can I refreeze it for a short period of time?

Once thawed meat has been cooked, it is safe to refreeze it. But freeze in single use portions so there will be no leftovers for refreezing.

Can we freeze a raw food that we have cooked after thawing?

Yes, a raw food, thawed in the refrigerator or in a sink of cold water, replacing the water with more cold water every 45 minutes can be safely cooked, quickly cooled and refrozen.

how long does smoke turkey legs last in the fridge?

If they are cooked, smoked turkey legs will keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.  If they are raw, 2 to 3 days.

Can I store boiled ham in the freezer?

It is safe to store boiled ham in the freezer for 2 months. But there will be loss of quality.

I am travelling with vacuum sealed frozen meat (brisket, ham, turkey, etc.). The meat will be in a soft sided cooler. It will be 8 hours from the freezer to it's destination. Will the meat be alright?

To be sure the meat is safe, you should be certain that the temperature in your cooler remains at 4 degrees C/40 degrees F or lower for the 8 hours. Test the efficiency of your bag by packing it with other frozen items such as ice filled milk cartons and storing the cooler at the same temperature at which it will be stored during the 8 hours. Measure the temperature with a refrigerator thermometer.

I have a turkey in the refrigerator with an expiry date passed since yesterday.  Can I still wait one or two days before cooking it.

It depends of the conditions of the turkey.  Was it frozen before you put it in the refrigerator?  A frozen turkey can be kept beyong it expiry date.  If it was put in the refrigerator to be thawed, it should be cooked within two days after it is completely thawed.

Can we freeze some raw horse hash?

Youshould be able to freeze that product without any problem.  Make sure it is well wrapped.  It will keep in the freezer for 2 to 3 months. 

How long can I keep cooked grounded meat with taco seasonings in the refrigerator?

Cooked grounded meat with taco seasonings will keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.

I have heard about pork products being full of bacteira. Is this true? And if so what types of bacteria is in it?

Pork products are safe. Pork muscle meat as any other animal is sterile.  It could get contaminated at slaughter or during handling.  Producers follow stringent guidelines to assure their products are as safe as possible. And food safety standards are enforced all along the production chain from farm to the retail store. However, pork, like any fresh meat is a perishable product and has to be kept refrigerated and cooked to a safe temperature of 71C (160F) by consumers.  Among bacteria that could be present, think of the ones present in the environment such as Listeria or aerobic bacteria that will spoil the meat with time.  That why it is so important to refrigerate and cook your food properly. 

We cooked a large smoked ham (with bone) and ate part of it 7 days ago. The meat was removed from the bone two days after cooking the ham. Is this ham still okay to eat on day 7? Thank you

Cooked meat such as ham can only be safely stored in the fridge for as long as 4 days.

I have thawed Thursday 28/12 a piece of beef with an expiry date of 20/11/06.  Can I still use it without any risks knowing that I did not pull it out of the packaging.

If the beef was frozen before the Best Before Date and wrapped for the freezer, it would be safe to use for 10 to 12 months.

i purchased a striploin roast and a tenderloin roast back in May,2006 and its was vacuum sealed and then frozen since then. i am going to pull them out of the freezer this week and cook them, will they still be good or should i throw away?

Beef roasts can be frozen safely without loss of quality for 1 year.

I cooked a pork roast in a crock pot and froze it. I took it out of the freezer after a month and warmed it up. Is it okay to refreeze it a second time?

Each time a perishable food like a pork roast is frozen, defrosted and reheated, the risk of contamination with harmful bacteria increases. So, when you freeze leftovers, package them in single use amounts so the whole leftover roast will not have to be defrosted.

I had a frozen turkey that I thawed in the refrigerator Thursday.  They say that it takes three days to thaw in the refrigerator and I want to cook it Sunday.  Is it still good?  The turkey was deeply frozen

Once thawed in the refrigerator a turkey should be cooked within 2 to 3 days.  In your case,  if the turkey was taken out last Thursday, it will be safe and still good to cook it Sunday.

I purchased a tri-tip, 1.5 lbs roast that has been marinated in a bordalaise marinade from a meat market, they did the marinade. Purchased Mon how long can I keep it in the refrigerator?

A marinade does not extend the shelf life of the meat. It should be cooked within 3 to 4 days.

I had frozen turkey BURGERS, then I thawed them in my refrigerator, and forgot about them. It has been over three days (At least), are they still good to eat?

Ground turkey is very perishable. You turkey burgers should have been cooked within two days.

Hi!  I pulled out some game meat (moose) cubes from the freezer to thaw them in the refrigerator on Tuesday night and I marinated them on Wednesday at noon.  They were still a little bit frozen.  Can I eat them on Friday night?  Thanks!

The cubes of game meat will be safe to eat if marinated in the refrigerator for two days.  They should be cooked on the second day.

Is it advisable to leave freshly made sausage in an unclosed package in the fridge for 1-2 days so that it can dry out a bit before freezing it?

As long as the sausage has been kept at refrigeration temperature, it will be safe. I would not leave it much longer than 2 days in the fridge before freezing. However, I am not sure why you want to dry out the sausage and if leaving it in the fridge for several days will accomplish your goal.

We accidentally left a package of vacuum-sealed pancetta, a slab of parmesan cheese and a package of fresh ravioli out on the counter for about 4 hours. Is any of this still safe to eat?

No, all of these foods are perishable and have been left in the danger zone temperature for more than 2 hours. They may not be safe to consume.

I cooked a pork tenderloin last night and left it on the counter - didn't realize it until morning. Served it at 10 pm central and found it on the counter at 7 am central. Is it safe to eat? Thank you

When cooked pork is left on the counter at room temperature longer than two hours, it should be discarded.

I have raw hamburger meat in the fridge its been in there about a week is it still good? My fridge is cooler than most fridges it around 35 degrees F.

Your ground meat should be discarded. Ground meat is very perishable and so should only be refrigerated as long as two days even at the lower temperature or it should be frozen for three months.

Can you reheat meat leftovers the next day?

Yes, meat leftovers may be eaten cold or reheated to 165 degrees F/74 degrees C.

Can I make a marinade and freeze meat (chicken breast, steaks, pork chops) in it?

Yes, meat and poultry can be frozen in a marinade. But it should be cooked as soon as defrosted. A marinade does not extend the length of time raw meat and poultry can be kept.The shelf life for chicken and turkey is 2 to 3 days and for beef and pork 2 to 4 days including the day of purchase and thawing time.

Is it safe to keep meats or fishes in a marinade made with vinegar for a week?  Would it be better to refreeze  cooked meat or raw meat kept for three days in the refrigerator?

Marinating does not extend the shelf life of meat. Therefore the maximum time meat can be marinated is four days and poultry three days. Ground meat would be two days. However, it's recommended foods be marinated only overnight as the quality will deteriorate after that. It is safe to store both raw and cooked meat for four days in the refrigerator.

Hello. I bought ground beef, boneless chicken breasts, and chicken liver. They were packaged and refrigerated. Their expiry date is after 3 days. I left them at room temperature 20 degrees for 13 hours. Can I still cook them? Thank you for your help. Nour

No, do not cook these foods.  You will have to throw them out because they have spent moren than 2 hours at roon temperature.  Ground beef and chicken may contain extremely harmfil bacteria that can make you very sick.  Even if they are throrougly cooked, toxins can still be present and make you sick.  Don't take that chance throw everything out.

I left a bolognese sausage that I have prepared with grounded meat (beef) all night at room temperature (out of the refrigerator).  I ate it at 2 pm today and now I am afraid to be sick.

Yes, there is a risk that your sausage was contaminated with harmful bacteria because it was left unrefrigerated for a lot longer than two hours. Food borne illness may occur three to 72 hours after consumption of contaminated food. If it does occur, keep hydrated and see a doctor if symptoms persist. 

I would like to know if I can put meat that does not have any blood in the refrigerator?  There is no risks.

All fresh or cooked meat with presence of blood or not should be kept refrigerated at all time and consumed as soon as possible.  Make sure that the blood (if present) does not leak on other foods.  Put the meat in a container and place it on the bottom shelf in the refrigerator.

Can we freeze black blood pudding?

Black blood pudding may be safely frozen, but there may be some loss of quality. Divide into single use portions before freezing to avoid repeated thawing and freezing.

I made seafood cioppino containing clams, fish, shrimp and scallops. How long will that last once cooked and refrigerated?

When figuring out the shelf life of a mixed food, it would be that of the ingredient with the shortest one. In this case, it's seafood which when cooked should be used within two days.

Hi!  I bought some frozen chinese fondue meat that I thawed in the refrigerator.  I had to much of it, so I put it back in the freezer.  Is it still good or should I throw it away?

As long as the meat was thawed in the refrigerator at 4 degrees C/40 degrees F or below and refrozen within two days, it should be safe to use. But repeated thawing, even in the refrigerator, and refreezing may increase the risk of contamination with harmful bacteria and loss of quality. 

I found the jackpot in my chest freezer: pork tenderloin dating September 2004 and a whole (small) chicken from slightly earlier. Can these still be used? Is it a taste issue or a safety issue?

Pork tenderloin and whole chicken can be stored in the freezer as long as 12 months. After that there will be gradual loss of quality including flavour, texture, nutritional value and eventually food safety issues may develop. 

I have a bone in vaccuum packed ham that is two months past the 'use by' date, can we still eat it?

After the "Best Before Date" there is a gradual loss of quality including taste, texture and nutritional value and eventually food safety issues may develop.  

I have marinated ground beef overnight with garlic and ginger etc. I skewered it today at 3 pm. My friends will come at 8 pm. Can I leave the skewered meat in the oven (uncooked) till about 7 pm when I intend to cook it. I don't have space to keep in the refrigerator.

This is a very risky thing to do. If your skewers of ground beef are left at room temperature in the oven, there is an increasing risk that they will be contaminated with harmful bacteria.

I bought roast chicken over a week ago and stored it in the refrigerator. It's now been 10 days I have still have some leftover. Can I reheat in an oven to eat or should I toss it out? I just think my stomach is made of ironsteel.

Cooked chicken should only be stored in the refrigerator as long as 3 to 4 days. Discard your leftovers. Your stomach may be strong, but you could still be affected by harmful bacteria.

I started thawing a 4 lb top round roast,in the refrigerator, on Thursday. It was still partially frozen until Tuesday. Today is Wednesday, how long will it keep now that it is fully thawed.

Once fully thawed, your roast should be cooked within two days.

I bought hamburger meat about 5 days ago it expired on 3/6/07 today is 3/7/07 is it safe to cook and then freeze.

Ground meat should be kept refrigerated and used or frozen within 1 to 2 days after purchase.

Can I safely freeze a 1 lb. wedge of blue cheese, and if so, for how long?

Keep blue cheese frozen for no longer than 8 weeks. Thaw in the refrigerator and use as soon as possible. When thawed, there may be changes in appearance or texture.

Hi, I purchased veal from the supermarket. The sell by date is next week. I haven't cooked it yet but the flesh is slightly beige and there's an eggy smell off it. Should I bother cooking it? I'm going to give a small quantity to my 6 month old daughter if it's ok.

Unless veal is packaged in a controlled atmosphere package, it should be cooked within 3 to 4 days. The smell may be an indication that spoilage has begun. Check with your supermarket that a dating error has not been made. Do not cook it and feed it to your 6-month old daughter. Toddlers are at greater risk for food borne illness.  

I thawed in the refrigerator some meat (beef) for a chinese fondue on Saturday.  I had an extra package.  How long can it stayin the refrigerator? 

Once defrosted, meat should be cooked within two days.

What is the best way to store cold luncheon meats in the fridge?

Luncheon meats should be refrigerated in their packages for no longer than 3 to 4 days in the meat keeper or other cold part of the fridge. 

How can I cook a roast pork?

Mrs. Cookwell does not provide recipes. But there are several organizations that have websites with hundreds of pork recipes and directions for cooking. See Albertapork.ca and leporc.gc.ca. Whatever recipe you use, pork should be cooked to a safe temperature of 71 degrees C ( 160 degrees F) as measured with a meat thermometer.

How long can I keep ham slices in a Tupperware container in the fridge?

Fully cooked sliced ham can be safely refrigerated for 3 to 4 days. Sliced deli ham can also be refrigerated 3 to 4 days.

I just realized that my vacuum packaged ham slices have past their best before date since 12/03/07.  They don't look spoiled, can I still consume them?

Products like packaged ham slices should not be eaten more than a week past their Best Before Date. That date is the maximum amount of time the food manufacturer knows they will be of good quality and safe.

I thawed a 10 pound prime rib roast for company who did not come. I put it back into the freezer. Will it be safe to thaw again and cook?

It is safe to refreeze a raw roast if it has been defrosted in a refrigerator at temperatures at or below 4 degrees C/40 degrees F. or it still contains ice crystals. But the thawed roast should not be refrigerated for several days and then refrozen.

I boiled a corned beef with cabbage and vegies last night, refrigerated leftovers but forgot to put the boiling liquid in fridge. I wanted to use the liquid for cabbage soup. If it is boiled again is it safe for consumption?

If the boiling liquid has been allowed to remain at room temperature longer than two hours (including cooling time) it may not be safe for consumption. Boiling will destroy harmful bacteria that may have developed, but if toxins have been produced, they may not be destroyed.

My friend put a pork loin in the freezer and it expired October of 06 and it is now March of 07.Is it still good?

If the pork loin was frozen before the Best Before Date it would be of good quality and safe to eat for 12 months.

My friend put a pork loin in the freezer and it expired October of 06 and it is now March of 07.Is it still good?

If the pork loin roast was frozen before the Best Before Date, it would be of good quality and safe for 12 months.

I ordered seared prime rib at a restaurant, and of course, couldn't finish. What is the best way to reheat the steak to cook out the bacteria and avoid food poisoning?

When reheating leftovers, heat to piping hot 74 degrees C/165 degrees F. But the food may still not be safe if it has not been kept cold. From the time the steak left the restaurant kitchen until you put it in your fridge, it should not have been more than two hours.

How long can I keep a raw steaklet of duck in the fridge? 

A piece of raw duck can be safely refrigerated two to three days or frozen for six months.

After cooking my spaghetti sauce all day, I had intended to have it cook on low through the night. I must have set the temperature one notch too low because the burner was not on when I got up this morning. The sauce was hot at 10:30 p.m. but cool at 6:30 a.m. it contained meatballs, beef and 1 pork chop. Is it ok to serve for dinner? 

Do not serve your spaghetti sauce for dinner. Throw it out. Because it was left at room temperature longer than two hours, there is an increasing risk that it may be contaminated with bacteria which can cause illness.

If a sausage is left at room temperature for 6 hours then frozen will it go bad. Also can I micro-wave it to make it safe to eat after all this has happened, and if I can for how long should it be micro-waved for.

If a sausage is left at room temperature longer than two hours (one hour in the summer), there is a risk that it will develop harmful bacteria. Freezing the sausage will inactivate but not kill these bacteria. Then heating it in the microwave will not necessarily make it safe to eat because some bacteria may produce heat resistant toxins.

I have bought bacon at the butcher;  I have cut it and put it in the fridge.  How long can I keep it for?

Bacon can be refrigerated as long as one week.

How expiry date on foods does get established?

According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency website, the durable life (Best Before Date) is the amount of time that an unopened product will retain all of its wholesomeness, taste, nutritional value, and any other qualities claimed by the manufacturer, when stored under appropriate conditions. All food that have a shelf life of less than 90 days must have an expiry date shown on their label.  Manufacturers and retailers are responsible for determining the durable life of foods they manufacture and sell. Durable life information is not a guarantee of product safety.

I bought a spiral sliced honey ham, fully cooked today, one week prior to Easter. I noted that it is only to be refrigerated for 3-4 days so I put it in the freezer. After reading some of your Q/A, I noted that hams become dry, less flavorful after being frozen. I believe it is vacuum packed. Would it be better to keep it in the refrigerator a few days longer or should I keep it frozen?

Freezing for a few days will not affect the safety of your ham but may reduce the quality slightly. But, now that it is frozen, keep it frozen until ready to defrost and use.

I bought bacon at the store and did not put up all my groceries when I got home. The bacon sat in my kitchen for 5 hours. Is it safe?

The bacon is perishable and if left at room temperature longer than two hours (one hour in the summer) there is a risk that if harmful bacteria are present they would multiply and cause foodborne illness. It should be discarded.

Yesterday, I thawed a roast beef and a roast pork in a slow cooker filled with water.  The meats were in their wrapper and had spent all night in the water.  Can I cook them?

This is definitely not a safe way to thaw meat. Because the meat may have been kept at an unsafe temperature, there may be a risk that any harmful bacteria that could be in the meat would mulitply rapidly when food is left at room temperature. The safe way to thaw meat is in a refrigerator or in a sink of COLD water, changing the water every 45 minutes.

How long can I keep deboned cooked chicken in the refrigerator? 

Boneless cooked chicken can be refrigerated three to four days.

I purchased a whole mutton and left it at room temperature for 2 days.  Is it dangerous to consume?

When meat is left at room temperature longer than two hours, there is a risk that harmful bacteria that could be present will grow in numbers that could cause food poisoning due to their presence or to the formation of toxins that are not destroyed by any cooking means.  Yes, it woud be dangerous to consume.

I have cooked ground pork meat for several hours (to prepare meat pâtés).  I wanted to put the pot in the refrigerator the same evening before going to bed but I forgot about it and noticed the pot the morning after.  Can I salvage the meat to make my meat pâtés?

No, the meat cannot be salvaged! If cooked ground pork is left at room temperature longer than two hours there is a risk that it may be contaminated with harmful bacteria that would have multiplied.

I prepared & froze a bolognese sauce. I am thawing it now & plan to heat it through with some passata & then use it (with bechamel)for lasagna which I will serve 1 day later. Is that ok? thx

Preparation of your lasagna a day ahead would be safer if all of the components are cold before it is assembled. If not, the lasagna should be baked after being put together and rewarmed the day you plan to serve it. 

I thawed out a pound of frozen shrimp, in the refrigerator, on Thursday can I still use them on Sunday?

Defrosted raw shrimp can be  refrigerated 1 to 2 days. If the shrimp were cooked they could be refrigerated 3 days.  In your case, if we give the shripms 24 hours to thaw in the refrigerator, they will be fine to use on Sunday.

I put packaged frozen ground beef in a cooler with ice, Friday evening. Meat was kept on ice but was thawing. Meat was completely thawed by about Sun morning or early afternoon. Meat was kept in ice. It is now Tues. Am i pushing it to cook it tonight or should I just throw it away?

Ground beef is extremely perishable and to be safe should be cooked within 48 hours of thawing.  In your case, it should be fine as long as it is cooked Tuesday night.

I thawed out pork chops on Thursday and it is now Monday. They have been in the fridge, is it still safe to cook and eat them?

Once your pork chops were defrosted in the fridge, they should have been cooked within 48 hours.

I prepared deep frozen vegetables by boiling them.  I ate some but did not eat it all.  So since there was some left over; I put it in the refrigerator.  How long can I keep it before eating some again?  Is 4 days good?  Thanks!

Leftover cooked vegetables should be refrigerated and eaten within 3 to 4 days.

We grilled a beef tenderloin last night. We sliced it all and we had lots left over. What is the best way to reheat for the next night's supper?

Sliced beef tenderloin that was refrigerated within an hour of grilling, can be eaten cold, added to a stir fry, heated in a microwave or oven to 74C/165F.   For more recipes, please visit the Beef Information Centre website at this URL:

www.beefinfo.org


I bought a flank steak last Sunday and the sell by date was the following Tuesday. Is it still safe to eat tonight? Tomorrow will be a week past the sell by date.

Raw beef steaks may be refrigerated as long as four days after the packaged on date before cooking. If the date is a Best Before Date, the meat should be cooked on or before that date.

Hi!  My 5 year old daughter ate by mistake half a slice of chicken (presented as a thin slice if ham and purchased in a prepacked container).  Package must have been opened for a week and the expiry date has been passed 10 days ago.  The slice did not change physically, no bad taste, no odour.  Is she risking something?  There are no symptoms so far in the first 18 hours.  Which bacteria could develop?  Should she pass some medical exams?  Can she have listeriosis?  

That slice of chicken was certainly past its peak of quality. After the Best Before Date 10 days ago, there will be gradual loss of quality. But the risk of being exposed to harmful bacteria is hard to predict. Unless food borne illness develops. she will not need any medical exams.  The incubation period for Listeria monocytogenes is 2 to 6 weeks but may show up faster with a child.  If the child is well right now, chances are that she will be just fine.

I want to preserve some fish pâtés after seasoning and before cooking them.  At what temperature should I preserve them?  After storage,  can I cooked them without risk?  Thanks!

Your seasoned fish pâtés must be stored in hte refrigerator at a temperature of 4 degrees C / 40 degrees F or less or you can freeze them at -18 degrees C / 0 degree F.  In the refrigerator, they will keep for 3 to 4 days and up to six months in the freezer.  You will be able to cook them without any risk.

Hi, I have some beef stewing steaks that are 7 days beyond their use-by date. They are discoloured, but otherwise smell fine. The steaks were kept in their store package until today. Can I still use them?

In Canada stewing beef steaks would be labeled with a packaged on date. The beef should be used within 2-4 days of that date or if there is a Best Before Date on or before that date. You may not be able to detect spoilage or harmful bacteria by smell, sight or taste.  

How long will vacuum packed beef tenderloin last in the freezer?

A beef tenderloin can be frozen for 12 months without loss of quality. Vacuum packaging will extend that freezer life and will protect the quality of the beef.

I cooked a pork roast one week ago today. After 3 days of eating on it, I sliced it up, simmered it in BBQ sauce and have been eating on it since, heating it up each time. If I reheat it again, is it still safe?

Leftover cooked pork should not be refrigerated longer than 3 to 4 days. And no, this time does not start over each time the pork is reheated. If there are harmful bacteria present, reheating may not make the food safe because some bacteria produce heat resistant toxins. 

What is the best kind of wrapper that should be used to keep fish pâtés after seasoning them?  Thanks!

Fish pâtés will keep well if they are not exposed to air.  Sealed containers should be used.  If you keep them in the refrigerator, a simple clear plastic sheet (saran wrap style) might be sufficient.  If you put them in the freezer, use containers or zipped style plastic bags that are designed for freezers.

Can I freeze sliced deli cold cuts? (turkey, ham, liverwurst)

All deli cold cuts may be safely frozen but the quality will vary depending on the type of cold cut. Turkey will freeze well but ham may become quite moist and the texture of liverwurst may be affected. Be sure to defrost in the fridge and use as soon as possible.

Eatable or not?  I cooked a crossed rib roast and wanted to left it out for it to cool down.  I forgot it for 2 hours on the counter.  Can we still eat it?  My boyfriend says yes and I do tell him no.  I am hesitating because as I am looking at it, I cannot believe that we cannot eat it.  An answer before dinner time on Monday would be appreciated.

Your rib roast has been exposed to room temperature for the time limit where it is considered to be still safe to eat.  Perishable foods can stay at room temperature for 2 hours maximum (one hour during summer months) before bacterial growth could take place.  Knowing this, your roast should be safe to eat given the fact that it has been properly cooked.

defrosted a steak in the refrigerator - did not cook. Put thawed steak back in freezer to refreeze. Is it safe to defrost again and cook? Thank you.

If the steak was thawed in the refrigerator and refrozen while there were still ice crystals or as soon as it was defrosted, it may be safe to defrost again and cook. But this should not be done more than once or there may be a buildup of harmful bacteria and loss of quality.

Last night my wife fully cooked two meatloaves made of ground turkey in oven bags last night. we ate one and the other still needed time...afterwards we forgot to take the meatloaf out of the oven and put it in the fridge, it finished cooking at about 9pm. in the morning we realized our carelessness, my wife said it's no good, i told her to stick it in the fridge. it was still in tact, sealed in the oven bag. is it still o.k to eat? 

It would not be o.k to eat the meatloaf once it is left at room temperature for longer than one hour. There is a risk that harmful bacteria could develop.  Even if the meat loaf is in the sealed oven bag, sporeformer bacteria present in the food and resisting heat would develop at room temperature, spoil the product and cause illness by multiplying and producing toxins.

How long can you safely eat canned (Reece's) brisling sardines packed in water. (lightly smoked-cocktail)

Canned sardines packaged for pantry storage can be stored unopened for three to four years.

I ate expired lunch meat 6 days after the expiration is it okay??

Time will tell. Food should not be eaten after the Best Before Date because there will be loss of quality and with some foods like lunch meat, harmful bacteria may develop if they have contaminate the product.

Can we keep horse ground meat purchased that morning until the next day at lunch?  In what kind of container can we keep it?

Yes you can keep the meat until that time as long as it it refrigerated al the time.  You can keep it in its original package or transfer it in a clean plastic container.

Friday night I noticed my son had turned the freezer to zero.  The ground beef had thawed a bit but my husband put it back to freeze, so I took it out Sat morning and put it in the fridge today is Monday and i'm wondering is it still good to eat!?!

If the ground beef still contained ice crystals and felt as cold as if in the fridge, it would be safe to defrost, cook and eat within 48 hours of being defrosted in the refrigerator.

All my frozen meat is no good since a year or two ago.  Should I throw everything away or can I eat some foods such as knaki?

It will depend of their conditions and how long they have been kept frozen.  If you consider it as being no good, by all means throw it out.  If you have doubt about them, throw them out.  You might want to watch for freezer burns and dryness.  For sure, there will be loss of quality.

How long can we keep a spaghetti sauce in the refrigerator?

You can keep your spaghetti sauce in the refrigerator as long as five days

After freezing prepackaged lunch meat like oscar mayer bologna or hotdogs, how long will they still be good for in the fridge after defrosting?

If the package of lunch meat was frozen unopened at least 5 days before the Best Before Date, then once defrosted it should be used within 3 to 5 days. 

Is hamburger that has been in the fridge that was bought from the deli on May 29th,2007 and it's now June 7th, 2007 any good still?

Fresh ground meat should be used or frozen within 1 to 2 days of purchase.  You should throw away that meat.

Is roast beef with an iridescent color still safe to eat.

Iridescent colour does not indicate decreased quality or safety of the meat. Various pigments in meat can give it an iridescent or greenish colour when the meat is exposed to heat and processing.

I prepared some hamburgers last night and used a raw egg to bind the meat mixture. I only cooked some of them and left the remaining ones in the fridge. Is it ok to cook the remaining ones tonight?

In adding a raw egg to fresh ground beef and shaping it into hamburgers, you have increased the risk that it could be contaminated with harmful bacteria so the burgers should be cooked as soon as possible. The day after would all be indicated.

Can luncheon meat kept in the fridge for longer than 1 week cause gas bloating and diarrhea?

Packaged lunch meats should be used before their Best Before Date or once opened within 3 to 5 days. Lunch meats purchased in the deli should be used within 3 to 4 days. The symptoms you
describe can be caused by food borne bacteria. 

I made Sloppy Joe's last night using hamburger, onions and mix, and forgot to put the leftovers in the fridge. The leftovers were left in the saucepan, on the stove with the glass lid on overnight at room temperature. Is it still good to refrigerate or eat?

Your Sloppy Joe's sound delicious!  As it is a perishable food that requires refrigeration, it is not recommended to eat your leftovers.  Bacteria grow very well in the temperature range of 4ºC - 60ºC.  To prevent bacterial growth in perishable foods, food should be refrigerated within 2 hours. 

If hamburger was cooked and then put into the fridge, how long before it would be bad to eat?

Refrigerated, cooked hamburger should be eaten within 3 - 4 days.

I prepared a lamb shank dish which was cooked for 3 hours in wine/stock/garlic, then a sauce was prepared from the stewing liquid and poured over, it was then topped with caramelized onion. I had one shank left over which I have stored with some of the sauce and onion in the fridge for 48 hours. I thought I would eat it tonight but I can't - would it be ok for me to freeze it now for eating later? I wouldn't eat it if it was in the fridge any longer but thought it would be ok if I froze it. I normally freeze things immediately after cooking but I thought I would be eating this sooner rather than later.

Leftover cooked meat dishes should be refrigerated no longer than four days. So your lamb shank can be frozen for two to three months. But when it is defrosted, eat it right away. Freezing does not destroy bacteria. It just inactivates them.

I cooked a beef roast 7 days ago, is it still alright to eat sandwiches made from it?

Cooked roast beef should be used or frozen within four days. 

Can you refreeze hot dogs that were thawed in the refrigerator?

Hotdogs can be thawed in the refrigerator and refrozen once. So before refreezing, divide the hotdogs into single use amounts

My husband and I were helping cleaning out my grandmas freezer there was meat in there that is past the expiration date. She thinks there still okay, but i want to make sure, i don't want her to get sick. Is meat that has been frozen before the expiration date still good to eat? and what should be the limit on the expiration dates?

Frozen meats such as beef and pork roasts may be frozen for 8 - 12 months.  Frozen ground meats may be frozen for 2 - 3 months.  And frozen poultry may be frozen for 6 months (for poultry parts) and up to 1 year for whole poultry.  After this recommended storage time, quality of the food item may be affected.  Freezer burn, which are dry spots on frozen foods, may occur and can simply be cut away and the food safely eaten. 

I have noticed that my wrapped ham has expired since June 19th (3 days ago).  Can we still eat it?  Do we risk something?

A wrapped ham should be used or frozen on or before the Best Before Date.

The blood pudding that we purchased at the butcher shop; is it already cooked?  Is so can we eat it like that at room temperature?

Blood pudding is normally sold pre-cooked. But to be safe, check with the butcher shop where it is purchased.

Is it ok to eat hotdog's right out of the package? Do they need to be cooked even though the package states "fully cooked" ??

Hot dogs should be cooked before eating to 74 degrees C/ 165 degrees F to destroy bacteria that may develop after the hot dogs are processed.  This is important for people that are at risk of contracting food poisoning, people such as children, pregnant women, the elderly and sick individuals with a weak immune system.

I partially thawed a fully cooked smoked turkey on Saturday and put in the fridge to complete the thaw, is it still going to be good by Monday?

If the turkey was frozen right after cooking and it was partially thawed in the refrigerator or sealed in a package in a sink of cold water (and not at room temperature) and the thawing completed in the fridge, it can be stored for 3 to 4 days.

We went camping on Thrusday and came back on Sunday. When we came back our freezer on top of our refrigerator had been turned off. All the meat that was frozen was vaccuum packed but room temperature to the touch. Is it edible?  I meant to ask if it was edible to eat if i refreeze it.

Vacuum packaging may preserve the quality and extend the shelf life but the meats must still be kept refrigerated or frozen. The meat should be discarded because it was at room temperature two hours or more so there is a risk it could be contaminated with harmful bacteria.

I purchased sausages that were vacuum packed.  I planned to visit my daughter who lives 1200 kilometers away using a cooler and large ice blocks to carry them.  Right now they are in the refrigerator since Saturday June 28th and we could not leave on time.  Is there any danger while keeping them refrigerated?

If your sausages are the cooked type, they can be refrigerated for two weeks. Fresh or raw sausages can only be refrigerated seven days.

I have an opened box of pâté in the refrigerator for a week now.  Is it still safe to eat?

Once opened, pâté should be kept refrigerated and used within 3 to 4 days.

I defrosted and marinated a pork tenderloin 2 days ago. Can I refreeze it?

Your pork tenderloin should be cooked before refreezing.

Hi!  I have a meal to prepare for 40 persons and I would like to know that if I cook a roast beef and a roast pork and slice them, can I freeze them until the "D" day.  Can I freeze too homeade chocolate cakes? 

Yes, sliced cooked roast beef and pork can be frozen two to three months in advance. Be sure to cool the cooked meat and freeze as quickly as possible or within two hours of cooking spread on shallow trays. Chocolate cakes may also be frozen but there may be some changes in the quality of the fillings and frostings.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

I purchased vacuum packed ribs from Costco with a sell by date of July 4. They have been in the frig since. Today is July 10. Can I cook them?

As long as the seal on the package has not been broken, vacuum packed ribs can be cooked two to three days after the sell by date.  

I had some lamb frozen since 2005.  Can we still eat it two years later?

The recommended maximum storage time in the freezer for lamb chops and roasts is 12 months.  After this time, you will have gradual and sharp lost of quality with freezer burns and dryness of the meat.

I have thawed a turkey Tuesday to eat it on Sunday.  I prefered to cook it on Thursday (afraid that it would not keep).  How can I heat it up on Sunday?

Once cooked, stuffing should be removed from the turkey and refrigerated and the turkey should be sliced off the bone and refrigerated in a shallow pan. Reheat the stuffing and sliced turkey covered with foil to a piping hot 74 degrees C/165 degrees F. Gravy should be brought to a rolling boil. 

Is it safe to put ''starch'' items back into the freezer once defrosted and thawed under room temperature? Starch items such as english muffins, pancakes, etc.

Bakery items such as bread and muffins can be thawed at room temperature and refrozen. But there will be some loss of quality. Pancakes and waffles should be warmed from the frozen state.

Hi I have purchased some frozen turkey burger from the supermarket and I noticed some sporadic light gray colored spots on the burger patty. The spots are small and round in shape. Someone has suggested to me that the spots are freezer burns. Is it safe to eat the patties?

If the spots are freezer burn, they can be removed before cooking and the patties would be safe to eat.

We frequently enjoy beef "grilling medallions". We like to cook our steaks rare to medium-rare. It has come to our attention that these cuts are "needled" with a device to make them more tender. They are not marked with a warning or anything, my concern is e-coli penetration to within the meat from the piercing of the surface. Is this a valid concern??

Yes, your concern is valid. If the beef has been tenderized as you described, there is a risk that bacteria could be  transferred throughout the meat and it should be cooked to a high enough temperature to destroy the potentially harmful bacteria - 71 degrees C /160 degrees F.

Can I freeze hamburger patties I just made with a raw egg in them as a binder?

Yes, you can freeze hamburger patties made with a raw egg. But they should be cooked as soon as they are defrosted.

How long can I keep a thawed vacuum-packed leg of lamb in the refrigerator?

Once defrosted, raw meat should be cooked within 48 hours.

I bought raw ribeye steaks,boneless chicken breasts, and also hunter sausage, and it was accidently left out from about 5pm to about 9am the next morning. Is any of it okay to cook or should it be discarded?

There is a risk that all of the meat and poultry could be contaminated with harmful bacteria after being left at room temperature longer than one hour in the summer. It should all be discarded.

Today, I cooked in a frying pan some raw shrimps that I thawed three days ago.  Were they still good to cook and eat?  Would I be sick?

Once defrosted, raw shrimp should be cooked within one to two days.  In your case, if the shrimps were pulled out of the freezer and put in the refrigerator to thaw and they took 24 hours to do so, then they should still be good and you would not be sick.  After two days, there will be loss of quality and a risk of food safety.

I bought turkey ham slices in an airtight package. how long can it last after I opened the package? Currently it's unopened and I'm putting it in my fridge. no expiry date on it though.

If lunch meat is sealed in a package by the producer, it should have a Best Before Date. If there is no date, use within two weeks. Once opened lunch meat should be used within three to five days.

I purchased some rainbow smelt and some crab that were vaccum packed and frozen.  I put them in my plug-in refrigerator in the car for my return home trip.  Once at home, meat had started to thaw, so I put them immediately in the freezer.  Would they be good to eat?  I hope so, crab meat is so expensive?  Thank you!

Your fish and crab meat should be safe to eat.  If the packages were still cold and had some frost or ice crystals in them, it will be safe to eat.  You took the proper action by having a portable refrigerator in the car and putting the food in the freezer right away.  Just make sure that you will thaw them in the refrigerator before cooking them.

My family is from the East Coast and is always desperate for me to bring back White Castle hamburgers when I travel. I usually buy a 30 pack that is cooked and packaged and carry it on the plane. Sometimes it takes over 7 hours to arrive home. I have done this in the past and no one has gotten sick. Is this safe?

When transporting perishable food like cooked hamburgers for seven hours, the food should be kept frozen or at a refrigerator temperature of 4 degrees C (40 degrees F). If the food is left at room temperature for longer than one hour (two hours in the winter) there is a risk that harmful bacteria will develop and cause food poisoning..   

I took pork chops out about 3 days ago and put it in the fridge to defrost is it still good to cook.

Pork chops thawed in the refrigerator should be used within 2 - 4 days.  In your case, they should still be good to cook.

We grilled hot dogs Saturday night and the extras (cooked) were left out over night in 73 degree temperature. Are they safe to eat? Could we microwave them and kill any microorganisms?

Cooked hot dogs left at room temperature longer than one hour (two hours in the winter) are no longer safe to eat even if they are heated in the microwave first.

I purchased three days ago a vaccum package of cold cuts.  There was a month left before its "Best Before" date.  Today, the meat looks fine without seeing any changes in the package except that it seem th have a little bit of air in it.   Can I eat them since there is 25 days left bfore the expiry date and the package stayed sealed in hte refrigerator all the time?

If the package stayed intact and was kept in the refrigerator all the time, the meat should be fine.  The manufacturer either vaccum packed the meat or used a gas other than oxygen to seal the package.

I just put together a beef meat loaf recipe that includes; seasonings, 1 egg, tomato sauce, bread crumbs, etc. I put it in a stainless steel loaf pan and put it in the fridge. Can I wait until tomorrow to cook it?

Yes, a meat loaf can be prepared a day ahead and refrigerated before cooking as long as all the ingredients are cold. But the acidic tomato sauce may cause some pitting of the stainless loaf pan.

I bought some fresh ground beef to prepare some spaghetti sauce.  Can I freeze that meat to eventually prepare my sauce; meaning to thaw it and refreezing it in the sauce?  Thank you!

Yes you can!  Just make sure that you thaw teh meat in the refrigerator and once the sauce is cooked to cool it down rapidly by spreading it in shallow containers and put it in the freezer.

Without a meat thermometer, how can I know when my ready to cook ham is coming up to 71 degrees?  It weights approximatively 5 pounds.

Without a meat thermometer there is no way to accurately determine that your ham has reached a safe temperature. The length of time this will take varies not only with the weight but also with the shape of the ham and the temperature of your oven. 

After reading most of the questions and answers present on this site, I see that you always say that even cooked, spaghetti sauce does not keep in the refrigerator or at room temperature for more than 2 to 3 days or 2 hours respectively.  You apply the same answer to all situations described on the database.  Here is my question in two parts:  First of all, wouldn't you think that tomatoes (main ingredient present in the sauce), with is relatively high acidity (pH 4.3) would have the power of extending the shelf-life of the food?   Like other picklings (such as pickles, pork tongues and others), they would go on the same principles, (vinegar acidity preserving food longer); especially when the meat has been cooked.  I do not see any problems to keep that sauce longer independently of the temperature.  Isn't it restrictive to bring every down to that simple table?  All situations cannot be reduced to these numbers of days.  Anything that I am missing here in my way of thinking?  Secondly, does the person answering those questions been properly trained or does he/she only know the tables that everyone have access to?  I just want to make sure that we are not using the same answer by copying and pasting it to all the questions.  I find that some preservation times (especially all the one related to cooked foods) are at the limit of paranoïa sometimes....

The answers to Mrs. Cookwell questions are provided by the food safety specialists of the Food Safety Information Society and by scientific evaluators in microbiology from Health Canada. I assure you each and every questions is answered individually which takes a great deal of time. Because there is no opportunity for the risk evaluation which can be done on a telephone call and because these questions are published on the website and read by all kinds of cooks, the advice provided has to be conservative and more general in nature.Yes, there are certain rules such as the two hour rule which applies in many questions. The storage times have been established by the food industry. As for your pasta sauce - the shelf life is determined by the ingredient with the shortest shelf life. Thus, sauce containing ground beef would have a shorter refrigeration time than a plain sauce.    

I pulled a roast out of the freezer bought 6 months ago, it thawed in the refrigerator and was there 7 days....is it okay to eat?

A beef roast may be stored in the freezer as long as 10 to 12 months. But, once defrosted, it should be cooked within two days.

How long can vacuum packed pre-cooked BBQ pork ribs stay in the freezer?

Vacuum packed pre-cooked BBQ pork ribs can be stored in the freezer for three months.

Should we cool down spaghetti sauce prior to put it in the refrigerator?

Today's refrigerators are are designed ti chill warm food items without causing damage to the appliance. To aid the cooling process, separate large quantities into shallow containers and only cover once cooled.

Do meat and vegetables loose their vitamins after freezing?

There may be some loss of vitamins after freezing depending on how the foods were processed and packaged and how long they were frozen. However, freezing does not kill all bacteria, yeasts and molds present in food, but it does prevent their multiplication if the food is held at -18 degrees C (0°F) or less. When thawed, the surviving organisms can multiply again.

 

Hi!  I went to an agricultural fair and I bought frozen vacuum-packed lamb sausages.  By the time that I came back home, the sausages were thawed.  Can I refreeze them?  I did not open the package.

Vacuum packaging does not eliminate the need for refrigeration. So if your sausages thawed at room temperature, they may not be safe to eat or refreeze.

How long can I store uncooked pork spare-ribs in the refrigerator? If they're purchased on Friday, will they be okay for cooking on Monday?

Raw pork ribs should be cooked within two to three days.

I have cooked a beef broth all night long in a slow cooker and this morning the slow cooker was still hot.  I left it all day on the counter.  Should I be concerned?

If broths or soups have been left at room temperature, which falls in the danger zone, for longer than two hours, they should be discarded.

Hi!  I bought some fresh beef hash at the butcher shop.  When I cooked it; it had a sausage taste.  Is it normal?  Can we still eat it?

We do not know whether or not the taste is normal because that depends on the ingredients the butcher used in the hash. But we do know that if there were harmful bacteria present, they could not be tasted.

What is the best way to reheat a 1 1/2 pound cooked pork tenderloin?

For safety, cooked pork tenderloin should be reheated to a temperature of 74 C (165F) as measured with a food thermometer. For best quality heat in a microwave at a low temperature.

I want to know why in some countries they eat raw meat and not get ill, like kibbi in the middle-east? or raw fish in sushi and in cuba escovitch fish dish?

The consumption of raw meat such as the ones presented in your question is most likely part of those countries' cultures.  Several factors could play a role as to explain why it is easier to eat raw meat in certain countries over others.  One factor could be the prevalence of the bacteria in those countries over ours.  There is the immune body resistance developed into the inhabitants of those countries comparing to our country. Usually, when you take a piece of meat or fish , the contamination of the meat or the fish will take place on its surface.  The interior will be sterile.  That is why, we could eat whole meat cooked rare but ground meat has to be fully cooked because the mechanical action to ground the meat introduced the bacteria from the surface inside and all around.  Hygienic conditions must be in place to avoid cross contaminations between the food handler and the meat/fish itself or within the environment where the food is handled.  Sushi would be prepared using fresh clean fishes and proper handling techniques.  It is a must in this case to ensure that it will not make the consumer sick from food poisoning.

I bought some sliced ham and turkey breast from the deli. How long will they keep in the fridge if I vacuum pack them in smaller portions?

Sliced cooked deli meats can be refrigerated as long as 3 to 4 days. Vacuum packing at home will keep the meats fresher and could most likely added a day or two to their shelf life in the refrigerator.

I have thawed some pancakes.  How long can I keep them?

Once thawed, pancakes can be refrigerated three to four days.

I set out a rack of pork spare ribs on Sunday to thaw for about 3 hours and then put them in the refrigerator to finish (still partially frozen). We had to cancel our dinner party on Monday and they are still in the fridge. My husband wants to cook them tomorrow, Saturday (6 days in the fridge) but I'm a little nervous about the meat being safe to eat. Especially since I began the thawing process at room temperature. What do you think? Thanks for your help!

You are correct that partially thawing the ribs at room temperature rather than in the fridge increased the risk of contamination with harmful bacteria. If thawed safely, the ribs should be kept refrigerated and cooked within two days.Discard the ribs.

How long can you marinate beef before you HAVE to cook it?

For best quality, beef should only be marinated overnight. But it can be left in the refrigerator as long as three to four days.

Hi, i have turkey lunch meat that expired on 9/14, we put it in the freezer on around 9/16, today is 9/25, is it still ok to eat and for how long will it be ok to eat? thanks

It is not recommended to eat food past the expiration date or best before date as it could pose a food safety risk.

I have some free range chicken boneless breast that were frozen, that were not vacuumed packed properly and now have freezer burn. Can I still use them?

Freezer burn is simply dry spots on frozen products.  It does not affect the safety of a food, only the quality.  Thaw the chicken in the fridge and cut away the areas affected by freezer burn.

I have two toupie hams I bought a few weeks ago. In the freezer were buns and bread and squares.  Somehow, the door was left ajar and the hams seemed to be partially thawed.  They are vacuumed packed.  The freezer was still cold and there were frost cyrstals on the racks.  What should I do?  They are for a birthday party this weekend; Oct. 6/07

If the partially thawed hams still contained ice crystals and they have been refrozen or refrigerated, they would be safe to eat this weekend. 

Hello, A few days ago we had a pig roast at our house for a party. We put the leftovers in a tupperware in the fridge. My family can't eat all of the pork and I was wondering if it's too late to put in the freezer. Does it make a difference that we know the meat is very fresh considering it was roasted at our house?

You can safely freeze the pork within 3 - 4 days of cooking.   Knowing how fresh the meat was and how it has been cooked doesn't change its shelflife in the refrigerator.  Freezing may change the texture of the meat and make it more watery.

On a vacuum sealed package of turkey smoked sausage (fully cooked), how long can it be used past the use by date? I just discovered two unopened packages in the back of refrigerator. Today is October 27, and the use by date was September 10.

Foods that are susceptible to food spoilage should not be used past their "best before" date. 

How long can I refrigerate tuna spread before it goes bad? I made it from can of tuna, mayo, onion, pickle relish and sugar.

Spreads such as these will last in your refrigerator (set to 4 ºC or lower) for 2 - 3 days.

I bought sliced cold cuts that were in a sealed cellophane package inside a plastic container. I am going on vacation. Can I freeze the cold cuts and if I can, how do I go about freezing them?

Yes, you can safely freeze the cold cuts for 1 - 2 months.  Place the meat in freezer safe bags or containers, and try to remove as much air as possible.  Thaw the meats in the refrigerator before using again. 

Hi I purchased and froze 2 packages of baby back ribs last week that had a use by date of 10/27 (they were vacuumed sealed). I defrosted them (11/1) in the fridge,but when I opened them they had an odor-are they ok? Could the odor be from the blood?

If you froze the meat within 2 days of purchase, the meat should be fine.  The use by date is no longer valid as you've extended the meat's shelf life by freezing it.  You do not describe the odor, so I'm not sure what the issue is.  If it's a sour smell, discard the ribs.  If it's a metallic, meaty/bloody smell, it could be the blood.  Provided the meat has not been exposed to warm temperatures for long periods of time, it should be safe to cook. 

I bought a brown sugar glazed pre-cooked spiral ham a few weeks ago and immediatly froze it. I want to serve it this weekend and when I took it out to thaw, I noticed that it said "do not freeze" on the packaging. Is it okay to use it?

From a food safety perspective yes, it's safe to use.  Freezing may change the texture and quality of the ham, so it's likely the manufacturer suggests not freezing the ham for optimal quality.  The safest way to thaw the ham is in your refrigerator.

Hi!  I have received a moose roast but it is from last year.  It is frozen.  Is there any risks if we eat it?  Thank you!

The shelf life of wild game is 9 - 12 months.  If you have exceeded that time, you may have a loss of quality of the meat (tough, dry, etc.)   Thaw the roast in the refrigerator or microwave and cook immediately, using a meat thermometer. 

My husband and I enjoy our steak cooked quite rare on the BBQ.  Is there a risks of contamination?  Thank you!

As long as your meat reaches an internal temperature of 63 ºC (145 ºF) you should not encounter any problem of contamination.  On a meat muscle, contamination is present on the surface of the meat.  The interior is usually sterile.  That is the main reason why you could eat your steak rare comparing to ground meat, where the mechanical action of grounding the meat incorporates the bacteria from the surface to all over the meat.  Ground meat should never be consumed rare and a patty for example should reach an internat temperature of 71ºC (160ºF) to be safe.

I purchased a defrosted ham shank on October 18,and it has been in the refrigerator since then. Today is Nov. 4. Is it still good to cook and eat?? Thanks

You should freeze pork if you are not going to be using it within 3 - 4 days of purchase.  This is well beyond that period of time.  Sorry, you should throw it out. 

I took a beef roast out of the freezer about 6pm and left it on the counter throughout the night until 6am the next morning. After noticing my mystake, I immediately put in the fridge! Is it safe to cook tonight without getting sick??

No, it is no longer safe to cook.  Meat should not be left out longer than 2 hours, less time if it was stored in a warm area, such as the kitchen.  Sorry, you should throw it out. 

is it ok to use a packet of ground turkey, even if it says it expired feb. 07, and it's now nov.07?

It is not recommended to consume expired food due to some safety issues and loss of quality and nutritional value unless the product was frozen before it expired.  Then that date does not apply anymore.  If frozen, thaw in the refrigerator and consume within a couple of days.  If it was not frozen, throw it out.

I prepared a previously frozen pork tenderloin roast 2 days ago and has been refrigerated since it was cooked. Is is still safe to eat?

Leftover cooked meats may be refrigerated up to 3 - 4 days.

Is it safe to reuse a chinese fondue broth to do a second fondue the day after?

You use the broth to cook raw meat, fish and poultry.  Please throw out the broth once it has been used.

You say that cooked meat should not be out at room temp. for more than 2 hours or it will be bad...but what if you are going to cook it again. I cooked stew, forgot it on the counter overnight...if I cook it again (boil it) would it not kill the bacteria??

Bacteria grow very quickly at unrefrigerated temperatures (greater than 4º C).  Cooking destroys about 99.9% of bacteria, so if you have heavily contaminated food, it will not destroy all the bacteria and the heat resisting bacterial spores.  In addition, some bacteria can produce toxins that resist to heat and make you violently sick if you consume that foods.  Those spores will resist the heat and will germinate at any occasions where temperature, moisture and food are favorable to them.  It is safest to discard foods left out for longer than 2 hours. 

Can we freeze horse meat?  I purchased a roast and I put it in the freezer.  I have been told that we are not supposed to freeze horse meat.  Should I throw it away or not?  Thanks!

You can safely freeze horse meat.  Wrap in freezer paper and then plastic to retain moisture.  Use within 6 - 8 months for optimal quality making sure that you are thawing the meat in the refrigerator.

Can sliced cold cuts be frozen?

Cold cuts may be safely frozen for up to 2 months.

I purchased ground beef with the expiry date being the next day. I immediately put in the freezer. Is the ground beef eatable once thawed?

If the ground beef is stored in the freezer no longer than three months and is thawed in the refrigerator and cooked as soon as thawed, it should be safe to eat.

I have some vacuum-packed raviolis with tomatoes and mozzarella cheese in the refrigerator since November 21, 2007.  Can I keep them there until November 25th?  Thank you!

In Canada, foods with a shelf life of less than 90 days require a best before date.  Check your package for a best before date, and ensure the product stays refrigerated until use.  But storage for 4 days should be acceptable due to the fact it is vacuum packed and contains tomatoes thus reducintg the pH of the product.

Hello, We purchased some porkchops on Saturday and have kept them in the refrigerator...it is now Wednesday. Are they still safe to eat?

Pork chops would keep in the refrigerator for two to four days.  In your case, this is the day, they will have to be cooked tonight and consumed right away.  If you do not think of consuming them all tonight, freeze uncooked chops right away.

if you boil turkey hotdogs and refrigerate them are they safe to reheat and eat the next day?

There will not be any problem to do that as long as you do refrigerate them right away.

Can we eat raw meat?  If not, what are the risks?

No.  The outer (exposed) surface of the meat may be contaminated with pathogenic (disease causing) bacteria that may make you very sick or even kill you.  Cooking destroys these bacteria.  Please do not eat your meat raw.

I have a fully smoked turkey breast that I put in the refrid. wrapped in tin foil. Forgot about it. That was 7 days ago. Can I still freeze the turkey?

Smoked turkey breast can be refrigerated for as long as seven to ten days before eating or freezing. If frozen after seven days, use as soon as defrosted.

We cooked a ham and froze the leftovers. We thawed the ham out to make soup. Can we freeze the soup since the ham was already frozen once already? Thanks.

The safest way to thaw meat is in the refrigerator.  Repeated thawing and freezing of meat causes ice crystals to form and thaw, drying out the meat and possibly toughening it.  Provided the ham was not mishandled, it could be frozen again, but do not freeze again.  Freeze in small portions and thaw as needed.  Do not store soup for longer than 2 -3 months in the freezer.

I recently made more than I needed lasagna, both meat sauce based, as well as one package of frozen vegetable lasagna. I know I can freeze my meat lasagna that is partially cooked - and finish cooking it when I want to use it later, but is the same true for the vegetable lasagna. I would think so, but because it says DO NOT REFREEZE on the box, I'm having hesitations. I'm assuming that means before baking, am I right?

If the label of the vegetable lasagna states do not refreeze, the leftovers should not be refrozen.  The meat lasagna may also have developed harmful bacteria because it is not safe to partially cook it then freeze it to finish cooking later.

How long does crab ravioli stay fresh and safe to eat?

Seafood, and foods made with seafood products, are highly perishable and may be stored up to 2 days in the refrigerator.

why does some steak and hamburger meat have dark brown patches in it? is it an expiry issue because ive seen it in non expired meat? i got a steak for stew yesterday(11th), froze it for the day and put it in the crock pot this afternoon. the best by date is the 13th so its not expired, but it had dark brown patches..would it be caused by me defrosting it in the microwave so i could cook it right away??

If you defrost meat in the microwave, it often cooks parts of the meat, due to uneven heating.  This would cause darker spots like the ones you have described. 

We bought a ham (not frozen, honey, pre-sliced) on Saturday. We put it not in our refrigerator, but in our cold storage/root cellar (thermometer at the ceiling reads 46 F, ham was on a lower shelf). It is Tuesday evening. Is it still safe to eat? I don't know if it's pre-cooked or not.

Ham, both fully cooked and partially cooked, is a perishable food product that needs to be kept at a refrigerated temperature of 4ºC (40ºF) to maintain it's safety.   I do not recommend eating the ham.

Please let me know how long cooked spaghetti can stay in the refrigerator and then be used for another recipe for example vegetable spaghetti bake?

Cooked spaghetti will keep its optimum freshness in the refrigerator for 2 - 3 days.

Someone accidentally left a frozen cheese lasagna out on the counter for about 8 hours. Is it okay to refreeze or has it gone bad?

Perishable foods should not be left unrefrigerated for longer than 2 hours.  It could be hazardous to consume that lasagna.  Being exposed at room temperature all that time, it gives the opportunity for harmfull bacteria to multiply fast and then cause food poisoning.  Freezing do not kill bacteria.

How do you know if raw pork chop is spoiled while it's left out on the kitchen counter? (answer needed asap)

Food spoilage is not always detectable on food left at room temperature as harmfull bacteria will not leave bad odour or bad physical conditions of the meat but still can make you very sick.  The rule of thumb is if food has been left at room temperature for more than two hours it should be thrown out no matter what.  It is usually the time needed for harmfull bacteria to recover ans start their exponential growth.  If in doubt, throw it out.

Can a smoked turkey that was frozen be thawed and frozen again?

If the turkey was thawed in the refrigerator (and not at room temperature or in the microwave) and still contains ice crystals, it may be refrozen.  Keep in mind that thawing and refreezing will affect the quality of your food product.

I defrosted my ribeye roast a few days ago and now I was ready to cook it,but there is blood all around the roast and the blood has an odor is the roast still ok to cook.

The off odor you detect is a sign that the roast is beginning to spoil.  The bloody juices that accumulate during the thawing process contain bacteria that multiply and thrive even under refrigerated temperatures. 

I made cioppino and have lots left over. Can I freeze this and then re-heat or does it have to be eated within 2 days.

As cioppino contains seafood, it should be eaten or frozen within 2 days.

I froze a cooked meat loaf.  Can I warm it up in the oven directly from its frozen state (from the freezer to the oven)?  Thank you!

Leftover meat loaf should be warmed up quickly to 165F/74C. Because it is dense, it would be safer to defrost the matlow in the refrigerator before heating.

I bought some pork ribs and a rib roast on 12/21/07 to use during the holiday weekend. ended up that i did not use them and i want to know if they can be frozen or should i cook them and then freeze them.

All fresh meat and poultry products should be cooked or frozen by the Best Before date indicated on the packaging.  If there is not a Best Before date, ribs and roasts may be stored refrigerated up to 3 days.

Is it safe to eat a honeybaked ham refrigerated for two months? Only about 10 slices remain on the bone.

No, your ham would not be safe to eat.  Leftover cooked ham may be safely stored in the refrigerator for 3 - 5 days. 

I have purchased a spaghetti sauce with meat prepared at the grocery store.  I put it in the freezer as soon as I arrived home and I thawed it few days later in the pot used to prepare a recipe.  We ate the recipe and put the leftover in the refrigerator.  How long those leftovers would be good to eat?

The leftovers should be eaten within 2 - 3 days.

Hi!  I thawed a pork roast in the refrigerator.  Its best before date was 14/12/07.  Tonight, it will be three days that it has been in the refrigerator.  Can I cook it and eat it tonight knowing that I am in my first part of pregnancy and that I have very young children.  Thank you.

Your roast pork should be safe to eat provided that you cook it at the right internal temperature of 71 degrees C (160 degrees F) measured with a food thermometer and that it was put in the freezer before its Best Before date.  Once frozen, that date does not stand anymore as freezing extended the shelf life of the meat.  Once thawed, pork roast should be cooked within 2 to 4 days.  In your case, three days should be fine. 

Hi!  I cooked a roast beef 2 days ago.  It just came out of the freezer.  I would like to know, once cooked, if I can freeze it and if so for how long?  Thank you!

Yes, once cooked your roast beef can be frozen again.  It will keep in the freezer for two to three months.  Just make sure that you will thaw it in the refrigerator before use.

I have a Moseys corned beef brisket that I had frozen. The expiration date was 4-07 and I thawed it in the fridge and it is now 1-08. Is it still good to eat after I cook it? Thank You!

Yes!  Freezing foods makes the best before dates no longer valid.  For optimum freshness, quality, and nutrition, corned beef can be kept frozen (-18º C) for 10 - 12 months.

Can we freeze cooked blood pudding?  How often can I eat it?  I am lacking iron in my diet?

Black blood pudding may be safely frozen, but there may be some loss of quality. Divide into single use portions before freezing to avoid repeated thawing and freezing.   Blodd pudding is surely an excellent source of iron but you need to get your iron from other food source as well.  Discuss it with your family doctor or with a nutrition specialist.

Can you freeze horse meat?  Thank you for your response.  Lyonnel

Yes, it would be similar to beef.  Store in air tight containers or plastic wrap designed for the freezer for 10 - 12 months maximum.

I ate a piece of Ham (it came smoked and packaged)that we had gotten about a week before christmas. We had kept it refrigerated since then. Was this a dumb decision? (01/23/08)

You don't mention if there was a best before date on the unopen package, so it's difficult to determine if the quality was compromised (product had soured).  Once open, the ham should be eaten within 6 - 7 days if whole, 3 -4 if sliced.

Hello! Is meat still good after six months in the freezer?

It depends on what type of meat you are freezing.  Ground beef should only be stored for 2 -3 monhts, sausages 1 -2 months, veal 4 -5 months, beef and pork roasts and steaks 10 months.  This is to ensure optimal quality of the meat.

My mother and I have prepared an excellent meat balls stew last Saturday.  How long can it keep in the refrigerator?  Thank you!

These type of leftovers should be consumed within 2 - 3 days of cooking, or frozen and used within 2 - 3 months.

Hi!  I have some problems with my refrigerator and I noticed that with my products like the ice.  I do not how much my food thawed.  Should I throw them out ( pieces of raw meat, vegetables, etc...  ) Thanks! 

If there are any ice crystals remaining on the food, it can safely be refrozen.  If the meat has completely thawed, but the temperature has not gone about 4º C, the meat should be cooked immediately.  If the temperature is above 4º C, and has been for greater than 2 hours, throw all perishable foods away.

How long can you keep a fresh not frozen ham in the refrigerator before you have to throw it away. The ham was not cooked yet.

Uncooked ham may be stored in your refrigerator for up to 7 days. 

Can I ground my left-over ham and put it in Mason jars?  Thanks!

Are you refrigerating the ham after that?  If the ham was cooked before you bought it, check the best before date and use by then.  If  you cooked it yourself, the ham will keep in the fridge for 3 -4 days.  If you are planning to can and store it in your cupboard, you must process it properly first, using a pressure canner (pressure and high heat) to kill any bacteria and their spores. 

I ordered from a country vendor a 10 kg case of beef from his limousine.  When my husband came back with the case, the meat had a strong smell and the grounded steaks had changed colour.  They were grey on the surface and had a strong odor.  The rest of the meat seemed to be at the right colour but when I cooked two steaks, they had a very strong taste.  As for the grounded steak, I used some to prepare lasagna and cook them for an extended period of time.  The dish had a strong beefy odor.  I threw away the leftover grounded meat that I had in the freezer but I kept everything else, roasts, steaks, etc.  Are we risking something?  No one has been sick with the lasagna even if I was nauseated for two days.  I think that it could have been psychosomatic....  Thank you!

You do not describe the odour so it's difficult to say if the meat was spoiled.  You should contact your local local meat inspector or your french food authorities to allow them to  investigate.

Noodles with chicken and soya sauce, how long would it keep in the refrigerator?

The noodles with the chicken and soya sauce would keep for three to four days in the refrigérator.

We had smoked pork ribs for lunch and took a large to-go box with us. We did not get home for 5 hours. Are the ribs still ok to eat? Thank you.

Unfortunately not.  Perishable foods such as meat should be refrigerated within 2 hours of being removed from heat or cold.  Your ribs were left at room temperature, which is ideal for bacteria to grow. 

Hi, I have a fully cooked hickory smoked ham where the package has never been opened with a sell by date of 01-07-08. Today is 02-24-08, is it ok to eat or should I send it to David Letterman to drop of his building?

Your fully cooked smoked ham should have been used with seven days of the sell by date. There may be loss of quality and harmful bacteria may have developed. Discard it.

Hi! I bought some sausage meat yesterday and I noticed that the best before date is today. Should I eat it right now or could I wait an extra day or two? Thank you!

If you can't eat it today, freeze it.  You should use meat by the best before dates. 

At what temperature a freezer should be at?

Freezer should be at -18 degrees C or colder (0 degree F or less).

I bought lamb shanks yesterday and opened the package today to cook them and they smelled like rotten eggs.I soaked them in Balsamic vinegar can I cook them or should I discard them

Do not eat food which has an unpleasant smell. It is usually a sign of spoilage. And marinating will not correct the problem. Cuts of lamb can usually be refrigerated 2 to 4 days after purchase so I would return them to the store where purchased. 

Is corned beef still good after having been frozen for a year?

It's recommended that corned beef in a pouch with pickling juices be frozen as long as one month. Cooked corned beef can be frozen as long as two months.  In your case, the corned beef could be of poor quality being kept frozen for a year.

Hi!  The freezer door was not closed properly during the night and the temperature is at 0 degrees.  Thank you for letting me know if there is a risk by refreezing the food and consuming it.

If the temperature was above
-18 degrees C (0 degrees F) for longer than two hours and there are no ice crystals remaining in the food, there is a risk of contamination with harmful bacteria. The food should be discarded rather than refrozen.

I purchased a fresh leg of lamb three days ago. It is vacuum packaged and has an expiration date of next weekend. My children unplugged our refrigerator in our basement without us knowing and it was like that for 1-2 days, not sure. Everything in our freezer is thawed out which I am throwing away. The things in the refrigerator were not as cold as they should be but not warm. Is it safe or do I need to throw it away as well?

If your leg of lamb was at temperatures above 4 degrees C (40 degrees F) for longer than two hours, it should be discarded because it may be contaminated with harmful bacteria.

Before freezing a ham, should I cook it first or can I freeze it vacuum-packed after its purchase?  Thank you!

Ham does not keep its high quality in the freezer because changes in flavour and texture can occur. Most hams sold in Canada are precooked or ready to serve and can be frozen, if necessary, in the vacuum package  for no longer than two months.

My husband and I are Vacationing in our RV, I planned to cook Easter dinner, I bought a frozen turkey breast. I put it in the fridge.I later discovered the fridge is only cooling to 60 degrees. The turkey is still frozen, can I put it in the crock pot(frozen),in the am and let it cook breast meat down all day? I only have the ability to cook in the crock pot,electric skillet,or on the gas stove in a dutch oven,either way the turkey will start frozen is that is safe. Please respond ASAP. HELP!!!!!

It is safe to cook a turkey breast from the frozen state although it will take a lot longer to reach the  safe temperature of 77 degrees C / 170 degrees F. But it would not be safe to cook it in a crock pot because it would take too long for the breast to reach a safe temperature which may allow for the development of harmful bacteria.

i made homemade meat & cheese ravioli's.  I have alot of cooked ravioli's left over can i refreeze them?

Leftover cooked ravioli can frozen. 

Do burgers with mayo spoil in 24 hours if not eaten and refrigerated?

If by spoiled you mean unsafe to eat, no. Cooked burgers with commercial mayo can be refrigerated 3 to 4 days. But there will be loss of quality.

I cooked a beef roast on sunday today is thursday is it still safe to eat?

Cooked beef can be refrigerated for as long as three to four days.

Can uncooked turkey bologna be frozen?

It could always be frozen but its quality once thawed might be different from the time of purchase as freezing will pull out a lot of water out of the bologna.  Make sure that you are thawing it in the refrigerator.

Hello I defrosted some minced beef in the microwave however It started to cook, I have put the half cooked meat in the fridge to prepare to cook the day after.Is it safe to eat?

Meat thawed in the microwave oven should be cooked immediately and not stored to be used later.  During the thawing process in the microwave, the heat generated could be enough to trigger some bacterial growth that could cause food poisonning.  Using that partially cooked meat the day after could be risky.

I have a pork tenderloin roast stored frozen in my freezer that I forgot about dated january 2007. Also, I have a frozen rump roast (also forgotten) dated Oct. 23, 2006. Are these still edible or should I throw them out? Thanks so much.

Roasts can be kept frozen for up to 12 months.  In your case , both roasts will be safe to eat but their quality might be a little bit less (true for the rum roast) especially if they were not properly wrapped before been put in the freezer.  They might have freezer burns or being dried out but will still be edible.  Just make sure that you are thawing them in the refrigerator.

I need to purchase a beef tenderloin today (Wednesday) for a party on Sunday because I'm going out of town and won't have time to purchase it before the party. What is the best way to store it so it will still be good and fresh on Sunday? I'd rather not freeze it, since I won't have time to thaw it prior to the party. If I purchase it and vacuum seal it today, how long will it keep in the fridge?

The beef tenderloin would keep in the refrigerator for up to four days so you should be okay.  Vacuum sealing the meat would most likely prevent it from oxydation and would make the meat look darker by lack of oxygen but it will still be good to eat.  Check packaging date at the store and take the one that is closer to the date of purchase.  And keep refrigerated until ready to use.

Is ham safe to eat if it was cooked 3 das. after the date was up and it had a slimy gel on it, however it smelled good and tasted ok after cooked?

It is never recommended to cook and eat product that have passed their "best before date".  The slimy gel on the ham might be an indication that the product is spoiling.  Harmful bacteria do not give food a bad smell or taste but they can make you sick.  It should be thrown out. 

I cooked beef cubes in a stew yesterday.  How long would they be good to eat?

Once cooked, beef cubes will be good for three to four days once kept in the refrigerator.

Toupie hams that are cut in the store, can they be used in a recipe such as in a jambalaya or a quiche not requiring a pre-cooked ham?

You might want to ask the store management or read the label to find out if the ham has been fully cooked or still need a cooking step.

Cooking in water - If we want a very nutrutious broth, shoud we start be using cold water?

The longer the food will be in the water, the more nutrients will leach out in it.  So by using cold water to start cooking, you might find appreciable  quantities of nutrients in the broth. 

Do we ned top quality meat to make a roast?

Not necessarily but it is know that the better quality the meat would be, better will be the roast.

I have a pkg. of ground turkey breast in my fridge that is two days past the "use or freeze" date. Is it still safe to cook?

It is never recommended to eat food that has passed its "use by" date.  The date is an indication from the manufacturer that the product will be fresh and wholesome until that date but after that there is no guarantee of quality and safety.

I used a 1/2 package of bacon this morning. Later I looked at the expiration date and it said 1/29/07. I wouldn't have something in my refrigerator that long. Is there a danger in eating something with that long an overdue date ~ especially bacon. There was no unusual odor when the package was opened.

It is surprising to see a pack of bacon to last that long in the refrigerator.  It has been way over a year now.  Bacon contains high concentration of salt that could have a role as a preservative in a way against harmul bacteria.  Beside refrigeration, vacuum packaging could help slowing down the deterioration.  It is never recommended to eat an expired product because there could be lost of quality.  Bacon hanging around for over a year could become rancid and have a very bad taste to it and this is true once the package is open and exposed to air.  The other half of bacon left should be thrown out.

How long after thawing merguez can I eat them?

Once thawed, merguez would keep in the refrigerator for 7 days.

I cooked a can ham last night with glaze no bone, sliced it and took it out of oven at about 11:00pm I left out to cool and forgot to put away. My home doesnt get to hot. Is it still good? thanks

It would be risky to eat the ham as it has spendtover two hours at room  temperature.  It has to be refrigerated as soon as possible after being cooked.  My advise:  throw it out!

Hi!  I just bought a roast but I do not know if I should freeze raw or cooked?

Either or.  If the roast is freshly purchased, it can be frozen right away or cooked and frozen.  Make sure to thaw the meat in the refrigerator at all time.

I went shopping on Friday and filled my fridge up with yoghurts and cold cooked sealed meats. Someone left the fridge door ajar and temp reached 11(when it should be 5 ). It was left like this for 8hrs and it took a further 11 hrs to go back to 5.  What can I safely eat and for how long. Thank you

The food should be fine to consume and you should be able to enjoy them until at least their expiry date.  It is not as if the food was exposed at room temperature of 20, 21, 22 degrees C for all the time you mentioned. 

My partner ate a ham sandwich at work yesterday and felt really ill for the rest of the day and night. It was a sandwich from the day before!! Can a ham sandwich really spend the night on a desk and be ok to eat the following day? I want to know about the bacteria it attracts out of the fridge. Can I send my son to school with a ham sandwich to eat 4 hours later (room temp)?

It is not surprising that your partner got sick after eating a ham sandwich that was left at work at room temperature for over 2 hours; at least 24 in this case.  You cannot leave that kind of food at room temperature for so long and expect to feel fine after consuming it.  All kind of bacteria could be involved here and made your partner sick.  And they are not attrracted out of the refrigerator, they are alreay present in the sandwich, they just had the time and the right temperature to multiply.   I hope that it is a lesson to learn.  As for your son, it is strongly recommend to pack the lunch in an isolated lunch bag and use an ice pack or a frozen container of juice to keep the sandwich cold until lunch.  Never send him to school with sandwiches that would stay at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Can we eat a leg of lamb the same day that the animal has been slaughtered?

Safety wise, there should not be any problem to eat a leg of lamb that has been slaughtered the same day.

Hi!  How long can we keep cooked gounded beef in the refrigerator and can we freeze it after that time? Thank you!

Cooked grounded beef can be refrigerated up to four days and can be frozen during those four days.

I pulled out frozen chicken breasts on Wednesday, put them in marinade for Thursday.  Got busy didn't cook them; left them in the refrigerator.  Want to cook them on Saturday. Are they still good?

Your chicken breasts should be still good to cook and eat on Saturday.  Chicken breasts should keep in the refrigerator for three to four days after being thawed.

Can I put cooked bacon and some cheese in raw hamburger and then freeze it.

You will be able to do that as long as you thaw everything in the refrigerator and that you cook your hamburger meat to a safe internal temperature of 71 degrees C (160 degrees F).  At that point, your already cooked bacon might be overcooked and the cheese might melt out of the hamburger.

I left frozen chicken corndogs in my car for 1 1/2 hrs. Are they still good? If so, is it ok that I put them back in the freezer?

It depends of the conditions in which the chicken corndogs were when you found them in the car.  If they were completely thawed and the temperature of the car was very hot,  it would be risky to eat them.  They should be thrown out.  However, if they still had ice crystals built up on them, then, you could be able to put them in the freezer.

Ca we thaw a meat in its original vacuum packed wrapper?

Yes you can freeze a meat in its original vacuum packed wrapper.  Make sure that you will thaw that meat in the refrigerator.

i made spaghetti sauce with ground beef last night it was done cooking at around 9pm.  I realized in the middle of the night at 3am I forgot to put it in the fridge, tell its still good.

It would be risky to consume that spaghetti sauce as it has been sitting in temperature of the danger zone between 4 degrees C (40 degrees F) and 60 degrees C (140 degrees F)) for more than 2 hours allowing harmfull bacteria to develop and grow in the sauce.  I cannot recommend its consumption.  It should be thrown out.

The expiry date on a box of conserve of duck has passed of 4 months.  Can i still eat it?  Thanks!

It is not recommended to eat food products that have expired.  The manufacturer is able to say that the product is safe, wholesome and nutritious up to that date but after that there is no guarantee.  There could be quality and safety issues with the product.

I have purchased some veal meat two to three days ago to prepare a blanquette.  the expiry date on the package is 6/10.  The meat is gray in colour.  Is it normal?

We can already see that the quality of the meat is not the same as the time of purchase.  This colour is probably due to the oxidation of the red blood cells and the muscles fibers.  This meat should be good until its expiry date.  After that, there are no guarantee with increased microbial contamination.

How long can I safely keep a marinated uncooked turkey in the bottom shelf of the fridge for?

Once thawed and marinated, the uncooked turey would keep in the bottom shelf of the fridge for two days.

I obviously did not notice the expiration date on a large pork loin that I bought on Monday. I had the store cut it in 1 inch slices. I did not get around to packaging them, for the freezer, in smaller packages until Wednesday. They feel slimy. Should these pork loin pieces be dumped or are they safe to use. I have them in the freezed now, but I am hesitant to use any of them.

If your pork was expired on Wednesday, the slimy condition would be explained.  Pork that is purchased fresh from the store should keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.  In your case, from Monday to Wednesday it is only two days, unless the store had set an expiry date on them.  If you have any doubt about their conditions, throw them out.

If I purchase bulk whole pieces of deli cold meats, eg. ham, coppa, salami, pancetta, etc. slice them on my meat slicer and vaccuum pack them with my vaccuum pack machine, how long will these packets last in the refridgerator, and would you suggest it best to freeze the vacuum bags and just take them out when needed. Overall, how long will they keep in the fridge, and how long will they keep in the freezer? Thankyou.

Check if the bulk deli cold meat has an expiry date.  The fact that the meat will be handled, cut and package might have an incidence on the time it will keep in the refrigerator.  It will last much longer in the freezer and if you divide it in single portion, it will be the best way to go.  Meat in the freezer would keep for up to two months.  In the refrigerator, it might keep for 3 to 5 days; may be more for the salami and similar meats.

Hello. I baked a meat Lasagna and took it out of the oven around 6pm. I left it out and didn't put it in the fridge until 1am. Oops! Should I throw it out?

If you feel that your lasagna has been in the danger zone (between 4 degrees C (40 F) and 60 degrees C (140 F)) for more than 2 hours, it could be risky to consume it.  If in doubt, throw it out

A CHINESE TAKEAWAY I BOUGHT LAST WAS LEFT OUT OF THE FRIDGE IS IT STILL EDIBLE AS IS STILL IN CONTAINERS.

No, I am afraid that you should throw it away because it has been at room temperature for more than two hours.

jimmy dean pork sausage thawed int he frig. unopened how long will it keep. and be safe to eat

Once thawed in the refrigerator, the unopened package of Jimmy Dean pork sausages will keep in the refrigterator for 2 days.

How long does bacon last and keep in the fridge.. and can be safely eaten.. this has been opened and is in shrink wrap.

Once the package has been opened, bacon would keep in the refrigerator for 7 days.

I purchased some duck magret that I froze and I must drive 1,000 kilometers.  How can I carry it and keep it frozen?

You will need a heavy duty cooler to carry the magret.  Some camping cooler are designed to last for 4 to 5 days with ice.  If you have access to dry ice it will be ideal.  If not, fill the cooler with ice with the frozen magret that would have been well-wrapped.  You sould make it to destination without problems.  Upon arrival, make sure that the magret is put in the freezer right away or thaw it in the refrigerator iof you plan to use it within the next day or so.

I received a frozen, I mean a completely frozen 22 pound turkey. I accidently left in my car for abour 3 hours only some parts of the turkey were a little defrosted like the bottom and the legs. I came home and put it int the refrigerator.  Is it safe to cook and eat?

Your turkey should be fine.  I would imagine that the center was still freezing solid even after three hours.  You kept on defrosting it in the refrigerator which was the thing to do.  Make sure that it is well cooked.

How long can a frozen standing rib roast be kept in the freezer before using it? My friend says over a year, I say that's too old, and it should be thrown out.

A rib roast can be kept in the freezer for up to a year.  Up to that year or even longer, if the roast is not well wrapped, it could loose in quality, drying out and having freezer burns.  But there should not be any safety issues.  Once ready to use, thaw it always in the refrigerator.

i had order smoked turkey and smoke ham.  It took a week to get where I had it ship too. They said there was no dry ice or nothing. Meat was warm. how long can smoke meats be out and is it safe to eat.  Thank you!

Once in the danger zone (between 4 C /40 F and 60 C / 140 F), the meat can last for two hours only.  In this case, you will have to throw it away as it seems to have been exposed for more than the recommended time.  It will not be safe to eat.

how long do i cook toupie hams?

Cooking time may depends on the weight of the ham and the temperature of the oven.  However the internal temperature of the ham when measured with a food thermometer should reach 71 degrees C (160 degrees F).

We took out some ribs on last saturday to thaw. they have been in the refrig until the following saturday. Will they be safe to cook and eat?

Your ribs have been in the refrigerator for quite some time now.  Once thaw, they should have been cooked 2 to 3 days after.  Do not take a chance; throw them out.

i have had raw marinated ribs in a sealed container in the refrigerator for about 48 hours. are they still safe to cook and serve? thankyou!

You marinated ribs should be safe to cook and eat as long as they have been kept refrigerated at all time.




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