Storage of Meats Poultry and Seafood

yes! I just made a chicken/cheese casserole (with canned soup) and bake it about half-way and then froze it and it turned out fine!

There is nothing wrong with eating non-refrigerated eggs. Most good cooks allow eggs to come to room temperature before using them as they mix better. If the egg smells okay, and you cook it thoroughly, you should be fine. If it smells bad don't eat it. If you are going to eat it undercooked or raw, you should keep them refrigerated to last longer.

A smoked ham hock should keep refrigerated for up to a week, though I have had some become moldy before that. I try to use mine within a couple days of purchase.

Not very long. Fish is very sensitive to warm temperatures and should remain under refrigeration until it is being prepped for consumption.

Yes, beef can be frozen for a considerable time and still be edible. However, it must have been frozen quickly, thoroughly, and consistently. If you are in an area with frequent power failures, you might have to assume the beef was not frozen consistently. Partial thawing and refreezing will yield cell destruction and growth of very problematic bacteria. Excellent wrapping is also essential for long-term freezing. After a year, poorly wrapped beef will be dry and icky.

In the freezer for years, in the refrigerator 3 to5 days.

Either one, dog or human - who ate an old piece of meat that was left out overnight - might or might not get sick. If either of you do get sick, remember to tell the doctor/vet about eating the meat.

The best way to thaw it is in the refrigerator. Figure one day for each 4-5 pounds of turkey, so it should take 5-6 days to thaw out a 25-pound turkey.

If the summer sausage is not shelf stable, then ship it overnight in an insulated shipping cooler with cold packs or dry ice. Choose a cooler size that is just big enough to hold the sausage and the cold packs/dry ice. It will keep colder that way since you are chilling less air.

Yes, you can. Remove it from the bones and wrap it tightly to keep air out. Plan to use it within a month. It will last longer if it is covered in broth.

Yes. Many food packaging businesses have been selling beef this way for a long time. If you try this, keep a clean work surface, wash your hands and try to make single serving quantities of whatever the beef you decide to freeze. I freeze pre-made hamburger patties, steaks, loins, chops and chicken in sandwich zip lock bags or quart size bags with the air squeezed out of the bag before sealing it. With a permanent marker, date and label it accordingly. I let it marinade in the refrigerator for a while (8-24 hours) before I place it in the freezer to let the marinade work and soak in.

If your chicken has white dots on it, you should visit the doctor and get that checked out

I will eat them if I were you . No problem.

i would say at the most 2 days that is what we do

145-155

Commercially prepared baked beans should keep for at least a week after opening, if stored in a refrigerator, in a sealed non-metallic container. I've frequently kept them for 10 days without any problems.

You can only keep a fresh turkey refrigerated 1-2 days before cooking.

Yes. The turkey should not react with the aluminum.

Easily six months. If your freezer is zero degrees or colder, a year or more. the turkey will gradually lose flavor after six months in a 20-degree freezer, and after a year in a zero-degree freezer. In both cases it will still be edible after the alloted time, but it will taste more and more like sawdust as time goes on.

I've eaten lemon custard left out overnight. It was boxed and the edges hadn't started to skin over. Most custard pies are not refrigerated coming from the manufacturer, but fresh pies and opened boxes really should be refrigerated overnight.

If they were found on the chicken immediately after cooking and while it was still warm, the maggots probably came from somewhere else and not the cooked chicken.

Fly eggs can hatch within 24 hours of laying. If the chicken was left out to cool, a fly could have laid eggs on it then.

The key is in how long the food has been kept in the "danger zone" between 40-140 degrees Fahrenheit. Combined, the total time that food is allowed to be in this zone is 4 hours. This includes prep, heating, cooling, and reheating times. After that, how long you hold it hot has more to do with the quality of the food degrading (turning to mush) and less to do with safety.

Unopened, bacon should be good for a week after the expiration date on the package. Bacon is cured, so it should last a week or more. To check for spoilage, check for an off smell, a slimy texture or an extreme change in appearance.

If the beef spare ribs (or any other meat) is wrapped to exclude air and the freezer is very cold, years. Be sure you understand what "rapped tightly" and "very cold" mean here. Check the links below to related questions.