This is how you find out if you should throw out frozen food

A freezer is super handy for freezing meat, bread, leftovers and many other things. We use ours a great deal; you throw away much less, which is good for your wallet as well as for the environment. But sometimes we’re a bit unclear on how long we can store food in the freezer for. When does food expire when it’s been frozen?

Yes, even frozen food can go bad; you just don’t recognize it as easily. Luckily, there are a couple of signs that indicate you’re better off throwing these foods in the bin. Take a critical look at the food in your freezer with the help of the following list!

1. There are ice crystals in the packaging: This means water molecules in your food have made their way outside towards the colder parts of the freezer. It’s not a danger to your health, but it isn’t exactly tasty either. The food loses a lot of its moisture and this has negative effects on both the taste and the texture.
2. Change in color: This goes mostly for meat. For example, if you notice a steak is starting to get a little grey-ish instead of the its usual red color, it’s time to throw it into the bin. The grey color is a sign that it has almost passed its expiration date. The same is true for vegetables: if they’re losing their fresh color, it’s best not to eat it anymore.
3. You don’t remember when you put it in the freezer: Better safe than sorry; throw it out. It’s better to throw something out that might still be edible than to get sick because you took your chances.
4. Meat juices: If you notice that the frozen meat in your freezer has spilled some pink-ish meat juices, you know you can no longer eat it. These juices indicate that the temperature of your freezer isn’t stable and that the meat has thawed and has frozen again. Throw it away!
5. Smell: Of course, the smell isn’t as strong as that of food in the fridge, but if there’s a funky smell coming from the frozen food in your fridge, take it as a sign to throw it out right away.

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Source: TheKitchn | Image: Flickr