Okay, pretty sure the chicken is fine, the chowder, maybe not?

November 14, 2012 12:18 PM

Can I eat this? Frozen sampler edition.

Two frozen items, to wit:
--three day old stewed chicken w/ tomatoes and other stewed stuff
--like a year old potato chowder

Apologies for being a dunce. I really don't know how freezing works.

posted by angrycat to food & drink (7 answers total)

If you froze the stewed chicken three days ago, it should be good to go.

The chowder will probably taste kind of icky by now.
posted by xingcat at 12:22 PM on November 14, 2012

In terms of health, you can eat anything you freeze, at any time (assuming it was ok to eat it when you froze it). So the answer to can you eat it will always be yes.

Will you enjoy it? That depends on what you froze and how long you froze it. Freezing alters the texture of some things, and things that have been in the freezer a long time may have dried out to an unacceptable degree. Also, some ingredients you might have preferred blended may separate. I agree with xingcat that the chicken should warm up just fine, whereas the chowder may have had it. But because they are safe to eat, you can always try a little and see how you like it.
posted by ubiquity at 12:36 PM on November 14, 2012

Toss the chowder, eat the chicken.
posted by spunweb at 12:42 PM on November 14, 2012

PS: if you would like to know "how freezing works", memail me.
posted by ubiquity at 12:45 PM on November 14, 2012

hmm the chowder was frankly pretty piss-poor to begin with; hence, will toss chowder and eat that tasty chicken. thanks folks! (ubiquity, that was a great answer re: how freezing affects food -- tx)
posted by angrycat at 12:49 PM on November 14, 2012 [1 favorite]

Just for future reference, potatoes do not do well when frozen and thawed.
posted by something something at 12:59 PM on November 14, 2012

I hope you refer to cooked potatoes. Raw potatoes should not even be refrigerated.
posted by Cranberry at 3:30 PM on November 14, 2012