Frozen Cryovac question.
 

Ive had a whole pork shoulder in my deep freeze for a few months now. Last week I knocked a hole in the cryovac pulling out a frozen brisket. Its been frozen hard as a rock the whole time. Is it safe to thaw and cook this weekend?

I dont have an answer for ya, but I do have a question....

How long is it safe to keep cryovac meats (briskets & butts) in a deep freezer??

Yes. :thumb:

I have cooked a year old brisket and it came out great. I don't have a frost free freezer, so once it's frozen, it stays. It may looke a little quality, but it was still good.

Hello,

I am new to this forum, but I have worked in the foodservice industry for quite some time now. Your product should be fine as long as it has stayed frozen the entire time (not thawed and re-frozen), and assuming that it was not frozen close to or after it had expired. If it was frozen close to it's expiration date then I would thaw it naturally under refrigeration and inspect it. If a bag was accidentally opened then it could be re-sealed or wrapped (keeping it in a frozen state) to avoid outside contamination.
As a general rule of thumb for any restaurant I have worked in I will not recieve any product that has been frozen for longer than six months, but that is more of a quality issue than a safety issue. At home I have used product that has been frozen for longer than six months and it has turned out fine.

Paul