# 15 month old frozen meatballs **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 25, 2009, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-month-old-frozen-meatballs/507653 "2009-08-25T17:39:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Weird\_AL\_Einstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c67d28/32.png) [@Weird\_AL\_Einstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weird_AL_Einstein)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-month-old-frozen-meatballs/507653/1 "2009-08-25T17:39:42Z")
In my freezer I have some pre-cooked italian-style meatballs I put in there about 15 months ago. Would it be unsafe for me to eat them? ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-month-old-frozen-meatballs/507653/2 "2009-08-25T17:46:30Z")
I’d eat em, if they don’t look too freezer burned. ---
**Author:** ![Iggins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Iggins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggins)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-month-old-frozen-meatballs/507653/3 "2009-08-25T17:48:02Z")
Heck, enough good sauce will cover up that freezer burn! ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-month-old-frozen-meatballs/507653/4 "2009-08-25T18:26:42Z")
Safetywise, as long as they have not be defrosted and refrozen in that time, they should be fine. As others have said, they’ll probably be a bit freezer burnt, but that affects the taste not the safety. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-month-old-frozen-meatballs/507653/5 "2009-08-25T18:32:31Z")
band name ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-month-old-frozen-meatballs/507653/6 "2009-08-25T18:35:33Z")
i most often hear a 1 year limit to frozen meat. freezing only slows down spoilage. though if the temp has stayed well below 0F, i wouldn’t worry about that time frame because i like meatballs. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-month-old-frozen-meatballs/507653/7 "2009-08-25T20:53:23Z")
> [@Iggins](#): > > Heck, enough good sauce will cover up that freezer burn! Nothing covers up freezer burn, in my experience. That flavor, whatever it is, is all-pervasive. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-month-old-frozen-meatballs/507653/8 "2009-08-25T21:46:26Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > That flavor, whatever it is, is all-pervasive. I think it’s mostly lipid oxidation and the Maillard browning reaction: > **[Handbook of Food Science, Technology, and Engineering](https://books.google.com/books?id=B81Wo5BTHGsC&pg=PT208&lpg=PT208&dq=%22freezer+burn%22+oxidation+browning&source=bl&ots=J07xOva6nG&sig=z9UpuUmw3vWgdgstO3V-th3rLsE&hl=en&ei=xVqUSrGPMKmRtgfn0IBS&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8#v=onepage&q=%22freezer%20burn%22%20oxidation%20browning&f=false)** ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-month-old-frozen-meatballs/507653/9 "2009-08-25T22:36:09Z")
[Required link](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErgdUhZteqw). ---
**Author:** ![Anaglyph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Anaglyph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaglyph)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-month-old-frozen-meatballs/507653/10 "2009-08-26T08:05:31Z")
If they there kept well frozen throughout that time, they did not undergo bacterial spoilage. However, chemical reactions like lipid oxidation will go on in the freezer, though around 20 times more slowly. So your probably won’t be unsafe, but they may taste somewhat rancid.