# Defrosting meat from frezer. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 8, 2005, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/defrosting-meat-from-frezer/302952 "2005-05-08T20:28:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2005, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/defrosting-meat-from-frezer/302952/1 "2005-05-08T20:28:09Z")
Once a packet of meat (turkey strips) has been defrosted from the frezer, presuming it’s well within the use by date, for how long can it be kept in the fridge? ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2005, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/defrosting-meat-from-frezer/302952/2 "2005-05-08T20:29:50Z")
:smack: Freezer. I swear my ability to spell is regressing. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2005, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/defrosting-meat-from-frezer/302952/3 "2005-05-08T20:39:57Z")
> [@+MDI](#): > > Freezer. I swear my ability to spell is regressing. Mine two. ---
**Author:** ![PatriotX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@PatriotX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotX)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2005, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/defrosting-meat-from-frezer/302952/4 "2005-05-08T20:43:18Z")
> [@+MDI](#): > > …how long can it be kept in the fridge? Dependnig on whose job it is to clean the fridge, indefinitely. I’d take the time remaining til the use by date when the meat was frozen and start the count down from the day the meat was placed inth fridge to thaw. This should put you a day or two inside the line. Of course, this all assumes a functional freezer and fridge. Not a freezer that only gets to say 10F or a fridge tha only gets to 43F or some such somethings like that. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2005, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/defrosting-meat-from-frezer/302952/5 "2005-05-08T21:52:41Z")
Meat that’s not vacuum-packed or irraadiated will keep a few days in a fridge before it starts looking nasty and maaybe 10 days before it gets unhealthy. And even 10 might be stretching it. Frozen it’ll be safe to eat years later, if a bit unappetizing. But a fridge is not nearly cold enough to prevent fairly rapid spoilage of meat. Meat that’s been irradiated and vacuum packed can survive much longer in a fridge, but lacking that, simply being wrapped in plastic or tucked in a box won’t do anything more to preserve it than wrapping in butcher paper would. That greenish-tinged meat that’s always on markdown at the grocery is only a day or two older than the bright new stuff. ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2005, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/defrosting-meat-from-frezer/302952/6 "2005-05-08T21:54:31Z")
> [@+MDI](#): > > Once a packet of meat (turkey strips) has been defrosted from the frezer, presuming it’s well within the use by date, for how long can it be kept in the fridge? My rule of thumb is 7 days for pre-cooked meats in the reefer once the package is open. It may very well still be “good” after that, but the taste goes downhill. If its unopened, 2 weeks would be my max before throwing it out. [/One Who Is ServeSafe Certified]