# Would these ribs kill me? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 4, 2007, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-these-ribs-kill-me/390822 "2007-02-04T21:04:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2007, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-these-ribs-kill-me/390822/1 "2007-02-04T21:04:47Z")
Going through the freezer, I found a rack of ribs. They were presauced and sealed in a pseaudo-vacuum plastic bubble thingy. The sell-by date on them was back in July, 2005. They’ve been in my freezer since then. If I were to thaw them and cook em up, would they be safe to eat? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2007, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-these-ribs-kill-me/390822/2 "2007-02-04T21:09:58Z")
Probably. How freezer burned are they? You might find the texture somewhat lacking, but if they’ve been frozen solid and are still sealed in the platic they were shipped in, I’d eat them. Then again, my gut will dissolve just about anything. It takes a lot to make me the slightest bit sick. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2007, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-these-ribs-kill-me/390822/3 "2007-02-04T21:19:31Z")
They don’t appear to be freezer burned at all, from what I can see through the plastic. Reckon I’ll toss em in the oven and see how they do. If they suck, I’ll just order pizza… ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2007, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-these-ribs-kill-me/390822/4 "2007-02-04T21:27:59Z")
I had some breakfast sausage for a looong time and decided to cook it up a couple weeks ago. The taste was entirely off-putting to me. It ALMOST made me give up breakfast sausage altogether (though a fresh package brought me through the crisis). I’d take a pass on it. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2007, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-these-ribs-kill-me/390822/5 "2007-02-04T21:28:19Z")
[QUOTE=Oakminster] They don’t appear to be freezer burned at all, from what I can see through the plastic. Reckon I’ll toss em in the oven and see how they do. If they suck, I’ll just order pizza… [/QUOTE] Cook’em real good until the meat falls off the bone… You’ll be fine. The sell by date is different than the eat by date… ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2007, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-these-ribs-kill-me/390822/6 "2007-02-04T21:43:06Z")
Just put them in the oven. Did not notice any indications of unwholesomeness. The smell was mostly bbq sauce, but the meat appeared normal. Think I will take the advice from **Phlosphr** and cook the hell out of them. Couple hours oughta do it, checking on em from time to time. May mix up a little homebrewed sauce to baste with…a little Jack in the Black, some BBQ sauce, whatever else is in the cupboard… ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2007, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-these-ribs-kill-me/390822/7 "2007-02-04T21:46:22Z")
I dibs his stuff if we’re wrong! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2007, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-these-ribs-kill-me/390822/8 "2007-02-04T22:26:17Z")
Prolly about halfway through the cooking now. My kitchen smells like I’m cooking ribs, and the cat has wandered through to remind me that he’s a good kitty, who LIKES ribs. Starting to wish I’d fired up the grill and done it right… ---
**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-these-ribs-kill-me/390822/9 "2007-02-05T06:22:31Z")
Yeah, they’re fine. PS… the ribber you drunk, the taster they smoke. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-these-ribs-kill-me/390822/10 "2007-02-05T08:07:04Z")
The Magical Mystery Ribs turned out delicious. Kitty demanded and received his tribute, then slept through the Super Bowl. I enjoyed the game, and did not die. Win-win. Well, not so much for Bears fans…but that is a thing which I am not. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-these-ribs-kill-me/390822/11 "2007-02-05T12:28:21Z")
I’m glad they worked out for you. Just thinking about the potential of YOU cooking a bad batch of ribs was kind of putting me off them. I shall live to barbeque again!