hurricane sandy meat life?


 
J

Jeff Davidson

TVWBB Super Fan
Hi Folks,

we were without power (and heat) since the hurricane struck a week ago monday. Thankfully no damage to our house.

I had four pork shoulders and a bunch of steaks in our large freezer. I checked each day, they thawed five days ago and have been on ice in a cooler since then. Additionally, temperatures have been btw 28 and 45 degrees. The strip steaks were cut whole and foodsavered upon purchase. The shoulders are in cryovac.

do I:
toss everything tonight?
cook everything tonight?

thanks,
jd
 
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Hello Jeff,

I hope you get your power back soon. Open a bag, how does the meat feel, look and smell? You are on the edge. If it has any hint foul odor or slimy feel, I would pitch. If it's still good, I would cut into chunks and cook to Med/Well or use in a beef stew (long slow cook) to be absolutely safe. I think a hearty beef stew would be better in your current situation then a grilled steak.

Good luck,
 
Cool on the power. Vacuum sealing and storage can extend shelf life if it's at a constant temp. You said the meat thawed then was stored in less than optimal temp range; frig < 40 F, freezing < 0 F. Refreezing is generally discouraged after thawing for safety & a quality perspective.
 
Jeff, if you are SURE that the temps were under or about 40 deg. then you are okay to refreeze. That said there might be a quality issue but not a safety/health one. I went through a similar experience last year with the Oct. snow storm knocking out power for a week. Had butts that partially defrosted (but were always under 40 degrees surface temp. and then refrozen...
 
I'd cook something and refreeze anything not cooked. I'd cook some or all of the pork because you can pull that, vaccum pack it and refreeze after cooking. The steaks I would just refreeze and hope for the best. I agree, there may be a slight quality issue, but not a health issue.
 
I was without power from Sandy for 3 days. I have a generator and kept my freezer going the whole time.
If I didn't have a generator, I would have cooked it all after 72 hours, otherwise I would toss it. It's just not worth the risk of getting sick.

Bob
 
If you rapid thaw something (microwave/sitting on the counter/etc) - that should not be re-frozen
A slow thaw (freezer without power/fridge with power) - that can be re-frozen

Slow thaw then on ice for 5 days? Personally, I wouldn't re-freeze - but that's just me. I'd cook all of the above.
Steak the following day for lunch is still quite good. My elementary school teacher of a wife makes her co-worker jealous with her leftover lunches.
Just wait until I get the WSM, then she'll really become popular....
 
Jeff,

Sorry for your trouble. I was without power for three weeks after Katrina so I know what a challenge it can be - hang in there! When I returned (three days after the storm), my freezer was just beginning to thaw out. Fortunately, we don't keep a lot of meat in there during hurricane season. I wound up cooking a bunch of stuff and sharing it with the neighbors - the impromptu cookout was a real morale booster.

Incidentally you should catalog everything you lost in your fridge and freezer - your insurance company will probably cover it.

Freezer Pro Tip: I rinse and save a couple dozen 2 liter drink bottles. When a hurricane threatens I fill them 2/3 full with fresh tap water and stuff them to the deep freezer (as many as it will hold). This makes quick block ice that will keep your freezer cold for many days if you are careful. Spread the bottles around to provide even chilling. Keep the freezer locked and avoid the temptation to open it. Hopefully your power will come back in time to save the food. If it doesn't you will have good food to prepare and share for a few days and you can drink the water from the bottles as they melt.

Regards,

John
 
The 2-liter bottles is a good tip. I have 12 gallons of re-filled milk jugs in the garage freezer just 'because.' Since we don't use the freezer portion, they just help give the freezer something to do. :) But I like the idea of laying flat/stacking the 2-liter bottles compared the awkward gallon milk jugs.
 
Chad,

Thanks - this has saved us a couple of times. Once when the freezer went bad and during Katrina. I had a generator for Isaac earlier this year which kept things nicely frozen for the two days we were without power. It is always nice to drop a couple of them in the ice chest for fishing or camping trips. It is block ice for free (well almost) and keeping the melt-off contained also keeps the food from getting soggy. This qualifies as a win-win-win...

Regards,

John
 
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