Sell by date?


 
D

Dan Quinlan

TVWBB Member
Hi all,

After a long hiatus, I've recently uncovered and re-fired my WSM. I bought a full packer, a 14 lb double pack of butts (cryovac), and a 3 rack pack of ribs (cryovac). The packer was fantastic. The butts and ribs were slated for this weekend, but life just got in the way. The "sell by" date on both cryovacs is this Saturday - 7/18. Should I freeze 'em, or will they hold in the fridge for another week?
Thanks in advance!
 
ABSOLUTELY..... I have a buddy who was a meat manager for Winn-Dixie (damn I miss their meat market).... there is a good bit of "safe" margin in "by dates"... it is not an issue with cryovac packaging, but with meat market clear plastic packing, the meat might not be as "attractive".... but within reason... you are home free here buddy.... In fact; in beef and pork, never poultry, I will look for meat market manager markdowns on items.... enjoy them
 
Personally, I freeze when life gets in the way and I can't get a smoke in. Lets say life gets in the way this weekend. Now you're faced with freezing even older meat. Life gets in the way so often for me that I know if I didn't get to it when planned, I'm not likely to get-er-done the next weekend. But that's me - YMMV.
 
Originally posted by Dan Quinlan:
Hi all,

After a long hiatus, I've recently uncovered and re-fired my WSM. I bought a full packer, a 14 lb double pack of butts (cryovac), and a 3 rack pack of ribs (cryovac). The packer was fantastic. The butts and ribs were slated for this weekend, but life just got in the way. The "sell by" date on both cryovacs is this Saturday - 7/18. Should I freeze 'em, or will they hold in the fridge for another week?
Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Dan, I'm with Jerry on this one. While cryo vac beef, can go many weeks, even months past it's sell by date, kept cold at 34-36º in a fridge, pork on the other hand doesn't fair as well. Chicken is the worst for keeping much past the sell by date. You said that the sell by date is Sun, the 18th, and "can it go for another week". If you are not planning on cooking the ribs and butt this weekend, by the 18th, I would highly reccomend you put the ribs and butt in the freezer. I would never think of keeping pork a week past it's sell by date. I have thrown out way too much pork over the years, by going too long past the sell by date. JMO
 
coming from one who has had to throw out pork shoulders because he kept them in the fridge too long I vote for freezing!!
 
I'm sure it would be all right to store it in the fridge. But why stress yourself out wondering...just freeze it.

The downside of not freezing is that it MIGHT go bad.

The downside of freezing is that you might forget to defrost it in time. Just put a reminder somewhere.
 
i agree with beef cryo being able to last longer, but how long for pork ribs in a cryo? could it go a week or 10 days? just picked up some ribs and looks like next thurs is the soonest I can get to 'em
 
Im going through this right now.

Wife bought a 20lb picnic last weekend, and I couldn't smoke it, so sell by was the 12th, im going to try and smoke it tonight.

Till i froze the damm thing, i would have had to start defrosting it.

it looks ok, but i didn't cut the cryo as of yet....
 
Originally posted by john enea:
i agree with beef cryo being able to last longer, but how long for pork ribs in a cryo? could it go a week or 10 days? just picked up some ribs and looks like next thurs is the soonest I can get to 'em
Click to expand...
I would never even think about letting pork go 7-10 days past the sell by date.
icon_eek.gif
 
IMHO, don't look for trouble, you might find it and you will hate yourself. Please freeze pork in these situations
 
Thanks Bryan, i didnt brine it but it came out very juicy, like said in the other thread, like a big roast.

fed the neighborhood, and it only took 4.5 hours to cook.

sometimes mistakes can be very tasty!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top