question on frozen sweetbreads....

R

randi

Well-known member
a girlfriend came over this afternoon and we tackled my standup freezer in the garage. oh my!

the four year old chicken was toast along with several other things. I haven't opened the freezer in a couple of years.

among a few surprises is a bucket - prob 6 lbs, of sweetbreads. I think I bought them before we moved here so that would make them at least 7 years old. the container was never opened and I bought it frozen. girlfriend thinks they might be just fine but food TV says they don't last that long. does anyone have any experience with sweetbreads.

I found a package of filet mingon in very good shape... lucky me! smileys/smile.gif

thanks

 
next freezer question, does anyone own a FoodSaver? I can't find my manuel...

and I need to call them. I tried finding a website for them but couldn't get one. mine is no longer sealing properly. there would have been a lot more salvagable stuff in the freezer if the seals held up :-0

TIA

 
You may be able to salvage your FoodSaver. I have heard their tech supprort

is very helpful.
The sweetbreads really need to be sacrificed.
Is your FS not drawing the vacuum or not sealing?

 
Randi, is your freezer a "frost-free" or does the frost build up inside? The reason is...

...a frost-free defrosts itself by cycling through warm periods so that the frost can melt. It stops short of getting warm enough long enough to melt your food, but the food does not stay fresh and usable as long in a frost-free.

A freezer that is not frost free will, assuming proper operation of the unit, hold a relatively constant temperature throughout. You say you haven't opened it in two years. If it is not a frost-free, there's a better chance the food stored in it will remain viable.

Michael

 
I agree with Michael's premise, having had a non-frost free freezer for TOO long!!

But no more. However, if the ice builds up on the packages it still has a bad effect on the contents, particularly if not in something like a FoodSaver. But I still think 7 years for sweetbreads is too long.
If I hadn't opened my non-frost free freezer in two years I would be looking at a block of ice!!! ;o)
For any poor souls that have them, a good way to defrost is to use your shop vac. Put hot water in big pans to soften the ice and then vacuum off the slush/ice pieces.

 
I think it's the heating element. it draws fine but doesn't stay sealed. I would have been able to

save a few more things in the freezer if the seal held up. the ones that stayed sealed were just fine but do need to be used.

 
it's not frost free. thankfully, there is only one glacier that formed on the top

shelf. my friend thinks I should defrost the sweetbreads and see how they held up. it sounds like I should just chuck them. I'd hate to defrost something that is probably pretty nasty by now.

the seals held up on the pancetta and I have enough to make sausage with. I found mozzarella curds that look fine too. I'll make one of them up over the weekend and see. usually I make mozz from scratch but these are quick and easy. I found bagels that I ordered from a NYC deli and they are still good too.

I'm going to use everything in there before putting new stuff in. this time, I'm going to make a list with dates so I know what I have.

Gretchen, thanks for the shop vac tip smileys/smile.gif

 
Did some of the things have sharp bone edges? For instance, I have to put shrimp

in a separate bag (I use clean plastic produce bags from Publix, lol), before vac-packing it because the sharp shells will break the bag and let air in.

 
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