I was digging through my freezer and discovered a bag of Brussels sprouts that has been languishing there for about five years. I checked, and they seem to have reached their expiry date. Um, actually, no. That auspicious date was reached and breached two years ago.
They’re vegetables, not pork chops or chicken gizzards. Surely they’re still safe to eat, and should taste fine?
Please, no dumb “Brussels sprouts are vile” replies. Give me the science on this.
What could happen to a carrot, for instance, if it were frozen twenty years ago? Would it still be edible?
I just did a quick search for actual science and didn’t find much. But what I’ve seen from eating frozen vegetables as old or older: are they safe to eat? Yes. Will they taste fine? Unlikely, but depends on what you’re doing with them. The ice crystals and time in the freezer will probably have messed up the texture. If you’re mixing them into a stew (do people do that with Brussels sprouts?!), probably fine, if you want to get tasty roasted Brussels sprouts, unlikely.
Basically, give it a shot. I think you’re safe. You just may wind up ordering take-out at the last minute.
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They’ll be going into a soup, which is surprisingly delicious. Thanks!
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Are they frozen raw, like not blanched? They would lose moisture and enzymatic reaction would continue and flavor would be affected. They could have freezer burn. But when cooked properly it could be turn out OK, accompanied by a distilled beverage.
No!
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Add a shot or two!
At what stage are they added? If it works with the recipe, I’d try to cook the Brussels sprouts separately first, to make sure they’re still palatable.
My suspicion: if the Brussels sprouts are the main ingredient, and especially if the texture is important, the soup may not work so well, purely for taste, not safety. You’re making a small gamble, which if it’s a 30-minute recipe is fine, but if you’re spending all day cooking … that’s a lot of time that may be wasted.
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I guess people never heard of a ‘blender’? A blended soup will take care of most ‘texture’ problems. (stick blender)
It will be blended. I doubt there will be texture problems with gloop.
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Also foods frozen for too long also develops an off flavor. If your recipe will be heavily spiced then go ahead and use it.
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I say you gift them to those friendly neighborhood cops you encountered recently.
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There’s good news and there’s bad news, Jimi. The bad news is that Brussels sprouts are vile. The good news is that even if they are 2 years beyond their expiry date, they don’t taste that different from fresh ones. Enjoy!