how old is too old? (lyn)

Sometimes I worry that in the future, when Alexander looks back on his time growing up, he’ll remember the prepared foods from Agata more than he will my home cooked meals.  So every now and then, I surprise him.

I check out my freezer, as I am trying to use things I’ve bought that I know Alexander will like.  I find four, individually wrapped, vacuum-sealed Berkshire pork chops from Fresh Direct.  I have a great Weight Watchers recipe that even Alexander loves.  I also decide to make a vegetable dish with the fresh red peppers and yellow and green zucchini that I got this weekend at the Farmer’s Market. 

Last night I took the pork chops out of the freezer to defrost them.  This morning I notice its packing date:  November 2009.  That’s almost two years ago. I’m the kind of person who constantly checks expiration dates.  I’ll even discard unopened items that are close to their expiration dates.  (My mom and I got into an argument about this when I was recently home.  On July 21, I threw out her unopened cream cheese that was expiring on July 23. She accused me of "being ridiculous."  Maybe I was.)

But what about 21-month old pork that has been vacuum sealed?  I do what I am sure most would do; I go on the internet.  The result:  safety is not compromised, quality could be. 

I make the dinner.  The vegetables are slightly overcooked (Alexander forgets to tell me when the timer goes off and I am in my room and can’t hear it).  But the Berkshire pork chops?  Perfect, as if they were purchased yesterday.