Old duck confit

[radtek]

Hi everybody!

Have a question... I have a vacuum-sealed batch of shredded duck confit in the fridge. I confited it sous vide at 160F back in January of 2009 for many hours in a lot of fat and stored it below 39F for all this time. For some reason I just have never used the confit or threw it away. As time has gone by my inclination to open the package has shrivelled to near zero...

The appearance is as good as when it was made. No swelling or bubbles so I think one can almost rule the risk of botulism out.

I want to open it. Or toss the confit out. Wondering if it is still any good? Any ideas or advice in this extreme situation.

[radtek]

To report back I just opened the package of confit and gave it the sniff test. It wasn't foul or rotten at all but the fat smelled slightly rancid so it went right into the trash.

I'm sure the confit was safe to eat but the quality was shot.

What I've taken from this is that if an item is preserved the quality can suffer even if it stays cold for years at a time. Most likely the years of light exposure from opening the door and any oxygen permeating the vacuum sealed bag contributed to the fat turning rancid. Perhaps in a light proof can it would have survived but who can say for sure.

[gfweb]

Beware the sniff test. Pathogens need not be smelly.

[radtek]

Beware the sniff test. Pathogens need not be smelly.

I'm sure you are absolutely correct! I saw no signs of fermentation which would be a major signal of anything growing. Still, when in doubt- toss it out!