"Off" flavor in duck fat?

[jayhay]

I've heard so many raves about potatoes roasted in duck fat, that I was anxious to try them.

I bought a tub of fat at a reputable meat market with a high turnover, divided it up in chunks & froze it. That was about 2-3 months ago, & when I used it on N.Y. Eve, the potatoes had a peculiar, off putting flavour. I wanted to like them.....

Did I store the fat too long, & what's the length of time it can be frozen?

[culinary bear]

I've heard so many raves about potatoes roasted in duck fat, that I was anxious to try them. 

I bought a tub of fat at a reputable meat market with a high turnover, divided it up in chunks & froze it.  That was about 2-3 months ago, & when I used it on N.Y. Eve, the potatoes had a peculiar,  off putting flavour.  I wanted to like them.....

Did I store the fat too long, & what's the length of time it can be frozen?

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I wouldn't have thought the freezing process would have harmed the fat at all - even refrigerated it shouldn't go off in that length of time.

Did you use some of the fat before you froze the rest? if so, how did it taste?

[petite tête de chou]

Were the chunks o' fat sealed really well? Perhaps they got a bit of freezer burn

which would explain that off flavor.

Then again...

If you havent used duck fat before maybe you just dont care for the flavor.

[culinary bear]

Perhaps they got a bit of freezer burn...

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Freezer burn is low-temperature desiccation - there's no water in duck fat to begin with.

[snowangel]

So, if you really want to get to the root of the problem, if you have any of the duck fat left over, and any of the potatoes, cook a potato naked, heat up some of that duck fat, and taste each independently.

Freezing is interesting. If you are using a deep freeze (dedicated freezer), it is one thing. If you are using the freezer that is part of a fridge, there is often "air interchange" which I think leads me to think that if you had something stinky or off in the fridge while the duck fat was freezeing and the duck fat wasn't as sealed as you thought, there could be some "smell" contamination.

[culinary bear]

So, if you really want to get to the root of the problem, if you have any of the duck fat left over, and any of the potatoes, cook a potato naked, heat up some of that duck fat, and taste each independently.

Freezing is interesting.  If you are using a deep freeze (dedicated freezer), it is one thing.  If you are using the freezer that is part of a fridge, there is often "air interchange" which I think leads me to think that if you had something stinky or off in the fridge while the duck fat was freezeing and the duck fat wasn't as sealed as you thought, there could be some "smell" contamination.

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That might be a decent explanation. Off-flavours in fats are usually caused by oxidation, giving a rancid flavour. This shouldn't really happen in a freezer unless it's being opened all the time and the fat isn't wrapped at all well. It might well be down to cross-contamination.

[fifi]

If I am going to keep fats any length of time in the fridge, that is why I use jars with metal lids. Fat in plastic can pick up off flavors from the fridge environment pretty quickly. I have learned that the hard way.

[bleudauvergne]

In my case, the first thing I'd do is smell and taste the duck fat direct with no intermediary of a potato. Small spoon of duckfat into mouth. I agree with fifi, fats can pick up odors unless well sealed.

[jayt90]

Was there a best before date on the container? Even if purchased from a high volume store, duck fat may not move quickly. I would look very carefully at this type of purchase, and probably render my own duck fat from a bird that tasted well, even if frozen.

[Mnehrling]

When I roasted a duck for Christmas, I made a rack out of cinnamon sticks. The rescued duck fat has an amazing cinnamon flavor that is wonderful in making a dressing or even cooking steak.

[Chris Amirault]

So, if you really want to get to the root of the problem, if you have any of the duck fat left over, and any of the potatoes, cook a potato naked, heat up some of that duck fat, and taste each independently.

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But if you're going to cook naked, be sure to wear an apron, as the moisture content in potatoes can make the duck fat splatter and...

oh...

wait...

[Emily Litella]Never mind....[/Emily Litella]

[Really Nice!]

Perhaps they got a bit of freezer burn...

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Freezer burn is low-temperature desiccation - there's no water in duck fat to begin with.

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Without knowing the history of the package and how it was handled at the market, we can assume that this is true, but if it's not properly packaged for the freezer, the defrosting/freezing cycles will circulate enough moisture and other stuff that some will settle on the improperly packaged item and off odors will appear. The same goes for improperly packaged or covered items for the fridge.