Forgot about my pastrami cure (PP#1) 6+ months but still smells/looks fine… worth cooking?

by TheLastNerd

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  2. As noted in the post I prepped these beef cheeks back in June 2023 and vacuum sealed them. I used .0025% PP#1 by weight along with pickling spices and then vacuum sealed it to cure.

     

    I ended up putting this under some other, already cured meats and lost track of it (I’ve since started a spreadsheet of my projects to keep better track…). While reorganizing my curing fridge today rediscovered the package and pulled them out to see what they were like. The cheeks smell just fine – no off-putting smell but it smells like the pickling brine, and the color looks great.

     

    I know PP#1 is not as long-lasting as PP#2, so I’m a bit hesitant about the safety of what I’ve got here, but I also know that color/smell tends to be a pretty good indicator. I got the beef cheeks on sale so I’m not too worried about tossing these if that’s the general consensus, but what do y’all think about the safety of cooking these up after all that time?

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