For people who love to cook, the freezer has got to be one of the greatest inventions ever. Freezing is a great way to add even more shelf life to ingredients and dishes you just don't have room for in the fridge. But what about frozen meat?

How long your frozen meats will remain safe to eat depends on what type of meat it is. Ground meats have the shortest freezer shelf life, at three to four months. Fresh cuts of beef, veal, lamb, and pork will last for between 4 and 12 months. Whole chickens and turkeys will last for up to a year, and cut poultry pieces will last for up to nine months.

While years-old frozen meat might technically be safe to eat, its quality deteriorates over time, suffering changes to its color, flavor, and texture. As a result, frozen meat should be tossed after a year at most.