Is It Bad to Defrost and Freeze Meals Again
You've probably heard a lot of and then-chosen rules when it comes to frozen food.
For case, maybe yous've been told that ice cream has gone bad once you see those crystals form or that you should never thaw and so refreeze meat.
But practice you know which of those facts are true and which ones you tin toss out ... forth with that mystery meat that'due south been in the back of your freezer for five years?
For definitive answers to some common questions about keeping frozen nutrient healthy and tasty, TODAY Nutrient consulted two experts: chef Jennifer Stack, RDN, who teaches nutrition and food rubber at the Culinary Institute of America, and Lauren Sucher, a press officer for the U.Southward. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Together, they've got answers to some of your most called-for questions about everything frozen.
ane. Is it OK to defrost food on my counter?
"Never thaw food at room temperature, such as on the counter pinnacle," advised Sucher. "Nutrient must be kept at a safe temperature during thawing. That means leaving any raw poultry, raw beef or any other food yous wouldn't leave sitting out on the counter is a bad idea.
"There are three safety ways to defrost food: in the refrigerator, in common cold h2o and in the microwave. Food thawed in common cold water or in the microwave should be cooked immediately."
2. How presently do I need to cook frozen food once I defrost it?
If you thawed the food in the refrigerator, you lot generally accept between ane to five days to cook it. "Once ground meat, stew meat, poultry or fish are thawed, melt them within a solar day or two," said Stack. "Blood-red meat roasts and steaks can stay in your refrigerator for iii to five days before you demand to melt them."
3. Is it true that yous shouldn't refreeze thawed food?
This is a common misconception, only the experts say that if yous're still in the prophylactic window for cooking and eating meat, poultry or fish, it'southward perfectly safe to refreeze them, provided that the foods were thawed in the refrigerator and kept common cold (xl°F or below). "Refreezing the food might effect in undesirable changes in texture and some loss of flavour but it will exist safe to eat," said Stack.
iv. Does food continue indefinitely in the freezer?
Yes, only generally no. "Frozen foods can be kept in your freezer indefinitely and still exist safe to eat ... bold they stayed frozen solid the whole fourth dimension," said Stack. "However, they might not taste very good or accept a strange texture that makes them unappealing." She said that fresh, whole roasts, steaks and whole chickens will keep their quality for up to a year, just once meats are cut into pieces, their quality freezer life drops to four to vi months. Other meats, such as sausage, lose quality after only ii months.
The FoodKeeper app is a super handy tool that gives timelines for freshness and quality for foods stored in the fridge and freezer. TODAY Health also has guidelines for how long you can freeze different foods.
v. What'southward the deal with those crystals on my water ice foam?
Water ice crystals form on nutrient after that food has gotten warm and begun to defrost; so gets refrozen. "Once they get common cold over again, ice crystals start to course and the food (like ice cream) gets that off flavor and icy texture," explained Stack.
When you buy frozen food, choose packages that do not obviously have ice crystals, since this may indicate that the food has partially defrosted then refrozen. For bagged frozen foods, give the bag a squeeze to test for freshness. "Frozen peas, corn, beans, berries and pocket-size pieces of fish like shrimp and scallops should not exist a solid block of food," said Stack. "This may too be a sign of defrosting and refreezing for these foods."
6. How tin I go on frozen foods at their best?
Brand sure that frozen foods are wrapped well or in a tightly sealed container. And make certain to keep them cold. "Your frozen foods will keep their quality longer if they are kept in the coldest role of the freezer, such as the bottom or the back of the freezer," said Stack. "The side door storage areas usually get a little warmer so the food might soften or start to defrost."
seven. What foods should I never freeze?
While you tin can safely freeze any food, some foods simply don't freeze well. Stack's "don't freeze" list includes salad greens, meat salads made with mayonnaise (e.g. chicken salad), whole eggs and egg yolks and custard pies. So yous're gonna take to eat that whole custard pie (or keep it in your fridge for upwardly to 5 days). While you can freeze milk and cheese, "they may have some changes in their texture," said Stack.
eight. Does freezing kill leaner and other pathogens?
Sorry, nope. "Freezing food will not impale germs, but rather deadening the growth," Sucher said. "If a food product is about to expire and you determine to freeze it, the twenty-four hour period that yous pull it out of the freezer for thawing will restart the clock where you stopped it upon freezing the nutrient. Refrigerate or freeze perishables, prepared food, and leftovers within two hours."
9. If I lose ability, should I toss all the food in my freezer?
Good news! The experts say "no" with some caveats. "If the ability in your home goes out, keep the freezer door closed and then the inside of the freezer stays as cold every bit possible," said Stack. Thawed or partially thawed foods that were in your freezer tin can be safely refrozen if the food has not gone in a higher place xl°F. Y'all may run across some changes in the quality of the food but it will even so be safe to eat. Any food that has thawed and was above 40°F for more two hours should be thrown out.
10. Is frozen food less nutritious than fresh nutrient?
Nope, non at all! "The good news nigh frozen foods is they retain their nutritional value and may be higher in some vitamins than foods like vegetables that were harvested many days earlier you but them and eat them," said Stack.
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Source: https://www.today.com/food/10-frozen-food-safety-myths-debunked-t116836
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