Thawing Food
Some small items of food such as fish cutlets, thin chops, vegetables and many convenience foods can be cooked from frozen without the need to defrost them first.
However, you must NOT do this with joints of meat, poultry and bulky items. These must be completely thawed out before you begin the cooking process. The reason is that if you don’t thaw it out properly first, then the core temperature may never get hot enough to kill the bacteria.
Thawing methods
- small joints and chickens can be put in a container in the bottom shelf of the fridge
- most microwave ovens have a defrost setting. Follow the instructions.
- if the above are not an option, then thaw in as cool a place as possible at 15°C (59°F) or below.
Guidelines for thawing meat
- plan well ahead
- place food on or in a container to catch any liquid
- keep the thawing food away from other food and euipment to avoid cross-contamination
- cook food immediately after thawing
Once frozen food has been thawed NEVER REFREEZE IT. [This is the official and legal guideline. In your own home you're allowed to risk poisoning yourself if you want to.]
This is Chapter Six, Part Ten in a series of articles broadly similar to the course offered by the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health for its Food Hygiene Certificate.
Part Eleven: Measuring temperatures
Return to the start of Chapter Six
2 responses »
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Comment by Not Delia | 5 February 2010 @ 17:31
I agree with you, Colin. Received wisdom says not to refreeze food, and yet no one properly explains why not. I can try to clarify the position for you, but it’s just my OPINION – I’ve got the most bog-standard food hygiene certificates so I hardly think that qualifies me as an expert on the matter. (Disclaimer: don’t blame me if you die of food poisoning as a result of any of my advice.)
OK, here goes. Freezing food causes the bacteria contained within it to go dormant. Freezing doesn’t kill bacteria. Therefore, when you defrost food, it still contains as much bacteria as it did before you froze it.
Plus, there’s every chance that you’ve left the food in the “danger zone” temperature during the defrosting process and therefore the original bacteria have multiplied.
An intelligent person can figure out what the likely risk might be and make their own decisions. However, Nanny – in the form of the British government et al – thinks that we’re not smart enough to make those kind of decisions for ourselves, and it’s easier for them to say, “Don’t do it,” rather than explain the ifs and buts. Because people like us don’t need to worry our silly little heads about it.
I occasionally refreeze food. As you say, you stand a good chance of lowering the quality of the food but it’s not necessarily a health risk.
You’ve raised a really interesting point, though. Where is the evidence and how many people have become ill from refreezing frozen food? I’ll do my best to see what I can dig out.
Thanks again for your comment.
We are constantly being told NOT to refreeze food that has been thawed but no one tells us why!!
I have read an American Health & Safety web-site that clearly states you CAN refreeze after defrosting. The only result is a reduction of quality in the product.
PLEASE………. clarify the position once & for all. We need proof, not just a so called “expert” giving us words. For example, has anyone ever been taken ill as a direct result of eating thawed, refrozen, then thawed & cooked food.
C. A. Forsyth.