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Still, you may wonder whether meat can be frozen more than once. Share on Pinterest. Is refreezing meat safe? The effects of thawing and refreezing meat. How to thaw meat safely. And you should never, ever defrost anything on the kitchen counter. Freezing and thawing cause moisture loss. When ice crystals form, they damage the muscle fibers in meat, making it easy for the moisture within those fibers to escape, both while the meat is thawing and cooking.
The result? Tougher, drier meat. The salts cause the proteins to change shape and shorten, making for a tougher texture. The good news? If you want to skip thawing altogether, more power to you. Meat, poultry or fish can be cooked or reheated in its frozen state, says the USDA. Ground Beef. Thaw it on a plate on the bottom shelf of the fridge up to two days before you plan on cooking it.
In its original packaging, half a pound of meat can take up to 12 hours to thaw in the fridge. Save big on defrosting time by dividing the beef into patties and freezing them in resealable bags. You can also submerge the meat in a leak-proof bag in a bowl of cold water to thaw it.
If you have no time, use the microwave. Put the frozen meat on a plate in a microwave-safe, resealable bag with a small opening for steam to escape.
Run it for three to four minutes on defrost, turning the meat halfway through. Then, cook immediately. Submerge it in cold water in a leak-proof bag if you have a couple hours of wait time and no potential need for refreezing; ground chicken will take about an hour, while larger pieces can take two or more. Be sure to refresh the water every half-hour or so.
Thawing steak in the fridge helps it retain its juiciness. Place it in the fridge on a plate 12 to 24 hours before you plan on cooking it. Steaks that are an inch thick will take about 12 hours to come to temperature, but bigger cuts will take longer. The water method will work in a pinch too if you have a few hours. Just place the steak in a leak-proof bag and fully submerge it in a bowl of cold water.
Thin steaks will take an hour or two to thaw and heavier cuts will take about twice as long. Transfer frozen fillets to the fridge about 12 hours before you plan to cook them. Leave the fish in its packaging, place it on a plate and pop it in the refrigerator.
A pound of fish will be ready to prepare in about 12 hours, but heavier pieces will need more time, about a full day. The cold water method will take you about an hour or less. Fill a large pot with cold water, put the fish in a leak-proof bag and submerge. Weigh it down if needed and replace the water every ten minutes. Stop defrosting once the fish is cold yet flexible; expect this method to take about six to eight minutes per pound of fish.
If left on the bench, the external surface could be at room temperature and micro-organisms could be growing rapidly while the centre of the piece is still frozen! It is not a good idea to wash meats and poultry when preparing for cooking. Splashing water that might contain potentially hazardous bacteria around the kitchen can create more of a hazard if those bacteria are splashed onto ready-to-eat foods or food preparation surfaces. This applies particularly to foods that will be prepared and eaten without further cooking.
Consuming foods raw that traditionally have been eaten cooked or otherwise processed to kill pathogenic micro-organisms potentially deadly to humans might increase the risk of food poisoning. Fruit, salad, vegetables and other ready-to-eat foods should be prepared separately, away from raw meat, chicken, seafood and other foods that need cooking.
Temperature control is the simplest and most effective way of controlling the growth of bacteria. If food is left in the danger zone, be aware it is potentially unsafe to eat. Hot leftovers, and any other leftovers for that matter, should go into the fridge once they have stopped steaming to reduce condensation, within about 30 minutes.
Large portions of hot food will cool faster if broken down into smaller amounts in shallow containers. This is definitely not always true.
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