How Many Times Can You Actually Thaw and Refreeze Food? (2024)

FAQs

How Many Times Can You Actually Thaw and Refreeze Food? ›

At ICE, Ramsey and his colleagues have a blanket rule: "If something's been frozen once, that's it." The biggest downside of freezing and thawing and re-freezing and re-thawing is that the food becomes excessively mushy.

It's safe to defrost and refreeze meat again and again, provided you do it properly. However, what will begin to happen with repeated freezing and thawing is that the meat will become dryer and less tasty, says Donald W.

When is it safe to refreeze food? You can safely refreeze frozen food that has thawed—raw or cooked, although there may be a loss of quality due to the moisture lost through thawing. To safely refreeze, the thawed product must have been kept cold at 40 degrees or below for no more than 3-4 days.

Each time food is cooled, stored and reheated, the likelihood of harmful bacteria multiplying increases. If you do end up with leftovers, it is much safer to either freeze them or reheat them just once.

Remember that freezing does not kill bacteria, only prevents the microbes from multiplying. So thawed food will have some bacteria that can multiply at room temperature, meaning that if the food is refrozen, there will be an increase in bacterial count by the time it is thawed again.

As long as the meat has been stored properly and thawed slowly in the refrigerator, it can be refrozen safely multiple times. If done correctly, refreezing meat does not pose any health risks. Although, depending on the type of meat and how many times it's refrozen, the quality of the meat could be negatively affected.

One consideration when refreezing previously frozen food is that it can negatively affect the quality of the food due to moisture loss through freezing and thawing. Air trapped in the package or that seeps in from the freezer causes the moisture in the food to evaporate—making the food taste more dry.

Raw Proteins

This includes meat, poultry, and seafood. If they were thawed in a chilled environment that's less than 42°F (like your refrigerator), then it's safe to refreeze. But if they thawed on the counter or have an off color or smell, they're done!

After thawing in the refrigerator, items such as ground meat, stew meat, poultry, seafood, should remain safe and good quality for an additional day or two before cooking; red meat cuts (such as beef, pork or lamb roasts, chops and steaks) 3 to 5 days.

The Bottom Line. You can refreeze chicken that's been thawed, but it must be cooked first if it has been thawed in the microwave or in cold water. But if the chicken has thawed in the refrigerator, then it can be refrozen raw within two days of thawing.

What food cannot be frozen and reheated? ›

Leftovers can be kept for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. After that, the risk of food poisoning goes up. If you don't think you'll be able to eat leftovers within four days, freeze them right away. Frozen leftovers will stay safe for a long time.

Food that is stored in a freezer at zero degrees will be safe to eat indefinitely. However, if meat is frozen too long it may lose quality and taste. If you are unsure if meat is still fresh, you can determine this once it has been thawed.

Can ice cream that has melted and refrozen be eaten? The short answer is no. Melted and refrozen ice cream will have a different texture, taste, and quality. Not only that, you probably won't be able to scoop it easily from the container because it will be more solid, and it may even be more watery.

According to senior food editor Rick Martinez and Robert Ramsey, chef instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education, you can refreeze and re-thaw food—but just because you can doesn't mean you should. At ICE, Ramsey and his colleagues have a blanket rule: "If something's been frozen once, that's it."

How long after defrosting my freezer must I wait before turning it on again and putting foods back in? Once you have defrosted your freezer and switched back on the power, you can store frozen foods straight away.

Freezing meat is an effective way to preserve the nutrients, quality and flavor of food. Putting defrosted meat back in the fridge may increase the risks of infection and loss of freshness. Defrosting meat with hot water is equivalent to cooking it, and hence makes it lose nutrients and causes changes in its quality.

Information. While foods are in the process of thawing in the refrigerator (40 °F or less), they remain safe. After thawing, use ground meats, poultry, and fish within one or two additional days, and use beef, pork, lamb or veal (roasts, steaks, or chops) within three to five days.

You can refreeze chicken that's been thawed, but it must be cooked first if it has been thawed in the microwave or in cold water. But if the chicken has thawed in the refrigerator, then it can be refrozen raw within two days of thawing.