frozen chicken

WaxiesDargle

hi all

not sure if this is the right forum

i put fresh chicken breast in my freezer and have just defrosted them and made a curry...i know i can't re-freeze it but can i put it in the fridge and reheat it tomorrow night?...Thanks

Sublime_2

Yes, I do all the time, and I'm still here. Just make sure its reheated thoroughly.

Miss_Laid

Why can't you freeze it? Yes you can keep it in the fridge and reheat tomorrow just make sure you heat it right thru, but I'd freeze it and have it next week

mossy

Yeah you can refreeze it once it's been cooked. If you had some of the chicken left that you didn't cook in the curry then you wouldn't be able to refreeze that, but as you've cooked it you'll be fine.

kittycat204

if the fresh chicken breast was frozen then you de-frosted it and cooked it you can then re-freeze it. If you just want to re-heat it tomorrow, i would say it will be fine. Enjoy. X

Refreezing
Once food is thawed in the refrigerator, it is safe to refreeze it without cooking, although there may be a loss of quality due to the moisture lost through thawing. After cooking raw foods which were previously frozen, it is safe to freeze the cooked foods. If previously cooked foods are thawed in the refrigerator, you may refreeze the unused portion. Freeze leftovers within 3-4 days. Do not refreeze any foods left outside the refrigerator longer than 2 hours; 1 hour in temperatures above 90 °F.

WaxiesDargle

thank you all

well I've learned something today anyway...i didn't realise it was ok to re-freeze it. Thanks again

WaxiesDargle

oh sorry one more thing...once cooked how long has the food got to cool down before putting it in the fridge or freezer?

Miss_Laid

WaxiesDargle wrote: »

oh sorry one more thing...once cooked how long has the food got to cool down before putting it in the fridge or freezer?

Until its completely cooled so room temperature

socks_uk

WaxiesDargle wrote: »

thank you all

well I've learned something today anyway...i didn't realise it was ok to re-freeze it. Thanks again

Once you have cooked it just think of it as 'not being previously frozen' because in effect, you haven't yet frozen the dish you have just cooked.

It's the re-freezing of previously frozen raw meat that is a big no-no.

thelurch

I have to say I have this conversation at work all the time.

I must break all the rules when it comes to freezing food!

I buy frozen anything, thaw it, then maybe re freeze it as I dont then want to use it.

Ive frozen fresh meat, defrosted it, re froze it, defrosted it, then cooked it!

I also regularly freeze reduced items which say "not suitable for home freezing". This is generally to do with the fact that it will ruin the quality of the product when defrosted.

I dont expect anyone to do what I do but Ive been doing it about 20 years and havent had food poisoning yet!

And dont get me started on people who rinse meat under the tap before cooking!!!

alandbailey

Why is it stated that raw meat, once defrosted and stored in a fridge at < 5 degrees C should not be frozen? What is the reasoning or justification behind it - is it a health or quality of taste concern?