Freezing - Tips and Quick Questions thread

JulieGeorgiana

I buy mushrooms and peppers already frozen. If I'm making a meal I chuck them in the pan frozen. You get excess water from them, but you adjust your other ingredients to suit.

You find peppers are definitely best in curry, chili etc.

zippychick

I've merged this with freezing quick questions

Zip

Swans1912

I'm very sorry if this is a stupid question... I bought a mincing attachment for my Kenwood which arrived this morning, so being excited, I took a joint of beef out of the freezer to defrost so I could try it out. Its minced up lovely but I now have a pile of mince as I wasn't sure how much the joint would make (if that makes sense!?) Would it be possible for me to refreeze half of it now it's minced up?

krlyr

I don't think you should really refreeze it raw, though I have defrosted blocks of mince, made into burgers and refroze - never came to any harm from it.

It'd be better/safer to cook before freezing - maybe batch cook some bolognese, chili, cottage pie meat etc?

McKneff

You aren't supposed to refreeze meat once it is defrosted.


Make it into pies, shelpherds pies, Bolognese, cook and then freeze them.

sKiTz-0

Agree with above - you can refreeze meat as long as it has changed state. i.e gone from raw to cooked.

So you would be able to cook up a chilli with the mince and freeze the chilli with no ill effects. But you are not able to just bung the raw mince back in the freezer IYSWIM.

jpscloud

From what I can gather, it's okay defrost and refreeze meat (without cooking it) multiple times.

The more often it is defrosted and refrozen, the more the cell structure (they say taste as well, but I'm not sure why) of the meat is affected. At some point defrosting and refreezing would presumably result in something not very nice. I've only ever done defrost and refreeze on anything once, and it's always been fine.

I'd say go for it

Jacksmummy

I defrost raw meat, make chillis, Spag bols and sheperds pie etc and then refreeze, don't think I'd risk refreezing raw meat after defrosting.

Mojisola

https://www.food.gov.uk/news-updates/campaigns/germwatch/science-fsw/freezing#.UsXcoijtpsQ
"Refrozen food has a higher risk of causing food poisoning because, as explained, when food is thawed, bacteria can multiply rapidly – particularly if at room temperature. So if the product is refrozen these bacteria will survive, and when defrosted again, it is more likely that the bacteria would reach harmful levels and cause food poisoning.

However, if you cook defrosted food before refreezing (for example turning defrosted chicken into a chicken curry), any harmful bugs will be killed off, making the food safe before freezing. Any defrosted food can be stored in the fridge for up to two days before it needs to be cooked or thrown away."

GlynD

You must never refreeze defrosted meat as Mojisola has pointed out (and why). Cook it first then freeze it.