Refreezing food (2024)

Refreezing food (1)

Occasionally, frozen foods are partially or completely thawed because of delays in getting them into the freezer, a power outageor a change of plans for cooking the food.

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. If food is completely thawed, warmed to room temperature or left out of the refrigerator for more than 2 hours, throw the food out for safety's sake. These principles apply to meat, poultry, shellfish, some vegetables and cooked foods.

Many vegetables are safe to refreeze. However, they lose much of their texture, flavor and appearance even if ice crystals are present in the package. You may want to cook the thawed vegetables and eat them right away, or add to soup or stewand freeze the soup to eat later.

Thawed fruit and fruit juice concentrates can be refrozen if they taste and smell good. Since thawed fruits suffer in appearance, flavor and texture from refreezing, you may want to make them into jam instead.

You can safely refreeze breads, cookies and similar bakery items. However, the end product is likely to be a drier, lower quality product.

When is it not safe to refreeze food?

If food is completely thawed, warmed to room temperature or left out of the refrigerator for more than 2 hours, throw the food out for safety's sake. These principles apply to meat, poultry, shellfish, some vegetables and cooked foods.

Do not refreeze ice cream and similar frozen desserts.

You can cook and eat thawed but still cold food mixtures like casseroles, pot pies, frozen dinnersor pizzas but do not refreeze them.

Learn how to keep food safe during a power outage.

Refreezing food (2)

How do I refreeze food?

Put the food in the coldest part of the freezer, mark it with the date and use it within 2 to 3 months.

If the entire freezer has partially thawed, it may be necessary to ask friends or neighbors to refreeze some food packages for you. A freezer can only refreeze a small amount of food at a time. Refreezing smaller amounts of food ensures that the food refroze safely and with the smallest amount of added ice crystals forming.

In making decisions about refreezing foods, always consider safety first. Then consider the loss of quality. With some foods, the loss of quality may be so great that it's not worth refreezing them.

Suzanne Driessen, Extension educator

Reviewed in 2021

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Refreezing food (2024)

FAQs

Is it OK to refreeze frozen 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.

Why shouldn't you freeze food twice? ›

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.

How safe is refrozen food? ›

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.

Is it safe to refreeze meat after thawing? ›

Refrigerator-thawed, raw or cooked meat is safe to refreeze, though the U.S. Department of Agriculture warns the meat may lose some quality due to moisture loss. You should not refreeze foods that have been outside of the fridge for more than two hours – or one hour in temperatures above 90 degrees.

Why should defrosted foods never be refrozen? ›

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.

Is it safe to eat melted and refrozen ice cream? ›

It could be a health hazard

Most ice cream is classed as a dairy product and that makes it a potential breeding ground for harmful bacteria if it is left to melt then freeze again. Bacteria can easily be transferred into a tub of ice cream which is why its storage is all important.

What foods can you not refreeze? ›

Do not refreeze:
Food thawing in fridge, still mostly frozen, with ice crystalsOkay to refreeze once
Raw food thawed in microwave or running waterDo not refreeze – cook thoroughly. OK to freeze leftovers once
Thawed cakes, biscuits, breads, fruits and fruit juicesOkay to refreeze once if no strong 'yeasty' smell
5 more rows

Can I refreeze shrimp after thawing? ›

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, as long as the shrimp were thawed properly in the refrigerator or in cold water, it is safe to refreeze and rethaw them. The maximum time they can be held at room temperature is 2 hours, total, over the course of thawing and refreezing.

Can I refreeze eggs? ›

Frozen eggs can not be refrozen once thawed, and are only good in the refrigerator for 3 days once thawed.

Is it safe to cook food that is not fully defrosted? ›

Food should be thoroughly defrosted before cooking (unless the manufacturer's instructions tell you to cook from frozen or you have a proven safe method). If food is still frozen or partially frozen, it will take longer to cook.

What meats should not be refrozen? ›

If the meat is already cooked, you will lose a lot of the texture and flavor if you thaw and refreeze it again, so we do not recommend refreezing cooked meat. You should also not freeze (or refreeze) any meats that have been sitting at room temperature for longer than 2 hours or at a 90˚ or higher for more than 1 hour.

How long after defrosting the freezer can I put food back in? ›

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.

Can hamburgers be refrozen? ›

According to the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service, if you thawed your ground beef in the refrigerator and it has only been in there for a short time (three days or less), it's perfectly OK to refreeze it.

Can you freeze food twice? ›

The U. S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) advises: 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.

Why should you cover food in the fridge? ›

Store ready-to-eat foods such as cooked meats, pies and dairy products such as cheese, butter, cream and yoghurt in the top part of the fridge. Covering and wrapping food stops harmful bacteria from being passed from raw foods to ready-to-eat foods. It also stops food from drying out and becoming stale.

Is it safe to eat frozen food with ice crystals? ›

What About Ice Crystals? When frozen foods are covered in snow-like crystals, it's best to toss them. But if only small amounts of icy deposits are present, scrape them off and get cooking: Just be ready to adjust cooking times and/or add extra seasonings to make up for texture changes and loss of flavor.

Can you refreeze food if the freezer door is left open? ›

As long as it is still cold, it's safe to refreeze. The quality might be a bit affected but the only way to establish that is to refreeze and then defrost.

How long can frozen food be left in the fridge? ›

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.

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