What is the deal with refreezing meat?

Question

I need to know what the deal is about refreezing meats, like beefsteak, hamburger,chicken, & pork.I need to know pretty quick too I have some surlion on the counter!!!!!!!!!!!!

I see some confusion. I need to know if you are able to refreeze raw meat. meat that has been frozen then thawed some not used then refrozen. Can it be done safely.

Answer 1

The U. S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) advises, "Meat and poultry defrosted in the refrigerator may be refrozen before or after cooking. If thawed by other methods, cook before refreezing." (DO NOT thaw meat at room temperature, such as on the kitchen counter.)

Meat/poultry that is refrozen might suffer some quality loss as moisture may be lost during thawing.

Answer 2

For safety reasons, do not let meat sit out at 40°F–140°F (4°C–60°C) for more than two hours. If it has been thawed by a method other than sitting out, cook it before refreezing.
The other reason not to re-freeze meat concerns the quality of the meat. Freezing affects the solids in meat cells and turns the liquid inside the cells into frozen crystals. It is commonly called "freezer burn" because it dries out the meat. It will taste bad.
Get it cooked or freeze it NOW........lol .........Good Luck !

Answer 3

I like to buy in bulk (family paks), cook what I need and then portion out the rest in Ziploc freezer bags.
If I am sure the meat will be in the freezer for more than a couple of months I like to first wrap in plastic wrap then put in the Ziploc bags and freeze.
Usually if you defrost the cooked meats in the freezer you can take what you will need and keep the rest in the refrigerator a couple more days before cooking. Do not defrost cooked meat on the counter top or use defrost cycle in microwave if you plan on refreezing the meat. Do not refreeze raw meat again. Take out giblet and inner packet from whole chicken packages.

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Focus_On_Freezing/index.asp#14

Answer 4

If the meat has been cooked let it cool completely before refreezing, if you put in the freezer and it is still warm, bacteria are still present in the warm meat and will stay in the meat when you freeze it. When you thaw it out the bacteria will be present in the food making it unsafe to eat. If the meat is fresh from the store and you want to freeze it, just wrap it up in plastic wrap or put it in a freezer bag, it will keep approx. 4-6 months in the freezer.

Answer 5

USDA.gov says you can refreeze meat, but it has to be handled properly to begin with. Check it out. It was a surprise to me.

Answer 6

i buy meat (chicken, pork) all the time in large quantities and freeze it. its fine. i always stock up at sams club and freeze it, pull out what i need, thaw it and cook it.. growing up my mother did the same...we do vacuum seal it so it lasts longer, but you can just throw it in a zip lock bag, put a date on it and you're good.

Answer 7

The reason is because bacteria has started to grow, when you re thaw it out the bacteria will actually multiply faster depending on the method of thawing.

Answer 8

That's totally fine for making chicken stock.

Answer 9

Well i learned from workin in a fast food place once they are unthawed i dont think that they are suppose to be frozen again because it does somethin to the meat... i hope this helps ya....

Answer 10

You can only refreeze it if its cooked, other wise it becomes tainted