can meat be refrozen once it is thawed out?

Answer 1

In short I would NOT TAKE THE risk, due the bacteria that multiplies when defrosted, pork, chicken and fish especially. Meat should always be defrosted in the fridge, not the counter top.

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Is It Safe to Refreeze Raw Meat
and Poultry that Has Thawed?

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." (Basics for Handling Food Safely, April 2003 at www.fsis.usda.gov/OA/pubs/facts_basics.pdf )

(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.

Safety will depend on whether the raw product was handled properly before it was frozen, refrozen shortly after it was thawed, cooked to a safe temperature when it is eaten and handled safely if there are any leftovers.

Answer 2

once a meat has been frozen and then thawed it is not a good idea to refreeze. It can become frostbitten, go bad, and many other things. There is a possibilty it would be OK, but not a good one and it's not worth finding out.

What I usually do when I thaw meat and then don't get around to it right of way is just cook it and then reheat it later. If it's ground beef for a spaghetti then it's not a big problem to do this but if it's a steak or something it will obviously be nowhere near as good during the reheat but it will be safer.

Answer 3

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." (Basics for Handling Food Safely, April 2003 at www.fsis.usda.gov/OA/pubs/facts_basics.pdf )

(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.

Safety will depend on whether the raw product was handled properly before it was frozen, refrozen shortly after it was thawed, cooked to a safe temperature when it is eaten and handled safely if there are any leftovers.

Answer 4

It can, but I would do it more than once

Once meat htaws it begins to rot and you may fool yourself into cooking tained meat and giving youself & family food poisoning. Best to cook after thawed then refridgerate cooked meat.

Answer 5

No, if you refroze meat once it is thawed out, it'll be ruined and taste bad.

Answer 6

It is possible and even healthy as long as it stayed quite cold but the quality will deteriorate somewhat. Depending on what you are using it for that may not matter. It's still best to cook it before you refreeze it to maintain the highest quality.

Answer 7

No, once thawed it should be cooked or thrown away. The temperature changes can harbor bacteria which could cause food poisoning.

Answer 8

Not a good idea. Better to cook it then freeze it. Works well with many meats. Just heat & serve.

Answer 9

Meat isn't supposed to be refrozen. If you cook it you can freeze and use it at a later date

Answer 10

Can Hamburger Be Refrozen