Generally, refreezing thawed meat is not recommended. This is because the quality of the meat will be reduced in this process. Also, if the meat was not thawed in the fridge, there is a strong likelihood that bacteria has started to grow on the meat.
It is best practice to cook the thawed meat, then freeze it.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
My daughter partially thawed some loose pork sausage in the microwave and could not finish thawing it so she put it back in the freezer. Is it still ok to re-thaw this in the microwave and then cook it to eat?
By Harley chick from Lewistown, PA
No! Once you partially un-thaw it, you need to cook it, then you can refreeze. Partially thawing in a microwave "wakes up" bacteria which can multiply if you don't finish cooking it.
My parents were very food conscious. The rule of thumb was: if it thaws out completely, you need to cook it or throw it away. If it was partially thawed & still very cold, you could refreeze it. I am 57 & I've followed these rules & never gotten sick.
Check out the website stilltasty.com it shares a lot about how long to keep foods frozen and refrigerated etc.
We butcher our own beef. I have always refroze our meat if it was just partially thawed and still partially frozen. I have never had any health problems from doing this.
ThriftyFun is one of the longest running frugal living communities on the Internet. These are archives of older discussions.
I went to the store this morning and I bought some Italian sausage and they were almost frozen. Luckily I was going to use it today, but my concern is I always thought that you couldn't refreeze meat. I just wonder how many times other meats in the case are frozen? Can you refreeze store bought meat or not?
Can I freeze raw meat, let it thaw and then refreeze the raw hamburger meat?
By Dannielle from Wichita, KS
I have always heard that it is unsafe to refreeze completely thawed raw meat. If it is only part way thawed, it is supposed to be OK to refreeze.
Check this link: stilltasty.com/
It's a great site to bookmark for all kinds of food safety questions; this says that if the meat has been thawed in the fridge and it's been two days or under since the thaw--it can be safely refrozen.
Actually to be on the safe side do not do it. You can cook the thawed hamburger then freeze it. There is always the possibility that you might refreeze the hamburger then refreeze it then forget you have refrozen it then refreeze it again.
Don't do it - cook it thoroughly, then refreezing it will be safe. You might get away with refreezing partially thawed meat as stated in the prior feedback - but only solid cuts of meat, chops or roasts or steaks, not chopped meat.
One of my friends ate chicken livers that had been thawed and refrozen (inadvertent on her part, the market had not labeled the chicken as previously frozen) - she became so violently ill she was taken to the emergency room in an ambulance - couldn't even walk to her car!
According to the USDA any meat can be re-frozen if it has been thawed out in the refrigerator. If you used the microwave or cold water then it has to be cooked before it can be re frozen.
Can I refreeze uncooked pork chops?
By Geri Turek from St. Louis, MO
I would not do it; I would cook them, then freeze them. (You can use the thawed, cooked pork in casseroles, stir-fry, etc.).
No. Never refreeze meat. If you are not going to use it, cook it then freeze it.
Can i get any points Mary ? Hurling Beets at the kitchen table, opps, think it was Pizza
Can I refreeze Cornish hens?
By kyle smith from Philadelphia, PA
You need to cook them before refreezing to be safe and I wouldn't bother even doing that if they've been thawed for more than three days for safety sake.
Food safety is an important concern when deciding to refreeze previously frozen meats. This is a page about refreezing frozen hamburger.
Can you refreeze raw beef once it has been defrosted? Will it be safe to eat?
