Refreeze Cooked Food?

Updated on July 20, 2010
B.K. asks from Chicago, IL
5 answers

I freeze my dinners often. After I defrost them, can I freeze the unused portion again or do I have to dump it?

Edited: How long can it be in the fridge after it's been defrosted (the first time)?

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So What Happened?

Thank you for responding. I got this information from the FDA website (thanks for that suggestion) which helped me also:

Refreezing
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. If previously cooked foods are thawed in the refrigerator, you may refreeze the unused portion. Freeze leftovers within 3-4 days. Do not refreeze any foods left outside the refrigerator longer than 2 hours; 1 hour in temperatures above 90 °F.

More Answers

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M.P.

answers from Portland on

Yes, you can freeze it again if you've been handling the food in a safe way; i.e. it's not been left out for longer than it takes to eat and clear the food away. When food sits at a low temperature for an extended period of time food poisoning can develop.

The reason that it's often suggested to not refreeze food is that refreezing can alter the texture of the food which makes it less palatable but not dangerous. You'll have to experiment to find which foods your family still enjoy once refrozen and thawed.

The reason that the texture can change is that freezing causes cells to expand and in some foods break. Some foods become increasingly more mushy as more cells are frozen.

Later. J.L. is correct in that if the food is not handled in a safe way you are increasing the chance of food poisoning. You do have to refreeze it quickly once it's been heated. No letting it sit on the table while you're doing dishes sort of precaution. You can put it in the refrigerator and then refreeze it after you've done the dishes. The key is to not let it sit at a lukewarm temperature for more that a few minutes. I don't remember how long it is. I'll look it up later. I have refroze foods, usually food that has thawed and that I hadn't used, such as a TV dinner that thawed while I was sidetracked getting it home.

2 moms found this helpful
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D.F.

answers from Boston on

I am a dumper after it has already been frozen.

1 mom found this helpful
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J.L.

answers from Minneapolis on

!

1 mom found this helpful
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F.S.

answers from St. Louis on

I have to agree with Daisey, after it's been defrosted it's got to go. Theres to much risk in the defrosting and refreezing process.

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S.S.

answers from Chicago on

Usually try to use the unfrozen portion in something else, perhaps a casserole or an omelette or with tortillas like a taco. Be creative! I don't know if it will hurt you to refreeze (poultry is usually a no no)-just saw another poster who said it would, but really it doesn't taste so good after awhile anyway. Otherwise obviously the best rule of thumb to throw anything out is that fuzzy stuff called mold! If you have good storage a week or so is fine.

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