Food Safety Question
I always get confused about the rules re freezing, defrosting and re-freezing, so here's my question.
I made a big batch of bolognese with some ground chuck that was in the fridge and didn't make it to be hamburgers. I immediately froze the meat sauce for later consumption. Assuming that I get tired of spag bol and want to make something else with the leftovers (lasagna, say), would it be safe for me to defrost the bolognese, use it to make my lasagna and then freeze the lasagna? Or is the cook, freeze, cook, re-freeze not safe for the meat?
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14 Comments:
i dont see why not. As long as, at each stage, the freezing and thawing are done according to the guidelines, it should be ok.
I would advise against doing this though, I'd think you'd lose a bit in the texture because the water will freeze and then separate from the food when thawed and then refrozen?
I haven't tried this, its just my speculation.
engmcmuffin at 12:23PM on 05/28/09
Shouldn't be an issue as long as it isn't sitting out/thawing at a temp that nurtures bacterial growth. You could just simmer the sauce for a bit before you put in in the lasagna if you're really worried about it.
misterhee at 1:23PM on 05/28/09
As long as food is kept in the correct temperature window (under 40 F or over 140 F, I want to say), thawing and refreezing is not a safety issue. Rather, it affects the texture of foods because as they freeze, the water in them turns to ice crystals, which tear the fiber. Every time this happens, food gets mushier. I don't think it should be a problem for ground meat in a sauce, though, so I say make some lasagna!
emgroff at 1:53PM on 05/28/09
Thawing & re-freezing meats is not good for pieces of meat just because it ice crystals damage cells -> more juice escapes from the meat.
It shouldn't matter so much for ground meat.
hmw0029 at 1:56PM on 05/28/09
I agree with misterhee as far as simmering for a bit. That will ensure you've killed any bacteria that may have accumulated. Safest bet I would say.
hungrychristel at 1:57PM on 05/28/09
oops, didn't see @emgroff's comment before commenting!
hmw0029 at 1:57PM on 05/28/09
Is it appropriate to use this space to ask a related question about fish? (I never know if hijacking is a better or worse sin than posting another thread and burying original one...) I always wonder if it's a bad idea to freeze salmon/whatever once home if it is "previously frozen." Anyone know? TIA for help.
mollykate678 at 2:15PM on 05/28/09
@mollykate -
As someone who works in seafood packaging regulations I'd say it's safe to KEEP FROZEN but not REFREEZE seafood and then consume within 24 hours of opening. (I say this: only because I have to put that statement on the packages)
That might be different with Smoked fish; but the package SHOULD tell you.
I actually don't even know if my advice helps but MEH!? my 2 cents there
hungrychristel at 2:22PM on 05/28/09
Eh, sounds fine to me. But I eat weeks-expired eggs, 7 day expired milk, and questionable shrimp. So maybe I'm not the best person to ask. One of my greatest pleasures in life is to totally gross out my fiance, a chef who must work under restaurant safety standards.
For my next trick, I'll be consuming something that I've scraped mold from, and then either live insects or cat food.
Kerosena at 4:20PM on 05/28/09
The freezing and re-freezing of the meat sauce shouldn't be a safety issue, but do make sure that your lasagna or whatever you make from the sauce reaches an internal temperature of 165, since you're reheating a previously cooked, high-risk food item.
bhanson at 10:35PM on 05/28/09
Freeze/thaw issues are more about quality than safety. However, if things have started to go bad while thawed, freshness doesn't reset to zero because you froze it again. That goes for meat, fish, or spaghetti sauce.
However, with the sauce, you aren't going to run into the mushiness issue you'd have if you were thawing and refreezing something like some vegetables that can turn into some serious mush.
dbcurrie at 11:14PM on 05/28/09
@hungrychristel - Thanks for the help!
@Kerosena - You and me both. A friend asked me if I thought her yogurt would be inedible, having been left out on the counter over night by her neglectful husband. I laughed. Overnight? P-shaw. A/C was running, right? ;)
@dbcurrie - Good to hear from you! Had noticed your absence of late.
mollykate678 at 1:52PM on 05/29/09
@mollykate- room temp was probably good for the active live cultures, right?
Kerosena at 3:38PM on 05/29/09
@Kerosena - Would you believe I used that exact phrase, damn near verbatim???
mollykate678 at 3:56PM on 05/29/09