Does freezing food reset the amount of time you can put it in the fridge?
Just read this which basically says you can freeze and thaw food in the fridge any number of times. How dangerous is it to refreeze meat that has been thawed?
I'm still unclear on one point. If I had food which would be good in the fridge for 4 days and i put it in the freezer after 3 days, when I put it back in the fridge is my food good after its thawed for another 4 days or 1 more day?
Best Answer
Freezing doesn’t reset the clock, it’s more like “stopping the time” - or at least slowing it down very, very much.
Like putting perishable food in the fridge and slowing down bacterial growth, freezing the food brings it to a full stop.
But unlike heating, cooling or freezing does not kill bacteria. What went in the freezer comes out again, ready to multiply as soon as the conditions are favorable again. Which means, if you quickly stashed something in the freezer just before it goes bad in the fridge, you need to use it more or less immediately after you took it out and thawed it.
Microbiologists would probably object to this answer as too general, but we are looking at the pathogens responsible for food-borne illnesses and kitchen precision.
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How long can food stay in the fridge after being frozen?
While foods are in the process of thawing in the refrigerator (40 \xb0F or less), they remain safe. After thawing, use ground meats, poultry, and fish within one or two additional days, and use beef, pork, lamb or veal (roasts, steaks, or chops) within three to five days.Can you thaw food and put it back in the refrigerator?
If raw or cooked food is thawed in the refrigerator, it is safe to refreeze it without cooking or heating, although there may be a loss of quality due to the moisture lost through thawing. After cooking raw foods that were previously frozen, it is safe to freeze the cooked foods.Does freezing meat reset the use by date?
ANSWER: Freezing meat (or other foods that qualify) by the sell-by date is a good way to preserve it so it doesn't go to waste. Keep in mind that just because a product has reached its sell-by or expire date, doesn't mean it's no longer good.Can food be frozen twice?
The answer is yes. But pay attention to the way you thaw and, conversely, the way you freeze. Most foods previously frozen, thawed and then cooked can be refrozen as long as they have not been sitting at room temperature for more than two hours.How long can food stay in your freezer?
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Answer 2
You might kill off some bad stuff by re-freezing but you don't get a reset. You also don't get a reset for heating above 140 F. Cumulative time in the danger zone is what counts (40 - 140 F).
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