Is there a difference in how to store something that was frozen that has been cooked versus how to store something that was fresh and has been cooked?
There are many questions on here about how long you can store cooked food, and I have been using StillTasty for more specific answers following some of the comments.
However I notice that StillTasty has information listed for many foods for "Fresh, Cooked", "Fresh, Raw" and "Commercially Frozen". Is there a difference in storage of "Fresh, Cooked" food and food that was frozen and thawed before cooking? Or is this just an oddity of their descriptions?
Edit: Assuming the thawing and cooking has been done thoroughly to "safe temperatures".
Best Answer
If I'm understanding your question correctly, there is no difference in storage time. Regardless of whether the food was fresh or frozen & thawed, once cooked, storage time is the same.
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Can you store already cooked frozen food?
Refreezing Foods After cooking raw foods which were previously frozen, it is safe to freeze the cooked foods. And if previously cooked foods are thawed in the refrigerator, you may refreeze the unused portion.How long can defrosted cooked food be kept in fridge?
Once the food is fully defrosted it is best to cook it straight away. Once cooked it can be stored in the fridge again (for 2-3 days) or frozen.Can you freeze cooked meat that was previously frozen?
Yes, it is safe to freeze cooked meat or poultry. After cooking raw foods that 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.Is frozen meat just as good as fresh?
What's the best: Fresh VS Frozen Meat? Fresh meat is almost always better because it has the highest nutrient count, but it can lose minerals and vitamins as time passes. However, if you blast freeze the meat and thaw it properly, there isn't any difference in flavour and quality.Fresh or frozen food? Using SCIENCE to prove which is best with surprising results! - BBC
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Answer 2
It depends on your definition of "cooking":
Frozen food
- Thawing in the fridge and cooking a previously frozen
DinosaurT-Bone steak until rare, can be kept in the fridge and still be eaten one day later. ;-) - Cooking same steak until
burnt to a crispwell done can be re-frozen safely. :-)
In-between those two extremes lie the dangerous parts, so the general rule of thumb should be:
- If you plan on refreezing thawed food, cook it through-and-trough and freeze ASAP, if possible in the fast-freeze section of your freezer.
- Thawing in the fridge and cooking a previously frozen
Fresh food:
- Can be cooked any style and safely frozen as long as you don't leave it out of the freezer for too long at too high temperatures (Rule of thumb on freezing ASAP still applies)
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
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