Refreezing Fish? Safe? [duplicate]

So I bought some Atlantic salmon 2 days ago and put it in the freezer soon as we got it from the grocery.

Anyways last night I put it in the fridge to thaw out for today, well today's plan's got moved around and I didn't have a chance to cook it.....so I put it back in the freezer.

Is this safe? (if I decide to dethaw it again for the fridge)?

food-safety fish

Best Answer

As far as food safety goes, you are fine:
Neither was the fish in the danger zone for the thawing, nor did you store it in the fridge for too long, even considering the second thaw in the future.

However, the food quality suffers from each freeze/thaw cycle:
Ice crystals damage cell walls and causes loss of liquid, which you then find in the freezer bag or in the pan instead of in your meat, meaning your fish can end up drier than unfrozen or after one cycle. Proper freezing technique minimizes that effect.
Note that sloppy cooking technique can be far worse with regard to dry fish... so unless you do repeated freeze/thaw cycles, you will probaby still very much enjoy your fish.

Pictures about "Refreezing Fish? Safe? [duplicate]"

Refreezing Fish? Safe? [duplicate] - Free stock photo of chair, contemporary, elegant

Refreezing Fish? Safe? [duplicate] - Free stock photo of adolescent, casual, contemporary

Refreezing Fish? Safe? [duplicate] - Free stock photo of animal, aquarium, aquatic

Quick Answer about "Refreezing Fish? Safe? [duplicate]"

Yes, cooked or uncooked fish that has been thawed in the refrigerator can safely be frozen and refrozen.

Can you refreeze fish twice?

Yes, you can refreeze cooked or raw fish that was thawed in the refrigerator. As per the USDA's guidance, it's safe to refreeze any food that has been thawed in the refrigerator (assuming it hasn't spoiled before putting it back into your freezer, of course).

Can you refreeze fish that says previously frozen?

Answer: It's fine to refreeze the fish fillets \u2014 as long as you thawed them in the refrigerator and held them there for no more than two days. If that was the case, you can pop the fillets back into the freezer and they'll still be safe to eat, says the United States Department of Agriculture.

Can you get food poisoning from refreezing fish?

Refreezing food is not dangerous, the danger is that food can spoil before it's refrozen or after it's thawed again but before being cooked and eaten. Freezing food does not kill bacteria, so once thawed bacteria continues to multiple at the same exponential rate it was multiplying at before being frozen.

Can You Refreeze Fish for Sushi?

Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Karolina Grabowska, Karolina Grabowska, Karolina Grabowska, Ramesh Photography