Refreezing stock after boiling
Can I safely refreeze stock that I have brought to the boiling point?
If so, should I boil it or bring it above a certain temperature for a certain length of time to ensure food safety?
Is the presence of fats or oils a point of concern for rancidity or food safety?
Finally, are there some kinds of stock (vegetable/fish/meat/poultry) that need to be handled differently? Or will boiling suffice for any liquid preparation (soups, reductions, gastrique)?
Best Answer
If the stock has safely been held (under refrigeration for less than 3 days, less than 2 hours cumulative in the "danger zone" [40F - 140F, 4.5C - 60C]), then it would be considered safe before freezing or refreezing. It is always safe to freeze food that was safe to begin with.
Freezing, and especially refreezing, can sometime negatively affect quality, but I wouldn't expect a noticeable effect on broth. Freeze away, as soon as possible after making it or getting it home.
Some people freeze broth in ice trays, then store the cubes in the freezer. That way, you only pull out of the freezer what you need that day. Food that was safe when frozen and stays frozen (at 0F, -17C, normal home freezer temperature or lower), will stay safe indefinitely.
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Quick Answer about "Refreezing stock after boiling"
If the stock has safely been held (under refrigeration for less than 3 days, less than 2 hours cumulative in the "danger zone" [40F - 140F, 4.5C - 60C]), then it would be considered safe before freezing or refreezing. It is always safe to freeze food that was safe to begin with.Can you freeze and reuse stock?
Michele Kepinsk says, \u201cI always freeze stock and soup and use wide mouth mason jars. I have various sizes that I use and it works really well for me and I like the fact they are reusable and are environmentally friendly, no BPA issues, and keep the cost down over time.Can you refreeze cooked stock?
(And yes, you can refreeze leftover stock once it's been thawed, re-boiled and cooled.) If freezer space is an issue, after removing all the fat, reduce the stock to \xbd its original volume (or even less) and, once cool, freeze. To use the thawed stock \u201cconcentrate,\u201d add an equal amount of water.Can you refreeze frozen stock?
If you are going to be consuming the soup within a couple of days, don't bother freezing. However, there is no issue with refreezing previously frozen stock. Professionally, it is done ALL of the time.Can broth be refrozen?
Bone broth can also be thawed and refrozen in smaller portion sizes for your convenience.Can You Refreeze Meat? | A Moment of Science | PBS
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Answer 2
You can also speed-chill the stock by putting it in a pan in an ice-water bath, or set it on one or more of those blue-ice bricks. This will reduce the overall time in the danger zone. Reducing the broth further speeds the process by increasing the ratio of ice mass to broth.
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