Thawing food at room temperature increases the risk of bacteria proliferation and therefore food poisoning. This is especially true when it comes to red meat or poultry. Indeed, as soon as they begin to thaw and they reach a temperature above 10 °, the bacteria present before thawing can multiply. Here are some ways to thaw your meat safely.
Perishable foods should never be thawed in the open air or in hot water. Also it is strongly discouraged to leave them at room temperature for more than two hours. In fact, when you do, the outer portion of food, including meat, thaw, while the inner portion is still frozen. This allows pathogens to grow and proliferate. Thus, it is necessary to learn good defrosting habits for your health and that of your family.
How to defrost meat safely?
The three methods we are going to offer you are recommended by the United States Department of Agriculture and are the only way to thaw your meat safely. Any other method is dangerous for your health and may cause you several diseases.
In the freezer
One of the safest ways to thaw meat is to take it out of the freezer and place it in the freezer. Indeed, it maintains its temperature between 1 and 4 degrees. Thus, the food will not be exposed to a temperature conducive to the multiplication of bacteria.
Nevertheless, the defrosting process is long, it usually takes 10 hours to defrost a small amount of frozen products such as 500 g of ground meat or chicken breast. For larger quantities such as whole chicken or leg of lamb, allow about 24 hours.
So, if you're going to cook the juicy steaks you have in the freezer for dinner, do not forget to put them in your fridge in the morning before heading to your office. Also, it is best to place your meat in a bowl and put it in the bottom shelf to prevent the juice from sinking on other foods in your freezer.
Another advantage of this method, if you change your mind and you go out to eat, your meat is not at risk. When you thaw your food in the fridge, you do not have to cook it immediately, which, it must be admitted, can be particularly useful when your schedule is changed at the last minute.
Be aware that poultry, minced meat and even fish can be kept for 1 to 2 days in the freezer after thawing. As for beef, pork, lamb or veal, it can be kept for 3 to 4 days.
In cold water
The main advantage of this method is that it is much faster than defrosting in the freezer, however, you should know that it requires much more attention from you.
First, you should never remove the packaging and make sure that it is particularly tight. Then, again, do not use hot water, and think about changing your water every 30 minutes and make sure it stays cold enough to avoid the proliferation of bacteria.
This method is very convenient if you forgot to take your meat out of the freezer first. It takes about 30 minutes to defrost 500 g of meat and about 2 to 3 hours for a roast, for example. So, fill your kitchen sink or a large bowl of cold water, place your meat in a bag or waterproof package and immerse in water.
However, when your meat is thawed, it is imperative to cook it immediately and not to refreeze it.
Cook without thawing
If you do not have time to use one of the two stated methods, you can directly cook your frozen foods. Nevertheless, be aware that cooking frozen meat takes about 50% longer than frozen meat.
Some tips to keep in mind
- Wash your hands thoroughly before handling food, whether frozen or not.
- Clean all surfaces of your kitchen before storing food. Disinfect your cutting boards and wash the utensils where your meat has thawed with hot water.
- Never put your cooked meat back in the container where it has been frozen before cleaning it.
- To avoid the defrosting process, it is best if possible to consume your meat directly after buying it or at least keep it in the freezer for the time provided on the package.
