Now that we are back into the routine of school and work, it may be time to think about food safety again. Long days of school and work can make fixing dinner a challenge. After school errands or athletic practices make mealtime hectic. Especially when you forget to thaw meat needed for dinner tonight.
There are four methods for thawing meat safely. You can thaw in the refrigerator, in the microwave, in cold water, or cook the meat without thawing it at all.
Here are some thoughts about each method.
Refrigerator thawing:
- Requires advance planning
- Takes at least overnight – much longer for larger items
- Place meat on a plate or pan to prevent drippings from contaminating ready to eat foods
- Meat thawed using this method can be safely refrozen if plans change
Microwave thawing
- Food thawed using the microwave must be cooked immediately—the food may have hot spots that allow bacteria to grow if time passes between thawing and cooking
- Foods should be cooked before refreezing if plans change
- This method takes little advance planning
- Thaws meat in a short time
Thawing in cold water
- Meat must be in a leak-proof package
- Meat thaws faster than in the refrigerator, but requires frequent water changes
- Submerge the bag of meat in cold water and change the water every 30 minutes. Once thawed, cook the meat immediately.
- Cook this meat before refreezing
Cooking without thawing
- This is a safe process
- Remember that cooking frozen meat will take about 50% longer to cook.
- It may be the fastest method when you are in a hurry
Remember that handling meat safely when thawing is important. It is NOT safe to set meat out on the counter to thaw while you are away at work. Cooking may not kill all the bacteria present. You won’t be able to taste the presence of bacteria that could make your or your family sick. Keep your family safe and follow safe practices when thawing meat.
