How to Thaw Safely (Daily Dish)

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Registered: 04-01-2004
How to Thaw Safely (Daily Dish)
Mon, 10-18-2004 - 7:07am
How to Thaw Safely


This Daily Dish is part of a series on kitchen basics.

Before you thaw those chicken breasts in a pot of hot water, keep in mind that you may be endangering your family's health. Improper thawing of food can cause bacterial contamination and lead to food poisoning. Here's how to safely thaw your foods.

The best way to thaw frozen foods is to place them in the refrigerator all day or overnight. On average, meat thaws in eight to nine hours per pound, and poultry thaws in three to four hours per pound. If you can't wait that long, the second-best thawing method is to place the food in a watertight container and submerge in cold water. This typically takes about one-eighth of the time to thaw in the refrigerator.

Still, even this may not be fast enough for you. If you're in a rush and want to thaw quickly, use the defrost setting on your microwave oven. Most ovens come with a manual with recommended thawing times for common foods. Consult this manual before thawing. To speed up the process even further, cut the food to be thawed into smaller pieces.

NEVER


  • Thaw meat on the countertop
  • Thaw food under hot water
  • Refreeze thawed foods
  • Keep thawed foods for more than one day

Improper thawing can lead to food-borne illness. While most foods can be stored for long periods of time in the freezer with no health consequences, once you take an item out of the freezer and warm it up to 40°F, any bacteria present before freezing will begin to multiply. By following proper thawing techniques, you'll go a long way toward protecting yourself and your family.


     

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