does anyone know if you can re freeze food

[Dznypal]

about 2 week ago I made chop suey--we froze the left overs right away since we knew it would be a while before we wanted it again--
so 2 nights ago I brought it out to thaw and we had it for supper that night

theres still is enough left for my DH and me to have another meal out of it

so my question is can I re freeze the left overs

thanks

 

[jdb in AZ]

Not knowing the ingredients in your chop suey, it's hard to say. How was the texture of your left-overs the first time you reheated them?

Also, how strong is your digestive system? DH can eat about anything that doesn't eat him first, but it doesn't take much for my guts to protest mightily.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

about 2 week ago I made chop suey--we froze the left overs right away since we knew it would be a while before we wanted it again--
so 2 nights ago I brought it out to thaw and we had it for supper that night

theres still is enough left for my DH and me to have another meal out of it

so my question is can I re freeze the left overs

thanks

Typically, no. But, of course, some people do.

 

[soccerdad72]

You can always refreeze food. Whether or not it will taste good or be safe to eat, that’s a different story.

 

[DLgal]

I would not. And at this point, I would toss it if you don't eat it tonight.

 

[Shanna-like-Banana]

This is exactly how food born illness and pathogens develop. Freezing, cooking, thawing, heating, freezing, cooking, thawing, cooking, cooling, etc.

No, its run its lifetime, its been amoritized, it's done

 

[bcla]

It's usually not that big a deal as long as it's properly reheated - other than meat can get really mushy. There are also some things that should never be frozen, including cream cheese.

 

[Nora03]

I wouldn’t freeze it again, or eat it another day, but I have a weak stomach. I also don’t eat anything with mayonnaise after the second day (potato or pasta salad). I watched a video this week of a woman doing batch cooking and freezing. She made pasta dishes with meat/tomato sauce, chicken Alfredo, taco meat and veggies, etc,etc. She cooked all day and left the large foil trays on her island counter the whole time. She said she started at 2:00 and finished at 9:00. I asked if she really left everything out all day, or it was for filming purposes. She replied that she did leave it all out and that things should be cooled before freezing them. I personally put things into the fridge right away, especially leftovers.

 

[Dan Murphy]

A few thoughts....

https://extension.umn.edu/preserving-and-preparing/refreezing- food#:~:text=When%20is%20it%20safe%20to,more%20than%203%2D4%20days.

https://www.thekitchn.com/5-foods-you-should-never-refreeze-tips-from-the-kitchn-212039

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I have always heard that you do NOT re-freeze food.

 

[slo]

I was always told no and I’ve read multiple times no.
My personal philosophy is….if I have doubt, than don’t do it, because whatever that food costs, it’s not worth getting sick over. My day home from work will cost me way more money than the food I took a chance with.

 

[mrodgers]

I wouldn’t freeze it again, or eat it another day, but I have a weak stomach. I also don’t eat anything with mayonnaise after the second day (potato or pasta salad). I watched a video this week of a woman doing batch cooking and freezing. She made pasta dishes with meat/tomato sauce, chicken Alfredo, taco meat and veggies, etc,etc. She cooked all day and left the large foil trays on her island counter the whole time. She said she started at 2:00 and finished at 9:00. I asked if she really left everything out all day, or it was for filming purposes. She replied that she did leave it all out and that things should be cooled before freezing them. I personally put things into the fridge right away, especially leftovers.

I would let sit to cool also when I am doing massive quantities of batch cooking like which you describe. If you put that all in the fridge right away, the fridge is going to warm up and everything you have will be warm until the fridge can catch back up. That's a lot of hot mass to put in the fridge.

I fry up 2 dozen eggs and 2 dozen sausage patties at a time putting them on paper towel lined plate and they get stacked up. 2 hours later they can still be hot in the middle (I usually package them individually in bags then in a freezer bag, so they don't sit 2 hours hot in a stack, but when I got busy with other things, I did find them still hot after 2 hours.)

 

[TwoMisfits]

about 2 week ago I made chop suey--we froze the left overs right away since we knew it would be a while before we wanted it again--
so 2 nights ago I brought it out to thaw and we had it for supper that night

theres still is enough left for my DH and me to have another meal out of it

so my question is can I re freeze the left overs

thanks

I would not...but I would have either have it for lunch today or toss it. Today's the last day I'd touch it...

 

[_19disnA]

I would never refreeze a dish a second time, too many bad things can happen. The 2 hour rule on newly cooked food is easy to remember and follow. Following recommended cooking guidelines is not about how much can you get away with but how to insure food is consistently safe for your family to eat. Cooking/re-heating food that has gone bad doesn't make it safe to eat.

 

[BadPinkTink]

When I did food safety courses when I was working in the hospitality industry, it was always emphasized
Freeze once
Thaw and eat
Then throw out any leftovers, never refreeze.

Think of it this way all food has bacteria, cooling down and freezing leftovers, puts them to sleep, thawing wakes them up and they multiple, so if you then cool down again and freeze theres lots more bacteria than the first time, then you thaw again and the bacteria again multiples. So an original bacteria count wont make you sick, each time you thaw and refreeze increase the risk of sickness.

 

[mom to minnie&mickey]

If you've ever had food poisoning you would know that saving some chop suey (or any food) is never worth it. Throw it out without a second thought.

 

[lanejudy]

I'd eat it for lunch today -- or leftovers for dinner tonight. No re-freeze.

Next time, freeze the original leftovers in smaller batches, so when you take it out to thaw you've only got 1 meal's worth. The rest stays frozen.

 

[goofyernmost]

I don't know what the official word is, but do you all realize how many thing, meats and other things that your food market gets frozen and they thaw it, you buy it and take it home and freeze it again.

 

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

I think you *can* but ice crystals will form within the food and make it nasty. Try it with ice cream. It will taste the same, but will actually get crunchy! Yeuch! Then there's the issue surrounding bad bacteria...

 

[brockash]

about 2 week ago I made chop suey--we froze the left overs right away since we knew it would be a while before we wanted it again--
so 2 nights ago I brought it out to thaw and we had it for supper that night

theres still is enough left for my DH and me to have another meal out of it

so my question is can I re freeze the left overs

thanks

I would and have many times with no issue.