does anyone know if you can re freeze food

[brockash]

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...

I don't think this happes with most things...ice cream yes, but I've never had that happen with soups/meals I've refroze.

 

[rwdavis2]

If you thaw it in the fridge it should be OK. The USDA says re-freezing meat is safe, again, if you thaw it in the fridge. Once the food goes above 40 degrees F, it is in germ growing temperatures.

 

[EACarlson]

I would not. You're asking for bacteria to grow and infect you by doing so. Once something has been cooked it starts the clock, freezing the item pauses the clock, as soon as you start thawing it, the clock starts again with no way to stop it. I spent 14 years in commercial kitchens, it should have been thrown out as soon as you were done eating it a second time.

 

[mom2rtk]

My own personal risk/benefit analysis says this is an easy call. Throw it out.

 

[mumto3girls]

I have always heard that it is not dangerous to refreeze thawed food that was thawed and stored properly, but that the quality/texture would suffer. I’ve never done it because IMO life’s too short to eat food that is subpar in quality, but I think it’s most likely safe.

 

[lovesmurfs]

I used to always say, "no," but then I discovered I was doing it without knowing. My supermarket often thawed meat to sell, and I'd refreeze. Didn't realize they did that until I bought one that was still pretty firm. Sigh.

For yours, just have it for lunch in the next day or two, or dinner again.

 

[DLgal]

I used to always say, "no," but then I discovered I was doing it without knowing. My supermarket often thawed meat to sell, and I'd refreeze. Didn't realize they did that until I bought one that was still pretty firm. Sigh.

For yours, just have it for lunch in the next day or two, or dinner again.

That is different. Meat (any food really, except ice cream) that has been frozen and thawed at refrigerated temps and then refrozen is FINE.

The problems arise when food has been heated, then cooled and frozen, then thawed, reheated, recooled and refrozen. It's those times spent in the "danger zone" temps of 41-135 where the bacteria starts multiplying. Having food spend more and more time there every time you repeat the heat/cool cycle makes the food that much more dangerous.