Refreezing Uncooked Meats?

[Willy]

Most of my life, I've heard that one shouldn't freeze foods that have already been frozen. Then I learn that ALL the pork we buy has been frozen and, of course, much of the seafood we buy was originally frozen at sea. Nonetheless, most of us have pork and seafood in our freezers and all of the pork and much of the seafood has been refrozen. So, what is the real truth?

I ask specifically because I just bought two frozen ducks that I want to use to make duck fat, duck stock, and duck rillettes. The menu for this next week or more is full, so I want to refreeze the breasts for later times. I'm thinking it'd be fine, but I'd like to understand the history/validity (or lack thereof) for the "don't refreeze" idea.

Anyone? docblonder Jerod Broussard

[Huskee]

Gentle reminder that the General Discussion (Off Topic) channel is for things off the topic of food, cooking, grills, etc.

I look forward to hearing folks' opinions on this. We know freezing causes ice crystals to form, damaging meat fibers and releasing juices when thawed. I look forward to more definitive info in this as well.

[Willy]

That's two mis-posts for me today, after a long, long time of not doing so. I thought of the techniques channel, but...it just didn't seem to fit. Sorry--my brain doesn't always work well.

[Huskee]

Willy no worries. I get that sometimes it's tough to find the perfect channel. There's no "Freezing Meat" channel (that doens't make sense to have a channel for 2 or 3 topics a year), but it fits more into the "Techniques" portion of Recipes & Techniques I suppose. Or if it was on freezing Duck specifically, then it could go in Poultry i suppose.

[richorn]

Following! I have heard that most seafood is flash frozen and then defrosted at the market to "sell fresh". I happily buy frozen seafood for that reason, unless I can get myself down to the fish market in the harbor. Of course, that only applies to pacific varieties for me. You're in the Antelope Valley?

[Willy]

Agreed. I am happy to buy frozen seafood. Trouble is, in my neck of the woods, most of it is thawed.

Antelope Valley?

[richorn]

Just me trying to figure out "south west high desert" location.

[Willy]

SE corner of AZ.

[lonnie mac]

Huskee is correct. Ice crystals is a texture issue in the end. The USDA does not call this a safety issue, but a texture issue as long as the meat you are refreezing has only been thawed completely in the safe zone. It is important to keep in mind too that most all the meat we purchase, seafood, poultry, was first "flash frozen". This is the difference.

[Willy]

I understand about ice crystals (thanks, Alton Brown!), but I also think (not know) that ice crystals will just as easily form if the meat has never been frozen. Most homes don't have the wherewithall to freeze properly Your thoughts? Also, does "flash freezing" minimize/eliminate the concerns about refreezing? I'm betting a lot of Pit members have refrozen pork in their fridges. Seafood too.

[HorseDoctor]

You’ll be fine refreezing duck breasts. Both perfectly safe and you’ll never notice a texture issue.

Huskee Not sure why this is the wrong place for this post? Seems like "Recipes, Techniques and Discussion" would cover food prep from slaughter through cooking, including freezing & storage??? Or was there more that was edited out???

[Huskee]

You're correct, Recipes, *Techniques* and Discussion is the right place for this. Freezing is a technique/discussion. It was originally in General Discussion...which is for stuff NOT about food, cooking, cookers, fuels and cooking accessories. I don't want to be the policeman but it gets old moving a dozen threads everyday to keep things organized, so sometimes gentle reminders are needed.

[HorseDoctor]

👍 Gotcha!

[Polarbear777]

You always get ice crystals. Flash freezing freezes faster so the crystals don’t have time to grow as big so that’s generally better. Also why you should refrigerate ice cream mix before you try and freeze/make it.

Every time you thaw and refereeze you generate new/more ice crystals. The damaging effects add up to puncturing cell walls in new places and releasing moisture on thawing. So there is quality loss even if it’s still safe, bacterially speaking.

That said I’d refreeze because I’m not that picky but I’d be careful about getting it much above refrigerator temps at any point.

[EdF]

That's the ticket. Fewer refreezes is better for texture. Keep it in the safe zone. And flash frozen fish is generally fresher than "fresh" fish.

[Willy]

Huskee I appreciate how old it must get moving posts around but, from my perspective as a user, it is sometimes not at all obvious where things should go. In this case, I'd have never thought that refreezing was a "technique". With regard to my other faux pas, I'd have never guessed in a million years that the correct channel would be headed by "member reviews". I very much want to place things in the proper location, but sometimes it's beyond just being a challenge. I have no clever solution; I just want to make it clear that I do want to do right and that sometimes doing right ain't at all obvious. PEACE!!!!

[Huskee]

S'all good man! Reviews seemed the best way to title that channel, since it's about restaurants and places to buy meat that we love or have a bad experience with, but it's not a perfect title for all perspectives. I get it. I know it's not a perfect system. Keep doin' what you're doin and so will we. The most important thing is everyone has fun and we share great food & cooking info.

[Willy]

Huskee Mebbe a channel entitled Proper Food Handling Practices? And another, named something like "Current Good Sales", labelled as a main channel for ease of finding?

[Huskee]

we have one for sales which is been in place quite a while now. As far as food handling, we have to balance things out between topics that get a ton of activity therefore warrant their own channel, and not just adding channels willy-nilly. I think for now the main Recipes Techniques & Discussion can cover food handling and freezing.