Freezing food rules?

[Lamb]

What are some rules for freeing food and re-freezing? What are we supposed to avoid doing? I was told that if we have frozen meat and it thaws that we can't re-freeze it.

But what about something like...ravioli filling? If I had ravioli filling that wasn't completely cooked (only the meat in it was but not the eggs or spinach) and I froze it but then thawed it and used it for stuffed shells...is it okay to freeze once cooked?

 

[tango]

What are some rules for freeing food and re-freezing? What are we supposed to avoid doing? I was told that if we have frozen meat and it thaws that we can't re-freeze it.

But what about something like...ravioli filling? If I had ravioli filling that wasn't completely cooked (only the meat in it was but not the eggs or spinach) and I froze it but then thawed it and used it for stuffed shells...is it okay to freeze once cooked?

I think a lot of the rules are about making people fearful. I'm pretty sure I've eaten meat that was thawed and then refrozen and I'm still alive (I think). I figure that once you freeze it the clock stops ticking with regard to best before dates, and if you thaw it out it starts ticking again. Since it's hard to keep track of how many days elapsed between purchase and consumption when the days aren't consecutive and when something has been frozen for long enough the original best before date is no longer meaningful, it's easier to just tell people not to do it.

I think also if something is cooked such that it is piping hot throughout you're probably safe. If you cook it at a high enough temperature for long enough you'll kill bacteria so should be OK. Of course if something is rotting then cooking it isn't going to make it any better - you could theoretically make it safe to eat from a pathogenic perspective but chances are you'll never make it into something you'd actually want to eat.

 

[Stravinsk]

What are some rules for freeing food and re-freezing? What are we supposed to avoid doing? I was told that if we have frozen meat and it thaws that we can't re-freeze it.

But what about something like...ravioli filling? If I had ravioli filling that wasn't completely cooked (only the meat in it was but not the eggs or spinach) and I froze it but then thawed it and used it for stuffed shells...is it okay to freeze once cooked?

Since the eggs were not fully cooked before freezing if I were you I'd toss them. Better to take no chances with under-cooked animal products.

When I ate meat I'd routinely cook all of it at once until it was fully cooked, then separate it into meal size portions in freezer bags to store in the freezer, dating them. When desired, a simple steamer such as a size adjustable metal mesh that fits into a covered pot with water on the bottom served as a quick way to defrost and heat them when desired.

Now that I eat no animal products the method still serves me for things that eventually go off in the fridge - like open packages of tofu. I cut them into meal size portions and freeze until I'm ready to reheat via my steamer.

 

[Imalive]

Never refreeze stuff. Unless you come from Indonesia and are used to rotten food. We had a woman in church from Indonesia. She would just store the meat outside the fridge, just in the warm room for days. It didn't bother her. I think. She died quite young actually.

 

[Lamb]

Since the eggs were not fully cooked before freezing if I were you I'd toss them. Better to take no chances with under-cooked animal products.

When I ate meat I'd routinely cook all of it at once until it was fully cooked, then separate it into meal size portions in freezer bags to store in the freezer, dating them. When desired, a simple steamer such as a size adjustable metal mesh that fits into a covered pot with water on the bottom served as a quick way to defrost and heat them when desired.

Now that I eat no animal products the method still serves me for things that eventually go off in the fridge - like open packages of tofu. I cut them into meal size portions and freeze until I'm ready to reheat via my steamer.

I know the eggs are safe because that's how the family has done it for generations with leftover ravioli filling I was worried about the meat being frozen again though.

But no worries...my husband wants to eat all the food and not freeze it LOL

 

[Lamb]

Never refreeze stuff. Unless you come from Indonesia and are used to rotten food. We had a woman in church from Indonesia. She would just store the meat outside the fridge, just in the warm room for days. It didn't bother her. I think. She died quite young actually.

I think there are people in some countries that do eat meat left out and their bodies become accustomed to it! No thanks!