Bulletin E3259
Thawing Foods Safely
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October 24, 2022 - Laurie Messing
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You can thaw frozen foods safely in three ways: refrigerator thawing, cold water thawing and microwave thawing. In the process of thawing, never keep food in the “Danger Zone,” between 40 °F and 140 °F. Bacteria can grow quickly in these temperatures. Never thaw foods in the basement, in the car, on the kitchen counter or any place other than in the refrigerator, in cold water or in the microwave.
Thawing frozen food in the refrigerator
When thawing frozen food in the refrigerator, plan ahead and remember these facts:
- Large frozen meat or poultry requires at least 24 hours to thaw for every 5 pounds of
- Certain areas in the refrigerator may keep food colder than other
- Food will take longer to thaw in a refrigerator set at 35 °F than one set at 40 °F.
- Ground meat, stew meat, poultry and seafood should remain safe for an additional day or two before
- Red meat cuts will remain safe for an additional 3 to 5
- Food thawed in the refrigerator can be refrozen without cooking but there may be some loss of
Thawing frozen food in cold water
When thawing frozen food using the cold-water thawing method, a faster method than refrigerator thawing, follow these steps:
- Place food in a leak-proof package or plastic
- Submerge the package or bag in cold tap
- Change the water every 30 minutes
- If you use this method, you should cook the food before refreezing.
Small packages of meat, poultry or seafood may thaw in an hour or less. However, a package of 3 to 4 pounds of food may take 2 to 3 hours.
Thawing frozen food in the microwave
- Food should be cooked immediately after this thawing
- Foods thawed in the microwave should be cooked before
Cooking without thawing
It is safe to cook foods while still frozen; however, cooking time will be 50 percent longer than the recommended time for fully thawed or fresh meat and poultry.
References
USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. (2013, June). The Big Thaw – Safe Defrosting Methods. Washington, DC. https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and- preparation/food-safety-basics/big-thaw-safe-defrosting-methods
