The cold hard truth behind freezing meats

Can you safely refreeze thawed meats? Possibly.

You thawed ground beef and are planning to use it for tonight?s meal, but your plans changed. Can you refreeze it, or do you have to toss it?

You do have some breathing room when it comes to freezing meats. Ground beef thawed in the fridge can be safely kept for an additional one to two days in the refrigerator before cooking. The same is true for chicken.

Since you thawed the ground beef in the fridge, you can also safely refreeze it within that same time frame. None of this would apply, on the other hand, if you had thawed the ground beef in the microwave or in cold water.

Meats thawed under cold water or in the microwave should be immediately cooked, since it could easily warm up to 40 degrees, at which harmful bacteria begin to multiply rapidly. Keep in mind, that thawing and refreezing any food will take a toll on its quality. It?s likely you?ll see some changes in texture and taste after the second thaw.

If you thaw meat on the counter or in hot water, you shouldn?t eat them at all. It?s risky to eat any meat or poultry that?s been thawed under those two methods, as the outer layer of the food would have been allowed to sit between the bacteria-breeding temperatures of 40 degrees and 140 degrees for far too long to be safe.

Wondering whether to keep it or toss it? The website stilltasty.com is a quick and easy way to check the storage time for various foods.

Learn about the safe methods of preserving by checking out research-based methods at www.extension.iastate.edu and search ?preserve the taste of summer?.