Can I cook frozen meal then refreeze half of it?

[Somewhatfoolish]

Basically I have a frozen meal for two of beef stroganoff and as it cost me £9 I don't feel like just cooking it and only eating half of it. So my plan is to heat the whole thing, serve half of it (there is only me in this house at the moment, although I could feed it to the neigbour's cat I suppose,) and refreeze the other half.


I can't think WHY I couldn't do that, but on the other hand I know there's all sorts of rules about refreezing things (basically, never refreeze anything).

So what's the science say?

[Ultuous]

Not a great idea - probably ok but at best it's likely to spoil the quality of the second portion, at worst the cooling process before being re-frozen is going to allow toxins to multiply!

I say eat both portions right away - this is PH... you must be powerfully built and stroganoff is the ultimate fart-food!

ETA: I'm intrigued... WTF did you manage to spend 9 quid on a ready meal?

[Somewhatfoolish]

I am "more than powerfully" built which is why I am reluctant to eat two portions

[mattdaniels]

If the frozen food is raw, then yes you can cook it, refreeze some and reheat it.

If the frozen food is already cooked, then no you shouldn't heat it and re-freeze it.

[bitwrx]

Hammer + chisel = half a frozen meal in oven, half back in freezer.

Job jobbed.

[Somewhatfoolish]

mattdaniels said:

If the frozen food is already cooked, then no you shouldn't heat it and re-freeze it.

Yeah I've heard that a lot of times. I just wonder why...

It is cooling down anyway, and sod it I think I will just eat it all

[1point7bar]

Cooking it properly will kill the bacteria.

The don't refreeze thing is when it hasn't been cooked after defrosting.

[Odie]

bitwrx said:

Hammer + chisel = half a frozen meal in oven, half back in freezer.

Job jobbed.

Ive used a hacksaw before...

[mybrainhurts]

Somewhatfoolish said:

I am "more than powerfully" built which is why I am reluctant to eat two portions

Is that Somewhatfoolishspeak for fat bd...?

[JAHetfield]

bitwrx said:

Hammer + chisel = half a frozen meal in oven, half back in freezer.

Job jobbed.

Hammer and chisel? Pah!

A real man would use one of these,




Arr arr arrr arrrr arrrr

/Tim "The Toolman" Taylor

[Somewhatfoolish]

mybrainhurts said:

Is that Somewhatfoolishspeak for fat bd...?

yessir

[mybrainhurts]

Don't forget the cake...

[PugwasHDJ80]

official recommendation is that you really shouldn't do this.

in reality, if you trust where the food came from, and you cook the st out of it first time round, then re-freeze (and freeze it quickly), its extremely unlikely you'll be ill.

Taking a food from deep frozen, quickly to fully cooked, and then fully deep frozen as fast as possible doesn't leave a lot of time for bactieral growth, and not a lot survives 100

[calibrax]

PugwasHDJ80 said:

in reality, if you trust where the food came from, and you cook the st out of it first time round, then re-freeze (and freeze it quickly), its extremely unlikely you'll be ill.

Actually, you really need to let it come down to room temperature BEFORE you freeze it. Because if you put hot food in the freezer, all it will do is increase the temperature of the freezer to the point that it will take several hours to get back down to where it should be - and other stuff in the freezer will have started to defrost, so you'll end up with ice buildup.

You can speed up the process of bringing it down to room temperature by putting it in an ice bath.

[Somewhatfoolish]

I got a food voucher from them today for writing a poem, so I am financially sorted, as well as gastranomically... thanks for input