Help!! Freezer breakdown!!

[HeatherBB]

Big Problem!! Can anyone advise me on the rules of RE-freezing? basically my freezer defrosted - there was meat and fish which was still frozen in the centre but had started to defrost around the outside. I decided to just let it continue to thaw completely then have a massive cooking session where I would then freeze the cooked products, but before I emptied the freezer, it mended itself??? and re-refroze the meat and fish!! Can any of it now be used or should I just bin the lot???

 

[GotGarlic]

I think, if it had happened to me, I would go ahead and defrost everything, cook it, and freeze the cooked food. HTH.

 

[jabbur]

I've done that before. When the kids were little they left the freezer door ajar and everything was warm and wet in the front and frozen together in the back. I ended up throwing out some stuff, and cooking the rest and freezing it cooked. It worked out so well for some things I started cooking them when I bought them and then freezing. I do that with chicken and ground beef.

 

[In the Kitchen]

Oh boy! This has happened to me not once, twice, but three times that storm affected electric wiring. I had no choice but to throw everything out. Hard to do when you have large quantity of items in there. Especially the soups and dishes you made for later date. All the work was really overwhelming. Just could not believe how often it happened. Hope you don't have the same experience. Ruins your day for sure.

 

[Uncle Bob]

I would have the freezer checked first...it may happen again.

 

[Constance]

As long as the meats are still under 40 degrees and have some frost left in them, it's safe to refreeze them. It's safe to refreeze vegetables and fruits as long as they haven't gotten warm. Bread and pastry items can be refrozen any time.

 

[mozart]

Agree with Constance, based on your description. I would use it up as soon as practical, because you may have some freezer burn issues, but I don't see any safety issues with what you are describing.

 

[JohnL]

Hello Heather,
Have to agree with Uncle Bob here. In general, things don't usually fix themselves. You realy need to have your freezer checked before you fill it with food that you've spent your hard earned money on.