Re-freezing

[nes]

I know re-freezing is a 4 letter word . Hubby threw our bone-in chicken breast into the freezer with out giving me time to de-bone it (thanks hunny!!) Oh well...

I took it out tonight to make some chicken with. Can I re-freeze the bones in order to throw them into the stock-pot later? (I don't have enough right now to make anything) or is that a MAJOR no-no?

Thanks

 

[Andy M.]

Absolutely refreeze the bones.

As long as food is kept at refrigerator temperatures, there is no danger to refreezing. One thing that will happen is some damage to the meat. Freezing makes ice crystals from the moisture in the meat. As ice crystals form, they damage cells. If you thaw and refreeze, you are creating new ice crystals that will also damage cells. If enough of this happens, the meat's texture can change enough to be noticeable.

If the meat never gets warmer than refrigerator temps, there is no food safety issue.

 

[nes]

That's what I thought! Thanks tons