Refreeze raw Hamburger

[Abby999]

I set out some hamburger to thaw. I was going to make a meat loaf. Something came up that I had to attend to. I placed the burger back in the freezer. It had thawed. Is it reccommended to freeze,thaw,refreeze? Any help would be appreciated. Thank You

[Wyogal]

No. I would have cooked the burger, then put it bake in the freezer. You could use it for casseroles or spaghetti sauce.

[Claire]

If the meat is completely thawed, I do not refreeze. I'll stick it in a skillet with some onions and garlic and break down and sautee, then refreeze to use in spaghetti sauce, chili, tacos, sloppy joes. But I don't refreeze meat that is totally thawed. My mom taught me this way and I really don't know if it legitimate or not. But I never re-freeze totally raw meat.

[neilwill]

It shouldn't be a problem refreezing if the meat was originally thawed in the fridge, but if it was left out on the side then it would definitely be best to cook it first.

Source: The forum won't allow me to post a link directly but you can search google for 'usda basics for handling food safely' which verifies this

[Andy M.]

Refreezing foods is as much as a textural issue as a safety issue.

The rule about not refreezing has to do with the meat's cells breaking down due to the formation and re-formation of ice crystals and making the meat 'mushy'. With ground beef, that's not a serious issue.

On the safety side, if the meat was never exposed to temperatures warmer than the inside of the fridge, there should not be an issue. The exception being if it was kept thawed for longer that it's expiration date.

[Chelyan]

Thanks to all,very helpful