Thawing Meat In The Fridge

[VeraBlue]

Not from me. Done it too. And DH is a water conservation freak--as we all should be. Common sense takes over in these cases.

I'm quite sure you didn't intend to give the impression that people who do use running water (the FDA approved method of thawing outside the fridge, by the way) lacked common sense.
I agree water should not be wasted, but wouldn't risk a salmonella outbreak because of that.
It would be more prudent and make more sense to plan far enough in advance to be able to safely thaw the turkey ( or any item) in the refrigerator, or drop it in a brine. Since we all know a year in advance when Thanksgiving is, it would appear simple to thaw correctly.

I'm not trying to rain on your turkey, but I found the sentence a bit short on sensitivity.

 

[Claire]

I put a frozen chicken in the fridge 24 hours ago. It isn't even slightly thawed. I could use it as a deadly weapon to bludgeon someone with. Needless to say, even left on the counter, it wouldn't be ready for dinner tonight. I doubt, in the fridge, it would be ready for monday. I want to eat it tomorrow. So it'll get a few hours on the counter until it at least doesn't feel like a rock. If it isn't ready for dinner tomorrow, it will get the cold water bath.

 

[Alix]

Claire, it will thaw faster in a cold brine than on the counter. Give it a go.

 

[Gretchen]

I'm quite sure you didn't intend to give the impression that people who do use running water (the FDA approved method of thawing outside the fridge, by the way) lacked common sense.
I agree water should not be wasted, but wouldn't risk a salmonella outbreak because of that.
It would be more prudent and make more sense to plan far enough in advance to be able to safely thaw the turkey ( or any item) in the refrigerator, or drop it in a brine. Since we all know a year in advance when Thanksgiving is, it would appear simple to thaw correctly.

I'm not trying to rain on your turkey, but I found the sentence a bit short on sensitivity.

You are entirely correct--I did NOT mean to malign anyone else's common sense nor refer to anyone else's. I was referring to my own common sense, for which I alone am responsible. I am glad you helped me clarify that.

 

[attie]

I'm quite sure you didn't intend to give the impression that people who do use running water (the FDA approved method of thawing outside the fridge, by the way) lacked common sense.
I agree water should not be wasted, but wouldn't risk a salmonella outbreak because of that.
It would be more prudent and make more sense to plan far enough in advance to be able to safely thaw the turkey ( or any item) in the refrigerator, or drop it in a brine. Since we all know a year in advance when Thanksgiving is, it would appear simple to thaw correctly.

I'm not trying to rain on your turkey, but I found the sentence a bit short on sensitivity.

Interesting, I thaw my fish fillets in ice water before slicing them however my designated health inspector informs me that they prefer food to be thawed in a microwave. It is impossible to get a large fillet in a m/oven so I'll keep doing it my way, but, he was referring to all food stuffs. Another requirement is that if the temperature of the product goes above 4C I must keep a log book for how long until the product is cooked. I'm personally not fussed on thawing raw food in a microwave, but that is just me, I guess there's probably nothing wrong with doing it that way if it's going to be cooked immediately

 

[BreezyCooking]

I've never purchased thin fish fillets frozen, but have purchased both tuna & swordfish vacuum-packed that way. They thaw very nicely in the microwave, & depending on your microwave & timing, don't "cook" at the edges at all - you just need to do a little trial & error.

 

[Jeekinz]

Fridge?..no. Two days. My wife and I have very busy schedules, so I'll take something out and put it in the sink overnight, then the fridge while I'm at work. Or if its a chicken or roast, I'll just put it in the sink while I'm at work.

 

[VeraBlue]

Interesting, I thaw my fish fillets in ice water before slicing them however my designated health inspector informs me that they prefer food to be thawed in a microwave. It is impossible to get a large fillet in a m/oven so I'll keep doing it my way, but, he was referring to all food stuffs. Another requirement is that if the temperature of the product goes above 4C I must keep a log book for how long until the product is cooked. I'm personally not fussed on thawing raw food in a microwave, but that is just me, I guess there's probably nothing wrong with doing it that way if it's going to be cooked immediately

It could be that he prefers the microwave over the 'standing water' you are using. If the water is running down a drain, there is no chance for microorganisms to multiply.

 

[Chef-Brian]

At "The Cruise Inn" in Palmetto FL. we would put fresh fish filets in heavy stackable plastic bins(with no cover on) about 12"x18"x6". Just covering the top surface of the filets with water and put them in the walk-in freezer, openly spaced for quick freezing. On Monday we would pull out the tubs required for Friday and set them in the walk-in cooler. By Friday afternoon the filets were 95+% thawed, but due to the slow thaw the filets were in beautiful condition. 4 days to thaw vs. quick thaw meant the difference between selling quality fish vs. mush. Realize also that there are large fans in walk-in coolers to circulate the air for more uniform cooling(and thawing).
The point is, the slower you can thaw a product, the closer it will be to the one you froze. If it means putting it in the fridge on Monday for the Friday night roast, you'll be glad you did!

ENJOY! ~Chef Brian~ Chef Brian's Cooking Tips

 

[Gretchen]

It could be that he prefers the microwave over the 'standing water' you are using. If the water is running down a drain, there is no chance for microorganisms to multiply.

I wouldn't thaw unwrapped fish myself--so that shouldn't be a problem of standing in water if it was changed. Fish fillets the size we usually get are not any real problem to thaw.

 

[Claire]

Pet peeve time. Bought my 20 lb frozen bird a week ago ... went to check today and the interior is still icey. Back to the cold water bath. But the pet peeve is that the giblets are disappearing as years go by. Last year I got heart and gizzards that had to have been from a chicken, and not a large one at that. This year I've found a neck, but nothing else. Half the time they're missing when I buy a chicken, and I haven't seen them in a Cornish game hen in years. Am I going to have to buy giblets separately next year if I want them? What gives?

 

[Michelemarie]

Like Claire, I usually defrost on the counter or in the sink - sometimes using water if necessary. Has anyone every heard (or still have) a thawmaster? That thing thaws meat very quickly. I use that alot, on the counter and in the fridge.

 

[Andy M.]

Like Claire, I usually defrost on the counter or in the sink - sometimes using water if necessary. Has anyone every heard (or still have) a thawmaster? That thing thaws meat very quickly. I use that alot, on the counter and in the fridge.

Is that the heavy duty aluminum plate that you put meat or other things on?

I use my two burner aluminum griddle to defrost and it works great.

 

[Michelemarie]

Andy M., I think it is the same - DH has a griddle that doubles as a meat defroster -it works just as good as my thawmaster and is bigger. That thing melts an ice cube in seconds!