Thawing chicken stock?

[jasonr]

I make fresh chicken stock on the weekend, and then freeze it in a ziplock bag, so I can use it for a risotto during the week.

It's impossible to chop it up, so what I've been doing is putting the big block in a wide pot over low heat, and waiting for enough stock to melt off. Then I use the stock and return the ice block to the plastic bag in the freezer.

Each block lasts about 2-3 weeks, so this process gets repeated over and over until the block disappears.

Is this safe?

 

[Hoot]

Probably so. You might freeze the stock in 2 cup batches instead of one big bag.
That way you would know how much stock you are using and not have to worry about refreezing it.

 

[themonkeytree]

Yes it is safe to put the stock back into the freezer. If you do end up melting all the stock, make sure to cool off the unused stock before you put it back into the freezer. You would not want to put hot product into the freezer, because it would heat up the stuff around it.

If you have any other food saftey questions just ask me and I will be glad to answer.

 

[Andy M.]

I agree wit the others.

Buy smaller freezer bags.

 

[Katie H]

Freeze the stock in ice cube trays. Remove the frozen stock cubes and store in freezer plastic bags.

 

[Uncle Bob]

Freeze the stock in ice cube trays. Remove the frozen stock cubes and store in freezer plastic bags.

Ta Daaaaaaaaaaa! It's just that simple!!!

 

[jasonr]

Thanks guys. Ice cube trays are not really an option. I just don't have enough room in my freezer for all those trays.

By the way, I don't melt the block completely. I only melt out 2 cups worth at a time. So when the block goes back in the freezer, it's still frozen.

 

[Katie H]

Thanks guys. Ice cube trays are not really an option. I just don't have enough room in my freezer for all those trays.

By the way, I don't melt the block completely. I only melt out 2 cups worth at a time. So when the block goes back in the freezer, it's still frozen.

You can freeze a tray or two at a time and refrigerate the rest of the stock while they are freezing. Should freeze within a couple of hours or overnight. You'd only need 2 trays this way.

 

[mozart]

Thanks guys. Ice cube trays are not really an option. I just don't have enough room in my freezer for all those trays.

By the way, I don't melt the block completely. I only melt out 2 cups worth at a time. So when the block goes back in the freezer, it's still frozen.

Well................If you always use two cups, then measure out 2 cup quantities into individual bags and freeze them. While what you are doing is probably safe, is seems really inefficient time wise and just how do you know when exactly 2 cups have thawed off? In addition, that wide pan has to be washed, you have to handle the slippery frozen block again, and again. I mean....really....I'm not sure if you tried you could devise a less optimal way to do this than what you are presently doing.

 

[jasonr]

I know it's two cups because I wait for enough to melt that fills a two-cup measuring cup. It's pretty easy to eye-ball it and it only takes about 5-10 minutes to melt off what I need.

I'll admit, it's not the most elegant method, but it seems more convenient than the alternatives. Having 6-7 ziplock bags worth of stock in my freezer seems awfully inconvenient. Ditto for juggling stock between the freezer and the refrigerator.

I just wanted to make sure that what I'm doing is safe.

 

[mozart]

I know it's two cups because I wait for enough to melt that fills a two-cup measuring cup. It's pretty easy to eye-ball it and it only takes about 5-10 minutes to melt off what I need.

I'll admit, it's not the most elegant method, but it seems more convenient than the alternatives. Having 6-7 ziplock bags worth of stock in my freezer seems awfully inconvenient. Ditto for juggling stock between the freezer and the refrigerator.

I just wanted to make sure that what I'm doing is safe.

Ok then, as I said it is probably safe but not as safe as any of the other suggestions you have been given.

Every time you go through you procedure you contaminate that block of stock with bacteria; from your hands, from your skin, from that wide pan, from the air while it thaws. While the bacteria won't grow in the frozen state, they won't die either. So there is a possibility of problems if you don't heat the stock high enough to kill the bacteria or if you let it sit in the danger zone too long and some staph toxin is generated.

What you are doing would not pass muster in a restaurant in the eyes of the health officials, but it is a long shot in my view that you will get sick, and if you really find this method to be more convenient for you, then enjoy.

 

[jasonr]

Thanks. What you said makes some sense.

 

[BreezyCooking]

I freeze stock by the quart to use for soup, & in ice cube trays for all other uses.

I think you're a little confused re: the ice-cube-tray method though. You don't keep dozens of ice cube trays in your freezer. Once the trays are frozen, you empty the cubes into a gallon-size Ziploc freezer bag for storage. I only use two ice-cube-trays over & over for the freezing, & depending on how much stock I'm freezing, never end up with more than one or two freezer bags full of cubes. Can't take up any more space than your method.

In addition, it's SO easy to use those cubes. Each cube equals 1/8 of a cup, so it's simple as pie to use any increment you need for a recipe.

I can't imagine melting & refreezing - whether partially or whole - gallons of stock over & over every time I need a little. While I agree that it's unlikely you'll get sick, the quality of that stock can't help but deteriorate over time. But as Mozart said, do what you like & enjoy.

 

[Callisto in NC]

Freeze the stock in ice cube trays. Remove the frozen stock cubes and store in freezer plastic bags.

What a totally cool idea.

 

[Bigjim68]

I make stock often. Simmer a large pot down to fit in a couple of ice cube or muffin trays, baggie them, then use them frozen.

 

[Callisto in NC]

I'll admit, it's not the most elegant method, but it seems more convenient than the alternatives. Having 6-7 ziplock bags worth of stock in my freezer seems awfully inconvenient. Ditto for juggling stock between the freezer and the refrigerator.

6-7 bags will actually be more convenient and take up less space than one big block. I know, I never freeze meat whole, I always cut it into usable portions and it takes up a lot less room and allows for more items in my freezer.

 

[jasonr]

The idea of using a muffin tray is actually a good one. Muffin sized blocks would be way more convenient than ice cube sized blocks!

Maybe I'll try that.

 

[Andy M.]

Ice cube trays and muffin tins are good ideas as long as you know how many ice cubes or muffins make up the two cups you usually want.

What would make the most sense, based on your description of how you use it, would be to freeze two cup portions. A pint freezer bag will hold two cups.

 

[BreezyCooking]

Geez, Andy M. - I distinctly said in my post that each cube in my ice cube trays measured 1/8 of a cup. It isn't rocket science to then determine that one cup = 8 cubes; two cups = 16 cubes - etc., etc.

 

[Andy M.]

Geez, Breezy, are you sending the OP your ice cube trays?

My point was simply that since he always uses two cups of stock at a time, a pre-measured two-cup frozen block is easier to deal with than 16 ice cubes or 'x' number of muffin cups worth of stock.