Chicken Safety!

[thegrova]

Okay... After roasting a chicken I use the carcus for soup or for stock. I have a question regarding freezing partway through the process. Typically I make soup with the stock, any left over meat, roast vegetables, split peas etc and freeze the soup in single serve portions. Is it safe to freeze the stock and left over meat, to be made into soup at a later time, and then be refrozen in single serve portions. I have read that refreezing is not wise.

 

[Gretchen]

Sure. You freeze it and then when you make the soup you will cook it--and then freeze that completed soup into portions. If I understand correctly, you are not re-freezing the same things and hence it isn't a problem.

 

[auntdot]

The idea of not refreezing things has, IMHO, gotten out of hand.

If food is kept in the fridge, even if it has been frozen previously, yes you can do it.

Many of us do it when we buy shrimp at the store and freeze it. In many places it is tough to get shrimp that has not been previously frozen on the boat.

The idea behind the caveat against refreezing is that you do not want to refreeze anything that has sat at a temperature that germs like, and multiply in, and then put it back in the freezer.

You can freeze meat, veggies, or anything else, then thaw them properly and cook a dish. And then freeze that dish. The cooking will get rid of the bacteria and then the dish can be frozen with safety.

Of course, the more you freeze an item will only result in some degradation of quality.

Sorry if I seem a bit puckish this morning but it is one of my pet peeves.

 

[Andy M.]

I thaw frozen chicken and cook it.

I refreeze the bones and later make stock

I freeze the stock and later make soup and other things with it

I freeze the stuff I make with the once frozen stock.

It's not a problem.

 

[thymeless]

The main issue of refreezing things is about quality. Multiple freezings degrades some tastes and textures. Stock is pretty much immune to this sort of quality damage. Semi-hard Cheese, for example, undergoes a permanent texture change. Tast stays pretty much the same for 1 freezing. Meat gets mushy and loses texture and flavor. Most vegies do too. Most spices get weaker. Salt stays the same. chile peppers seem to get hotter, but that's proably more that the surrounding flavors have diminished so the pepper is more assertive compared to the flavor before freezing. You'll probably want to correct seasoning again when you use the food later The new update has pretty much deleted any formating and returns in my posts. sorry for the mess.

 

[thegrova]

Thanks every one. I was not sure if I had explained it clearly - but it looks like I had because every one got the idea. I am careful with keeping things refrigerated etc and freeze in portion sizes to make defrosting the right amount easier. I appreciate the advice - thank you.