Can you freeze chicken? Refrigerator thawing: Expect one full day to thaw per pound. For a large turkey, it will take several days. Chicken, ground meats and seafood remain safe to prepare and cook after one to two days after being thawed, while red meats can last up to five days refrigerated. You can refreeze once thawed; however, you may sacrifice quality. Cold water thawing: This method is quicker than thawing in the refrigerator but requires more attention on your part. Before placing items in the cool water, make sure your food is in an airtight bag so no water seeps in.
To prevent pieces from freezing together (and for freezing delicate fruits like berries), spread the pieces out in a single layer on a plastic wrap-lined sheet pan. Once they are fully frozen, transfer the pieces to your container and place it immediately in the freezer. With this method, any ice films form around each individual piece, rather than freezing all the pieces together in a big chunk. Many nights if I am making a lasagna or baked ziti, instead of making one, I make two: one to eat right away and one to freeze later on. Cook once, eat twice. It’s the same amount of work and you will be happy to have a casserole prepared on those busy nights. It’s also great to have a made-ahead dish on hand when you want to bring something to someone who’s sick or having a baby.
Pro Tip: Make smoothie packs by adding 2 cups of spinach and 2 cups of fruit to a freezer bag. Freeze and then when you’re ready to make a smoothie, toss the contents of the bag into the blender with 2 cups of liquid! Bam! Instant healthy smoothie! Yep! This is one a lot of people probably don’t know about. The biggest thing to keep in mind when freezing dairy is that it will change the texture of a lot of these things. This means they’re best to be used by cooking or mixed into something, rather than thawing and eating it as-is. Butter, Stick or Tub – This is a great one to stock up on when it’s on sale and then you always have a stock to pull from! This is one that actually thaws and remains the same texture. Discover even more details at Can You Freeze Watermelon.
The reason ground meats have a shorter time frame than the other types of foods listed above is they stand a relatively higher chance of bacteria exposure due to the way they’re processed and handled, says Cambridge, Massachusetts–based William Li, MD, cancer expert and author of Eat to Beat Disease. Also, even if you’re thawing within the recommended time frame, he suggests smelling any meat once it’s thawed, because if the aroma is off, that’s a sign it’s no longer safe to eat. Usually the scent is pungent and unpleasant, and may smell like ammonia due to the breakdown in proteins and fats, adds Wu. Do: Consider How Your Fish Is Handled Seafood is highly perishable, which is why it’s great to have some in the freezer rather than hanging around for too long in the fridge, but how it’s handled and packaged can make a big difference, says Dr. Li.