Frozen food is convenient to cook and easy to preserve for a long time. However, if you don’t thaw your food properly, you will risk the growth of harmful bacteria on it. Let’s check our guide to know how to defrost food in the right way!
Thawing Food in the Refrigerator
The first method is thawing foods slowly and evenly in the refrigerator. This way takes the longest, but it is also the safest and easiest one. It can take you a long time for thawing food, especially larger meats such as a turkey or a pork roast.
Place the frozen food on a plate. Pick a large, sturdy plate which is big enough to hold all of your food. The plate will help you to prevent any moisture from falling from the thawing meat into your fridge. If there are some drops make your fridge dirty, you can check how to clean refrigerator quickly. Don’t forget to leave on any plastic packaging. This action will protect the food from falling food or debris in your refrigerator.
Refrigerate the frozen food. Place the plate of frozen food in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. After the first 24 hours, let’s check the food periodically to see if it’s thawed.
Using Cold Water to Defrost Food
This way of defrosting is much faster than using the refrigerator. For example, five pounds of meat (2.3 kilograms) or less can be thawed within an hour, while larger cuts can take 2-3 hours. In the other hand, once defrosted by water, the food has to be cooked immediately.
Put the food in a re-sealable bag. The re-sealable bag can protect your food from any bacteria in the air or the water. First, pick a large, freezer-grade re-sealable bag. Then, seal the food inside, pressing the bag to eliminate most of the air.
Submerge the re-sealable bag in a bowl of cold water. Pick a large bowl and put it in your sink. Fill the bowl with cold water. Then, put the bag of your frozen food into the water and submerge it completely. Let the food sit in the water until it is completely thawed. Every thirty minutes, you should dump out the water and refill it to keep the water cold and fresh.
Defrost Food in the Microwave
This quick method is most suitable with smaller pieces of evenly cut meat. The microwave will thaw the food in a matter of minutes. However, this way can also partially cook the food or make it tough, affecting the quality of the dish.
Unwrap the food and place it on a plate. First, eliminate any plastic packaging from your food. This packaging will retain moisture that can “boil” the outside of the food. Next, put the food on a large, microwave-safe plate.
Microwave the food. In fact, each brand of microwave is slightly different. However, most of the brands have a special button which is noted: “defrost”. To thaw the food, place it in the microwave and press the “defrost” button to start. Then, your microwave may ask you to enter the weight of the food. This measurement will be used to help to determine the suitable thawing time for your food.
