How to freeze celery? 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.
Leave a little extra room for liquids: You can also freeze soups, sauces and stews in airtight containers. Liquids expand so you’ll want to fill freezer bags and containers only three-quarters of the way, so they don’t explode. Freeze fruits and vegetables: Freezing seasonal fruits and veggies is great, especially this time of year. Freezing your fresh garden veggies now will allow you to use them all year long. Same with in-season fruits, which are sweeter and perfect to add to your smoothies. Casseroles can be frozen either cooked or uncooked, but it’s a bit better to freeze uncooked or partially cooked casseroles as opposed to freezing fully cooked casseroles.
Pro Tip: When freezing any liquid, leave room for expansion. You don’t want an explosion in your freezer! Leave at least a half-inch or more of space at the top of your container. This one is probably a big ole duh to you, but you can freeze both raw and cooked meat. We like to buy meat in bulk, cook it, and then freeze in smaller, meal-sized portions. It makes dinner prep super easy on those busy nights! Beef – A vacuum sealer will save your wallet and keep your raw meat from getting freezer burn. They’re totally worth the investment! You can also pre-cook ground meat to make dinner go quicker and easier. Chicken – Freeze chicken as soon as you bring it home or cook it before you forget about it! You can freeze grilled and shredded chicken for easy meal prep. Read extra information at can you freeze yogurt.
Don’t: Thaw on the Counter Thawing food properly is critical to preventing foodborne bacteria from multiplying to dangerous levels, says Hutchings. Don’t plan on thawing any kind of food at room temperature, she advises, even seemingly “safer” options like leftovers or cooked meats. Instead, she offers these four methods: Thaw by cooking This works especially well for small pieces of food, including ground or chopped meat. Thaw in the microwave This is typically the second-fastest way to thaw food (cooking is the fastest). It’s not recommended for large food items, such as whole chickens, but it is ideal for smaller foods or foods that will be added to a larger dish later.