thawing meat/chicken

Blossom0184

Help! I dont plan to far ahead (I know I should) so I get home at 6 (if Im lucky) and want to make dinner (which is rare) but I get discouraging bc all the meat and chicken I own is in the freezer! What is the best and fastest way to thaw out the meat? the microwave starts cooking it even if I flip it over and the inside is still frozen solid? help ladies please! 

GnomeSweetGnome

I'm not sure if this is a WC approved method, but I make sure it's in a water-tight plastic bag and submerge it in a sinkful of cold water.  This takes some time, but it doesn't cook your food and is faster than waiting for it to thaw at room temperature (a sanitation hazard) or in the refrigerator.

Jim&Jaime

GnomeSweetGnome:

I'm not sure if this is a WC approved method, but I make sure it's in a water-tight plastic bag and submerge it in a sinkful of cold water.  This takes some time, but it doesn't cook your food and is faster than waiting for it to thaw at room temperature (a sanitation hazard) or in the refrigerator.

This is what I do, and it actually does the trick rather quickly.

 

nestinginjapan

Jim&Jaime:

GnomeSweetGnome:

I'm not sure if this is a WC approved method, but I make sure it's in a water-tight plastic bag and submerge it in a sinkful of cold water.  This takes some time, but it doesn't cook your food and is faster than waiting for it to thaw at room temperature (a sanitation hazard) or in the refrigerator.

This is what I do, and it actually does the trick rather quickly.

 

yep. I do it in a big bowl so I can change the water out once in a while - this seems to speed up the process.

Budnotes

You should never defrost meat/chicken in standing water.  The best way is in a refrigerator overnight, but if you need to defrost something quickly - make sure you have cold RUNNING water running over it.  Don't just let it sit in standing water.  It's not a safe way to defrost meat.  Bacteria will have lots of time, moisture and the ideal temperature to reproduce rapidly. 

nestinginjapan

Budnotes:

You should never defrost meat/chicken in standing water.  The best way is in a refrigerator overnight, but if you need to defrost something quickly - make sure you have cold RUNNING water running over it.  Don't just let it sit in standing water.  It's not a safe way to defrost meat.  Bacteria will have lots of time, moisture and the ideal temperature to reproduce rapidly. 

Well, I'm not dead yet!

 

Jim&Jaime

Budnotes:

You should never defrost meat/chicken in standing water.  The best way is in a refrigerator overnight, but if you need to defrost something quickly - make sure you have cold RUNNING water running over it.  Don't just let it sit in standing water.  It's not a safe way to defrost meat.  Bacteria will have lots of time, moisture and the ideal temperature to reproduce rapidly. 

To me, this makes absolutely no sense. Less than a hour in cold water vs. over night in a refrigerator? Also, you don't just toss the meat into the water, it's sealed, so you're not adding any extra moisture.

Oh, and it's even supported by the USDA, though government approval means crap to me:  http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Big_Thaw/

amandasw

nestinginjapan:

Budnotes:

You should never defrost meat/chicken in standing water.  The best way is in a refrigerator overnight, but if you need to defrost something quickly - make sure you have cold RUNNING water running over it.  Don't just let it sit in standing water.  It's not a safe way to defrost meat.  Bacteria will have lots of time, moisture and the ideal temperature to reproduce rapidly. 

Well, I'm not dead yet!

 

lol  yeah, I think it's ok.  Not to mention, who has the $ to run water for hours on end?!  Plus, I hope you realize that everyone is putting the meat in a bag right?  Not just putting the meat in a bowl full of water.

GRKaters

GnomeSweetGnome:

I'm not sure if this is a WC approved method, but I make sure it's in a water-tight plastic bag and submerge it in a sinkful of cold water.  This takes some time, but it doesn't cook your food and is faster than waiting for it to thaw at room temperature (a sanitation hazard) or in the refrigerator.

That's how I do it 99% of the time, too.

alithebride

Budnotes:

You should never defrost meat/chicken in standing water.  The best way is in a refrigerator overnight, but if you need to defrost something quickly - make sure you have cold RUNNING water running over it.  Don't just let it sit in standing water.  It's not a safe way to defrost meat.  Bacteria will have lots of time, moisture and the ideal temperature to reproduce rapidly. 

this is silly. meat in a sealed bag submerged in a bowl of cold water has just as much opportunity, time, moisture and temp as under running water-as it's IN the bag, not just a slab of meat unwrapped under running water.. and what a waste of water!!

bellakitty4

I just take the meat out of the freezer the night before, and throw it in the fridge. When I get home from work it's defrosted.