How Long Should Ground Beef Thaw in the Fridge
- Ground beef tin can exist safely defrosted in the refrigerator, a basin of cold water, or in the microwave.
- Defrosting in the microwave is the fastest choice, simply then you must melt the beef right abroad.
- If you thaw footing beefiness in the fridge, it is safety to refreeze over again.
If you, like many other domicile cooks, keep a supply of ground beef in the freezer, you're likely familiar with the defrosting process — which means you're probably besides familiar with the frustration that comes with forgetting to take the beefiness out of the freezer ahead of time.
Defrosting ground beef properly ensures you lot steer articulate from potential harmful bacteria. Dr. Darin Detwiler, a food regulatory expert and professor at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, says that "in that location will never exist an end to pathogens in our food, simply we can change the culture around the future of nutrient safe."
The next fourth dimension you lot demand to bring your beefiness to room temperature, follow the methods below.
Method 1: In the refrigerator
"The safest way to defrost ground beef is to exercise so in the refrigerator for at to the lowest degree 24 hours," Detwiler says. The refrigerator method is safest because information technology "keeps basis beef out of the danger zone, which refers to temperatures between 40 degrees Fahrenheit to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, where pathogens and bacteria can grow."
Detwiler says the fridge keeps the meat safely absurd and warms it enough to fully defrost, which is crucial for "cooking the meat thoroughly to a temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit, which is required to kill whatever remaining pathogens."
To defrost ground beefiness in the fridge, place the package of frozen footing beef on a plate that's large enough to grab any possible drippings from the meat as it defrosts. Side by side, place the plate on a low shelf in the refrigerator, which will help you "avert the possibility of juices dripping onto other foods." The ground beef should remain in the fridge for at least 24 hours to fully defrost.
If you don't use all of the defrosted ground beef right abroad, Detwiler says that it'south safe to shop the leftovers back in the freezer every bit long as you do then within 48 hours of the original defrosting. Even so, for actress safety insurance against pathogens and bacteria, Detwiler advises to melt the meat thoroughly before freezing it once again.
Method two: In cold water
If you need to defrost your basis beefiness and don't have a full 24 hours to expect, y'all tin defrost it in a bowl of cold water. This method should take less than an 60 minutes, and it'due south safe as long every bit the h2o is changed out equally it warms to room temperature.
To defrost ground beef in cold h2o, make sure the beefiness is sealed in a leak-proof parcel, like a resealable plastic bag. "Set the plastic handbag with the frozen meat in a sink or, preferably, in a large bowl, embrace with common cold water, and counterbalance the package of meat downwardly with something heavy," Detwiler says. The weighing-down keeps the meat submerged, which is essential to keep the meat at a safety temperature for fifty-fifty defrosting.
Leave the package submerged in common cold h2o for xx to 30 minutes. Afterward that, y'all tin "test" the meat's readiness past gently poking it with your fingers. If you feel water ice crystals or stiffness, and then it needs more time (and a fresh round of cold water). In one case the meat is thawed, take information technology out of the water basin and cook immediately.
Method iii: In the microwave
For the quickest possible defrosting method, yous can defrost the ground beef in the microwave. This method yields rubber-to-eat footing beef, only with one major caveat: you have to cook it right away.
"Remove all packaging, so place the meat on a plate. Utilize the microwave's defrost settings or set it at 50% power for 2 to three minutes, rotating and flipping the beef every 30 seconds, until it is fully thawed. Melt immediately and thoroughly to a temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit," Detwiler says.
1 important note: Yous shouldn't refreeze beef if you thaw it in the microwave. Considering the meat is exposed to loftier temperatures (and has therefore spent time in the danger zone), stashing it in the fridge to cook afterwards isn't a safe motility, either. Salvage this method for when you're ready to go cooking immediately.
What to avoid
- Never thaw footing beef at room temperature. "Some people leave frozen meat out on the counter to thaw and will leave it there for vi to eight hours, thinking that this will definitely get the job done. In reality, this allows it to go too warm and allows pathogens to grow," Detwiler says.
- Never thaw basis beef using hot water. Just as thawing meat on the counter leaves it exposed to danger zone temps, so does thawing the meat in hot water. The sudden daze of hot h2o on frozen meat volition have negative effects on its texture, and every bit the water cools down, the meat becomes vulnerable to unsafe temperatures. Plus, the hot h2o could begin to "cook" the meat, which gives y'all a totally inconsistent block of basis beef that's partially cooked on the exterior and still frozen on the within.
- Don't keep ground beef in the freezer for longer than four months. Information technology's tempting to assume that basis beef can exist kept in the freezer indefinitely. The USDA recommends using it within four months for the all-time quality, taste, and texture.
Insider's takeaway
Defrosting ground beef in the refrigerator is the safest option, only information technology takes a full 24 hours. For faster results, submerge the frozen ground beef in cold water for ane hour. The quickest method is the microwave method, which will defrost the ground beef in just a few minutes, but you'll take to melt the meat immediately.
Source: https://www.insider.com/guides/kitchen/how-to-defrost-ground-beef
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