Thawing frozen food shouldn't be done carelessly! here's the right way & bull; hello healthy

For people who are super busy, storing a variety of frozen food choices in the refrigerator feels more practical than having to cook from scratch every time you want to eat. Frozen food is practical. However, many do not know how to properly process frozen food. To thaw frozen food, it turns out that it needs the right process according to the type of food so that the quality of the ingredients is maintained.

If the defrosting process is not correct, the taste of the food may change. It is also possible that the wrong way to thaw frozen food can expose the processed food to bacteria.

Don't leave it at room temperature

Leaving frozen food at room temperature for hours is the most popular method of defrosting frozen foods. It seems that almost everyone has done this. But did you know that this method is actually wrong?

When food that was frozen has thawed and reached a temperature warmer than 4.4 degrees Celsius, the bacteria that may have been present before freezing can multiply. The longer the food is exposed to environmental temperatures, the bacteria will multiply rapidly. In essence, frozen food should not be left at room temperature for more than two hours. Even perishable foods should not be thawed with hot water.

If you can't leave it at room temperature, what is the proper way to defrost frozen food?

Here are some safe ways to thaw frozen food to keep frozen food healthy and safe for consumption - according to the type of food.

Meat: move from freezer to refrigerator rack

Thawing frozen meat does take a long time, it can even be all night long. Therefore, you have to start thawing before you start cooking. Move frozen meat that you store in the freezer to a special refrigerator rack (don't mix it with fruit and vegetable racks, you know!) So that the liquid liquid from the bacteria-infested meat doesn't spread to other foods.

Foods that are thawed using this method, such as whole meats, ground meats, chicken, and seafood should be cooked no later than one or two days after thawing.

Packaged foods: soak in cold water

Frozen packaged foods, such as chicken nuggets, sausages, frozen vegetables and fruit, can be thawed using cold water. To do this, wrap frozen food in tight plastic or still sealed in packaging, then soak it in a bowl or pan filled with cold water until it is completely submerged completely. Change the soaking water every 30 minutes until the food is completely thawed and ready to be processed in the kitchen.

Frozen foods thawed by this method should be cooked immediately.

Can I microwave frozen food?

Thawing food with the microwave is fast, but the results are not evenly distributed. Similar to defrosting frozen food at room temperature, this uneven thawing of food has the potential to trigger bacterial growth on the food.

If you are stuck for time defrosting and there is no other way, it's okay to use a microwave. However, microwave thawed foods immediately, even if they are not completely defrosted.

Can I refreeze the leftover food?

Thawed frozen food should not be re-frozen in the freezer to avoid cross-contamination of the food. Therefore, take just enough portions to be processed while the rest is still stored in the freezer.

When storing frozen foods, also remember to make sure the freezer temperature is -18 degrees Celsius or lower. The extra cold temperature will inhibit the growth of bacteria on food. But when it has thawed, the bacteria will come back to life and can even grow. So, process until finished frozen food that has been thawed.