Meal prepping for the week? Don’t forget to leave enough time to safely thaw anything you pull out of the freezer.
The NSF, an organization that develops public health standards “that help protect the world’s food, water, consumer products and environment,” says you should use one of three methods:
In the refrigerator. Put the packaged frozen food in a shallow dish and place it on the bottom shelf in the fridge. “Placing the food in a pan is important to prevent potential cross-contamination from drippings as the product thaws,” the NSF warns. This method takes about four to five hours per pound of food.
In cold water. Put the packaged frozen food in a pan of cold water. Doing it this way takes more effort, as you’ll need to switch out the water every 30 minutes. The NSF says this method takes about 30 minutes per pound, but you should only use it if you plan to cook the food immediately after it’s defrosted.
In the microwave. Similar to the cold-water method, if you plan to cook the food shortly after it’s defrosted, you could use a microwave to thaw it. “Check your owner’s manual for the minutes per pound and power level to use for thawing various types of foods,” the NSF says. “Be sure to rotate the food regularly to ensure even thawing.”
Whichever method you use, you’ll need to check the internal temperature of the food several times. The NSF warns that the internal temperature should never enter the “danger zone” of 40º F to 140º F because “bacteria that cause foodborne illness can multiply extremely rapidly.”
