Freezing Restaurant Leftovers

"melissa" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Just wondering what everyone's take is on freezing restaurant
leftovers. I've thought about doing it but I don't know if it's
"safe".

Why wouldn't it be?

nancy

One time on Usenet said:

Just wondering what everyone's take is on freezing restaurant
leftovers. I've thought about doing it but I don't know if it's
"safe".

If it was safe enough to eat, it's safe enough to freeze...

--
J.J. in WA ~ mom, vid gamer, novice cook ~
"You still haven't explained why the pool is
filled with elf blood." - Frylock, ATHF

Well, I guess the reason I think it wouldn't be safe is because I have
no way of knowing if the food was frozen previously. I always thought
the rule was that once something was frozen and defrosted, it couldn't
be refrozen. Having never worked in a restaurant kitchen before, I
don't know if it's common practice to make things in advance, freeze,
and defrost to serve or if all restaurant food is made fresh that very
same day.

Melissa

Well, I guess the reason I think it wouldn't be safe is because I have
no way of knowing if the food was frozen previously. I always thought
the rule was that once something was frozen and defrosted, it couldn't
be refrozen. Having never worked in a restaurant kitchen before, I
don't know if it's common practice to make things in advance, freeze,
and defrost to serve or if all restaurant food is made fresh that very
same day.

Melissa

"melissa" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Well, I guess the reason I think it wouldn't be safe is because I have
no way of knowing if the food was frozen previously. I always thought
the rule was that once something was frozen and defrosted, it couldn't
be refrozen. Having never worked in a restaurant kitchen before, I
don't know if it's common practice to make things in advance, freeze,
and defrost to serve or if all restaurant food is made fresh that very
same day.

Melissa

Please tell us where you're from, your age, and what high school you
graduated from. Just curious.

Quoted message said:

the rule was that once something was frozen and defrosted, it couldn't
be refrozen.

If it's been cooked properly, it's safe.

Freezing and thawing can change textures. I've tried to freeze potato
soup, and when it thaws, the potatoes are grainy, and break down.

I've also heard that once you thaw raw meat/poultry, you're not
supposed to refreeze it. But again, I think this is a texture/taste
issue.

melissa wrote:
I always thought

Quoted message said:

the rule was that once something was frozen and defrosted, it couldn't
be refrozen.

That's good advice if the food was defrosted at room temperature. But
food should never be defrosted that way. If the food was defrosted in
the refrigerator, there's no problem with refreezing it. (No problem
from a food safety point of view. Texture might suffer, but then,
texture usually suffers with freezing in the first place.) The bottom
line is that you don't want food to spend more than 2 hours total in the
temperatures between 40 degrees and 120 degrees (fridge temperature and
a simmer). If the food doesn't spend much time there, you can freeze it.

--Lia

Far as I can tell said:

I always thought the rule was that once something was frozen and defrosted, it couldn't
be refrozen.

Not entirely true...

Freeze thaw freeze. Not a good idea.

Freeze thaw cook freeze. No problem.