She said – Never, Ever Thaw Meat Outside

Received a call this afternoon from daughter #1 asking if she should thaw some chicken outside (They live in FL.).  Her husband told her that’s what to do.

Never, ever, thaw meat outside!!!

Uh, oh! You’re home and forgot to defrost something for dinner! Use the cold water method to fully or partially defrost frozen meats. This is faster than refrigerator thawing but requires a little more attention. The food must be in a leak-proof package or plastic bag because meat tissue can also absorb water like a sponge as it thaws, resulting in a watery product. Fill a nonreactive glass or ceramic bowl with cold tap water and submerge the package of meat, changing the water every 30 minutes so it continues to thaw. Small packages of meat or poultry (about 1 pound) may be partially thawed in about 15 minutes, or completely defrosted in an hour or less. A 3- to 4-pound package may take 2 to 3 hours. Once thawed, the food must be cooked immediately. Foods thawed by the cold water method should be cooked before refreezing. Never thaw meat in warm water as this will allow bacteria to grow on the warm outer surface.

Enuf said!