December 20, 2024, 2:56 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
Defrosting frozen vegetables is not a problem; you can defrost them gently and directly in a pot or in a water bath. Meat is a little different, as germs can spread quickly. A simple trick can help here.
It’s hard to imagine modern households without a freezer compartment – or a deep freezer – to preserve food for a particularly long time. Interestingly, the freezer was only invented in 1930. However, as is so often the case, practical innovations that make everyday life easier also bring new challenges. For example, defrosting meat incorrectly can pose a significant health risk. myHOMEBOOK explains what you should look out for when defrosting and reveals how to defrost frozen meat quickly and safely.
It’s Better to Proceed Slowly When Defrosting Meat
In most cases, defrosting frozen vegetables is not a problem. You can simply defrost them gently directly in a pan or in a bain-marie. However, you should proceed differently with meat. You should proceed with caution and defrost the meat slowly in the fridge the day before.
This is important to preserve the taste and consistency. Defrosting quickly in a pan or pot can lead to the meat starting to cook at the edges while the core is still frozen. The result is an uneven texture. Secondly, meat should always be defrosted slowly so that no germs can form. These multiply particularly quickly in the juices produced when defrosting meat. Eating such meat can lead to food poisoning. It is also best to leave the minced meat in the packaging when defrosting to protect it from germs.
Defrost Frozen Minced Meat More Quickly
Defrosting meat can take several hours – sometimes even a whole night. However, if you’re short on time – or you’re hungry – there’s a trick you can use to defrost frozen meat more quickly. Here’s how to do it:
- Turn a pot upside down
- Place the upside-down pot over the frozen food
- Fill a second pot with warm water and place it on top of the first poYoui
This method gently draws the cold out of the frozen food, but much faster than in the fridge. The trick also works with other frozen foods, but is not really necessary for vegetables, for example, as you can process them straight away.
Note: You should only ever defrost as much of the food as you need. Some products can be refrozen, but for some, such as raw meat, this is associated with hygiene risks. Minced meat is best frozen in small portions so that you don’t defrost too much.
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Never at Room Temperature
Even if it sounds like the easiest way to defrost frozen meat, it should never be left at room temperature. It is even worse to leave it on the radiator. The heat creates an ideal breeding ground for germs and bacteria.