Comments on: Quick Thawing – Kitchen Shortcut

By: Briana Ford

Briana Ford — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 20:28:15 +0000

I do this all the time. In fact, that picture is exactly what my process looks like. I think it’s more efficient than putting things in the microwave, and I almost never burn myself in the process.

By: Karen

Karen — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 17:53:05 +0000

Me again. I was trying to remember the brand name of my defrosting tray and could not, but did find an identical looking one online which is called a Thaw Easy Defrost Tray, or Miracle Thaw. I also found a listing of thaw times using a cast aluminum griddle at http://www.allamerican-chefsdesign.com. Anne left a link to the USDA regarding safe thawing and I think the points made there should definitely be heeded. I also think that the thaw times given at the All American site are short enough to be safe. That being said, I also think it is important to remember not to leave defrosting foods on the counter and go out to pick up milk. This is a quick process, and I am usually in the kitchen almost the whole time getting the rest of the meal preparations done. When the meat is defrosted, the tray is very cold, having transferred the cold from the food to the tray the same way a pan transfers heat from a stove element. I also tend to package foods for freezing in flat packages which do thaw faster, and can be broken into smaller pieces while they are still partially frozen. That way I can put a flat pack of precooked ground beef on the tray to thaw, put a pot of water on to boil for pasta, and by the time it is boiling, I can break the beef into small pieces inside the freezer bag and start the sauce. I initially suggested a cast iron skillet because it works the same way and it is likely that more people would have one. Whichever way you choose, don’t leave any defrosting/defrosted food at room temperature. Refrigerate or cook immediately.

By: Anne

Anne — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 02:25:26 +0000

The fastest and SAFEST (from a food pathogen perspective) way is to thaw things in cold water that is moving. I put what needs thawing in its container in a bowl, fill it with cold water and then turn the water down so it just barely drizzles. Alton Brown explained the mechanism of why this works faster than warm water, I don’t remember. But I do remember that it is not safe to use warm or hat water to thaw, as it provides a lovely temperature for bacteria to breed. Here is the USDA page about safe thawing: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/big_thaw/index.asp

By: Karen

Karen — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 01:29:20 +0000

Or if you have a bit more time and a cast iron skillet, lay the package of frozen food on the skillet. This even works for fairly thick, solid items like chicken breasts. You can speed things up a bit by running the pan under hot water (the underside, then dry). It’s conductivity that does it. I actually found one of those cast aluminum defrosting plates (they used to be advertised on tv) at a thrift store, still in the box, for $.99 and use it for most of my thawing. A nice big discounted, then frozen steak will thaw for summer barbeques in about an hour. Any heavy metal surface will work. I used to use my microwave for last minute rush things, but found it tended to half cook thinner edges of things. Maybe its just my microwave, but I like this way better, and it uses no power.

By: Tricia

Tricia — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 01:28:48 +0000

If you have a nonstick griddle or grilling pan you can use it as a defrosting tray. I don’t know how it works, but it’s amazing how quickly stuff thaws on them!

By: Julie

Julie — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 21:52:08 +0000

I never thaw stuff ahead unless it’s a large turkey or ham. Everything gets put in the microwave on auto defrost. It does a great job fairly quickly. I am thankful for the microwave…if not for it my family wouldn’t eat b/c the meat would still be frozen! lol