Putting frozen meals into the fridge - Safe?!
Is this safe to do?
Answers: My co-worker brings a frozen lunch (lean cuisine, etc) almost everyday and instead of putting it in the freezer, she puts it in the fridge until lunch time (about 5 hours) and then heats it up.
Is this safe to do?
I do this quite frequently. I find that many offices set their refrigerators (and especially their freezers) at just about the coldest possible setting. Also, many office microwaves are not quite as powerful as the one you probably have at home. In the few hours it stays in the fridge, it really won't thaw much - maybe some of the sauce or gravy and sometimes veggies may thaw some, but not enough to be unsafe once cooked. The amount of thawing that does occur seems to match up with the recommended cooking times just about right, while straight out of the freezer, I have to add time to cook everything through.
Also, most office refrigerators get cleared out more often (if at all) than the freezers, and there may actually be room in them.
No big whoop. I do it too. It is still cold. About the worst thing that happens is if it thaws completely (and that takes a while) some of the food may be a bit mushy.
Why in the world would you think it would go bad in 5 hours?
It's not like KEEP IT FROZEN OR IT TURNS TO POISON
i checked, and most of mine say DO Not Defrost before cooking
read the package
Haha, are you talking about me? I do that everyday and it's definitely fine, haven't gotten sick yet and I've been doing it for over 2 years! They stay frozen when they are in the fridge for such a small amount of time.
Yes, it gives the meal time to thaw and reduces cooking time.
So long as it is kept in the fridge & properly heated through then yes it is safe.
as long as the fridge is at the correct food storage temp, it should be fine safety wise, but the frozen dinner maker has calculated the cooking times based on a frozen entree, and if she cooks it for the time listed on the box, its not going to be its best taste/texture.
No. Read the packaging. You are not supposed to defrost them. Some frozen foods can be defrosted before cooking and it says so on the packaging, while others can't.
Yes, her strategy is both safe and economical. More time than this, would require time in the freezer. I wish you peace.
that's what i would do , it helps it slowly thaw + takes less time to heat up . perfectly ok , even a day in advance
do it all the time. sometimes it doesn't make it to the fridge. it stays out