Like we mentioned above, the exterior of frozen meat defrosts faster than the center. But it’ll also start to cook the meat in the process. Sure, running steaming hot water over frozen meat will defrost it quickly. Hot water in particular is a pretty bad idea. But what if you speed up the process and toss your meat under cold or hot water?Įven if you’re in a pinch and totally forgot to defrost your meat hours ago, it isn’t exactly the best – or the safest – idea to toss frozen meat under a steady flow of cold or hot water. Okay, so leaving frozen meat out thawing at room temperature is a bad idea. Is it safe to defrost meat under cold or hot water? So, keeping meat in various stages of the defrosting process out all day can leave you with a bacteria-riddled dinner. This means the outer layer of your raw meat will spend the most amount of time in the danger zone, rapidly collecting potentially dangerous bacteria while the interior defrosts.Īs a result, the USDA recommends that perishable foods – including raw meat – never be left out at room temperature for more than two hours. The exterior will thaw first, leaving the center still frozen. Plus, as the meat thaws, it won’t thaw evenly. The warmer the meat becomes, the more rapidly bacteria will increase. And once meat hits 41 degrees or higher, it enters a bacterial danger zone.Īny bacteria that were present in your raw meat before it was frozen can start to multiply in the warmer temperature of your kitchen. However, leaving meat out on the counter or in the sink all day while it defrosts means you’re allowing the meat to reach temperatures warmer than 40 degrees. Bacteria can’t grow or multiply once meat is frozen and stored in temps lower than 40 degrees Fahrenheit. But the problem is meat becomes more delicate and bacteria-prone once it reaches room temperature.Īs the USDA explains, frozen raw meat is safe indefinitely when it’s completely frozen. Sure, you aren’t doing anything to your frozen food. While leaving meat alone to come up to room temperature might sound like a faster approach, it’s pretty problematic. But while you might be washing your hands and carefully cooking your chicken, beef and other types of meat, how you defrost frozen meat matters just as much.įind out if you’re putting yourself and your food at risk and learn how to defrost your meat safely. You already know raw meat requires careful handling to prevent food-borne illness and bacterial growth. But is leaving raw meat sitting out for hours at a time really the best way to defrost it? It turns out this method might be more unsanitary than you think. Pulling a package of frozen meat out of your freezer and leaving it to sit at room temperature is a pretty easy way to take it from rock hard to perfectly pliable. Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members!
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