BRADLEY SMOKER | "Taste the Great Outdoors"

Recipe Discussions => Meat => Topic started by: viper125 on March 10, 2012, 06:43:41 PM

Title: refreezing meat!
Post by: viper125 on March 10, 2012, 06:43:41 PM
Think I just screwed up big time. Made brats and Italian sausage from frozen meat. had the wife wrap and freeze today. So Im refreezing the meat. I know better. Any one ever do this if so what happened.
Title: Re: refreezing meat!
Post by: Habanero Smoker on March 11, 2012, 01:35:45 AM

If you added a cure to your sausage, it is perfectly safe. If not, I have thawed meat, made fresh sausage, and froze the sausage for storage. I make sure that the meat is fully thawed in the refrigerator, and keep the meat as cool as possible during the processing of it. Stuff and get it back under refrigeration/freezer as soon as it is stuffed.
Title: Re: refreezing meat!
Post by: Salmonsmoker on March 11, 2012, 08:58:42 AM
I've done that many times Viper. The spices that were added to the sauage are also preservative in nature.
Title: Re: refreezing meat!
Post by: viper125 on March 11, 2012, 10:33:57 AM
Well was going to pull and smoke. But with second thoughts im going to leave it in. I realize freezing burst the cells in meat and loose texture and taste to a point. Also that refrozen will burst even more. Also in the case of unfrozen ground meat it is easier to gain microbes.
But I was careful to thaw while keeping cool and never let the meat get warm. So I guess this will be yet another experiment for me. I do not advise or recommend people do this. And to me it was a real knuckle head thing to do. But I have always wondered what would happen. If you never hear from me agin after i thaw and eat. I would definately not try this. ::) :'(
Title: Re: refreezing meat!
Post by: Salmonsmoker on March 11, 2012, 11:52:40 AM
We're here for ya buddy! Let us know when you're gonna take the hit so we can start pinging for contact. ;D
Title: Re: refreezing meat!
Post by: viper125 on March 11, 2012, 02:51:00 PM
HEH WILL do!  Well no cure so we will see. LOl
Title: Re: refreezing meat!
Post by: pikeman_95 on March 11, 2012, 04:04:12 PM
OMG
You wouldn't have a few pictures of your sausage making equipment that might be coming on the market. Just kidding. Like others have said the salts and spices help protect the meat to some extent.
Kirby
Title: Re: refreezing meat!
Post by: SiFumar on March 11, 2012, 04:20:38 PM
IMO I would think the texture would be off the most. 
Title: Re: refreezing meat!
Post by: Habanero Smoker on March 12, 2012, 02:14:14 AM
I've start with frozen meat to make fresh sausage; and I don't detect any change in texture. If I'm at Costco's I will pick up a couple of their boneless butts, freeze them and use later for sausage. I haven't compensated with liquid lost caused by ice crystals damaging the cell wall, but usually I add water to my sausage mix anyway. You just need to keep the meat as cold as possible, through the whole process.
Title: Re: refreezing meat!
Post by: Waltz on March 12, 2012, 04:14:49 AM
I do this a lot with no ill effects, either to me or the sausage. As others have said, as long as you keep the meat cool and defrost in the fridge it does not do any harm.
Title: Re: refreezing meat!
Post by: JZ on March 12, 2012, 09:08:32 AM
I'll be darned - I was always told NEVER EVER refreeze meat unless it has been cooked or horrible things will happen to you.  :o

I bought some frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts on sale to make sausages with but cooked all of it then tried to find ways to make use of it before it spoiled. Now I can make some and refreeze.   ;D  I know KEEP IT COLD.

Thanks for the information.
Title: Re: refreezing meat!
Post by: Waltz on March 13, 2012, 08:05:39 AM
Note that you are only supposed to re-freeze if you thaw in the fridge. Other methods of thawing can mean the surface of the meat is in the spoilage range before the centre is thawed.
Title: Re: refreezing meat!
Post by: viper125 on March 13, 2012, 04:50:38 PM
Thanks all. But from now on I'm going to try how I usually do. Buy fresh and unfrozen. LOL When it comes to food poisoning I lean to the chicken side. And as we all know fresh then frozen is at the top of the list. But this is all good to know.