Thaw food safely
A frozen chicken thaws from the outside in. On the counter, the surface warms into the danger zone, 4 to 60°C (40 to 140°F), where bacteria can double in about 20 minutes, while the middle is still solid ice.
Cold water thaws food faster
Water carries heat into food far faster than air does. A sealed bag in a bowl of cold tap water thaws 450 g (1 lb) in about an hour. Change the water every 30 minutes so it stays cold, then cook right away.
Test yourself
Questions from the interactive lesson, with the answer and the why.
Which way of thawing keeps the surface out of the danger zone?
In the fridge, planned a day ahead. The whole piece stays at or below 4°C while it slowly thaws.
True or false: Thawing frozen meat on the counter overnight is a safe way to do it.
False. The outside warms into the danger zone while the middle is still frozen.
What went wrong? You leave a frozen roast on the counter at 8 a.m. to cook at 6 p.m.
Ten hours on the counter is too long. The outside sat warm for many hours while the middle thawed.
Fill the blank: Meat thawed in cold water should be cooked ___ after it thaws.
Meat thawed in cold water should be cooked right away after it thaws. The surface has warmed, so do not let it sit.
Why is it safe to cook meat straight from frozen if you have no time to thaw it?
Cooking heat kills bacteria as it moves inward. Cook to the normal safe temperature, which takes about 50% longer from frozen.
The thaw race
Which thaws faster, air or water?
Do the 45-minute experiment