USDA advises against thawing food on kitchen counters, using hot water, or leaving it at room temperature for over two hours. This is because as the food gets warmer than 40 degrees Fahrenheit, bacteria begin to multiply and enter the “Danger Zone” which extends until 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Therefore, pre-planning is required for refrigerator thawing due to the lengthy time process required. For big items like Turkey, a minimum of 24 hours is needed for complete defrosting for every 5 pounds of weight, and also for smaller proportions, like a pound of ground meat, and boneless chicken breasts, per the source. The latter can be stored for an additional two days before cooking whereas red meat items are safe to consume for another five days maximum.
In this method, the frozen food is moved into a leak-proof container or plastic bag like Ziploc. The bag is then transferred into a bowl of cold tap water, making sure it is completely submerged. It is essential to be careful about any pores or leakages in the bag since it exposes the food to a plethora of microorganisms in the air or external environment. The water must be changed every half an hour and cooked immediately after thawing. Small items weighing around 3 to 4 pounds will be thawed completely in 3 hours. For turkeys, it takes about 30 minutes per round. It is recommended that the food is cooked before freezing it again.
Microwave thawing can be slightly risky as it involves dealing with warm temperatures. USDA suggests cooking the food as soon as thawing is complete because the exposure to heat in certain areas of the item will leave it in the Danger Zone. Moreover, using partially cooked food is risky for this method due to the presence of bacteria that might thrive in the warm settings of the microwave. So, the federal department strongly recommends cooking the food immediately after thawing. Also, refreezing of microwave-thawed food items can be done if and only if it is cooked beforehand.
