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Can You Refreeze Pork?

By: Author William Thomas

William Thomas

Editor-in-Chief & Pitmaster

I have been smoking and grilling meat from an early age and enjoy sharing my knowledge and expertise through the hundreds of articles I have written about BBQ. I hope to make everyone’s BBQ journey that little bit easier.
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Can You Refreeze Pork?

People are known to change their minds because it’s just how humanity is. People can sometimes change their minds about what they want to make for breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner.

You will take something out of the freezer to eat, and then, by the time it’s thawed, you’ll decide you don’t want it anymore.

When this happens, you need to know whether it is possible to refreeze the food. This is especially true with meat.

One meat people do this with is pork. By the end of this article, you’ll find out if you can refreeze both cooked and raw pork that was previously thawed.

Is It Possible to Refreeze Pork?

It is entirely possible to refreeze pork. When we say this, we are referring to cooked and raw pork that has been thawed and then refrozen.

Sure, the meat might end up drying out a little, but it’s perfectly safe as long as you follow certain conditions.

In the next section, we will discuss each type of pork.

Refreezing Cooked Pork

Once you have taken the pork out of the freezer and thawed it out using any of the three methods (which we will cover later), it needs to be put in the fridge.

It should last about 3 to 4 days, and you need to decide what you want to do with it by the end of that period.

Either cook it or put it back in the freezer to refreeze the pork.

Never, under any circumstances, do you thaw the pork on the counter. The reason for this is that bacteria thrive at room temperature.

It can’t be left outside the fridge at room temperature for more than 2 hours. That period drops down to 1 hour if it’s 90 degrees or more.

The safety guidelines aren’t exceedingly difficult to follow; by doing so, you ensure you won’t get any food poisoning or anything worse!

Refreezing Raw Pork

The rules for refreezing raw pork that has been thawed are similar to the ones that exist for cooked pork. It can last about 3 to 4 days in the fridge before something has to be done with it.

Either cook it, refreeze it, or throw it away—though we don’t recommend the last part because the meat is awfully expensive now. Everything is when you think about it.

It also is the same for meat that has been left outside the fridge and at room temperature for more than an hour or 2, depending on how hot it is.

However, there is one particular difference, and it involves the methods of thawing the pork.

If you use any other method other than thawing the raw pork in the fridge, it must be cooked before being refrozen.

The reason for this is that when it’s done by any other method, the pork can start to cook and/or get bacteria.

How to Safely Thaw Pork

There are about 3 proven methods to safely thaw pork. This includes:

  • The best way to thaw your pork is by doing it in the fridge. It doesn’t matter if it is done with raw or cooked pork. All you have to do is take it out of the freezer, put it in the fridge, and then leave it in there overnight. By the time you get up in the morning, it will be thawed!
  • Using the cold water method is quicker than putting it in the fridge to thaw. First, put the pork (keep it in the plastic) in a bowl that is filled with cold water. Change the water every 30 minutes until it has completely thawed. Remember, if you do this with raw pork, it needs to be cooked before being refrozen.
  • Finally, the last method is by far the quickest out of all three and the easiest as well. Put it in the microwave in a microwave-safe bowl and then hit the defrost button. Remember, if you do this with raw pork, it needs to be cooked before being refrozen.

So, these are the top three ways to thaw pork. They all have their ups and downs, so always weigh your options before using one.

How to Safely Freeze Pork

There are a few things you can do to ensure you are safely freezing your pork. You can do this by:

  • The first thing you should do is wrap the pork in a freezer bag, foil, or plastic. Once you do this, then you need to put it in a freezer bag and make sure it is airtight. The biggest reason for this is so you don’t end up with freezer burn on the meat. While Freezer burn isn’t the biggest issue out there, it can lead to the meat having tough spots that taste funny. It can be cut off, but this can sometimes be a hassle.
  • Another thing to do is that you need to label the packaging that the pork is in. Put the date on it when you first froze the pork as well as when you refroze—assuming you had done that as well. This way, you have an idea of what meat was put into the freezer. Hey, the human brain can only remember so much. Doing this it’s an easy way to circumnavigate that problem!

Using these methods will help you safely store your pork and keep it edible.

Final Thoughts

And there you have it, all of you pork lovers out there. You now know that it is possible to refreeze both your cooked and raw pork that was previously thawed.

There are, of course, some rules you need to follow.

Rules can sometimes be a bit of a headache to follow, but with your health, you simply can’t take risks.

We admit it can seem like a lot at first. However, the more you thaw and refreeze your pork, the more accustomed you become to doing it.

This will eventually have it become second nature to you!

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