Safe Refreezing of Food: What You Can and Cannot Freeze Again

Sometimes frozen foods partially or completely thaw due to delays in placing them in the freezer, a power outage, or changes in cooking plans. In such cases, you should know that you can safely refreeze thawed food—whether raw or cooked—although the moisture lost during thawing may cause a decline in quality. To refreeze safely, keep the thawed product cold at 40°F (4°C) or below for no longer than 3–4 days. If the food has completely thawed, been warmed to room temperature, or left out for more than two hours, discard it for your safety. These principles apply to meat, poultry, seafood, some vegetables, and cooked foods.

Vegetables: Many vegetables are safe to refreeze, but they lose much of their texture, flavor, and appearance—even if ice crystals are still present. It’s best to cook thawed vegetables right away or use them in soups and stews, which can then be frozen again.

Fruit: Thawed fruit and fruit juice concentrates can be safely refrozen if they still taste and smell good. However, fruit often suffers in texture, flavor, and appearance, so it’s better to turn thawed fruit into jam.

Baked goods: Bread, cookies, and similar bakery items can be refrozen safely, but the final product is likely to be drier and of lower quality.

When Is It Unsafe to Refreeze Food?

If food has completely thawed.
If it has been warmed to room temperature.
If it has been left out of the fridge for more than two hours (or more than one hour if above 90°F/32°C).
Do not refreeze ice cream or similar frozen desserts.
Do not refreeze baked dishes, pies, or ready-made frozen meals such as pizza.

How to Refreeze Food Safely

Place food in the coldest part of the freezer, label it with the date, and use within 2–3 months.
Refreeze only small amounts at a time to minimize ice crystal formation.
Always prioritize safety first, then consider quality. Sometimes the loss of quality is so great that refreezing is not worth it.

Thawing tips:

Never thaw food at room temperature. This exposes it to the “danger zone” where bacteria can grow.
Thaw in the refrigerator (best method), in cold water (changing every 30 minutes), or in the microwave (for high-moisture foods like soups). Avoid thawing meat in the microwave, as it can quickly become unsafe.

Packaging tip: Use airtight containers or freezer bags with as little air as possible to prevent freezer burn and unwanted flavors.

Refreezing Meat and Poultry

Raw meat and poultry thawed in the refrigerator can be safely refrozen, though quality may suffer.
Once cooked, previously frozen raw foods can be safely frozen again.
Cooked leftovers that were thawed in the fridge can also be refrozen within 3–4 days.

During Power Outages

Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed.
A full freezer will keep food frozen for about 48 hours (24 hours if half full).
Use dry ice if outages last longer.
Discard perishable foods if they have been above 40°F (4°C) for more than two hours.

Do Not Refreeze:

Fully thawed meat, poultry, seafood.
Cooked foods like pizza, casseroles, stews, or soups.
Thawed creamy foods, puddings, or custards.
Ice cream or thawed frozen fruit boxes.
Vegetables that have thawed completely.

Safe to Refreeze:

Foods with ice crystals still present.
Thawed fruit with good smell and taste.
Bread, cakes, cookies, plain baked goods.
Nuts, flour, grains.
Raw meat, poultry, or fish kept at 40°F (4°C) or lower.
Juice, butter, margarine, cheese.