freezer stopped working is meat usable?

deene · May 30, 2016

ok got home from a weekend excursion last night and the alarm on the freezer was going off..thermo in freezer was at 40 degrees...plenty of meat soft along with still frozen in back..it is a standup style.so we rushed to get the hamburger in the kitchen freezer and started the process of it getting going again..don't know if door was partially left open but suspect that is what happened..anyway websites I go to have said its safe to refreeze and use...its at 20 this morning and still going but some meat isn't hard frozen yet..what have you guys experienced? I have a mixture of beef and hog in there... bacon and ham are cured..fried up most of the sausage last night upon discovery so I will probably toss the pork chops and rest of the sausage..got tired at 3am and decided to call it quits...really hate to lose the beef as the fellow I buy from only raises once a yr...hog I can replace anytime...thoughts? thanks for any replies

rossow (mn) · May 30, 2016

I've had that happen --door left slightly open. Being extremely frugal (i.e., cheap), I ignored my wife's advice to throw out anything slightly thawed. I refroze it all and never had the slightest problem when I used it later. I figured it would be OK as long as it was still as cold as in the open-front coolers at a grocery store. Just cook it well when you prepare it and you'll be OK. (Well, it worked out that way for me.)

Roger Tomfohrde · May 30, 2016

Refreeze if there are ice crystals yet. Use quickly if not. Is the food safety recommend process. This is a guideline.

Cory Schmidt · May 30, 2016

use it, give it the old sniff test when using if smells foul toss. We had that happen to us, packed the stuff in coolers covered in blankets and other freezers, and got a new freezer as soon as we could. Since everything was out we tossed anything that was real old, leaking bad/ broken, starting to smell, freezer burnt..... Didn't have problem getting sick.

JD Seller · May 30, 2016

I have had that happen in the past. The meat will be FINE!!! Those pork chops and other meats will be OK. Just get it frozen ASAP. Just make sure and cook all the meat well when you use it. Leave the medium rare stuff for the next batch. I see no reason to throw any of it away. The sausage would have been fine too. The salt content of cured pork and processed sausage make it slow to spoil. Think about it. Those meats where popular long before any refrigeration was ever around.

Bob Bancroft · May 30, 2016

My wife came from some poor folk, from a poor area. Her mother used to talk about "Christmas" meat- had green and red on it!
I agree that you're probably being overly cautious.

IA Roy · May 30, 2016

Most refrigerators recommend a setting of about 38.
I would not consider throwing it away.

moresmoke · May 30, 2016

As long as it was at or below refrigerator temperature, there is no risk of sickness. Meat that has frozen and refroze, may be freezer burned (dry) but is not dangerous. Just trim the dried out parts as you thaw and use.

old · May 30, 2016

You problem is why I prefer a chest freezer. I had my chest freezer go out a couple years ago and took a few days to find a replacement but none of the meat thawed but my freezer is always full and I keep the bottom covered with soda bottles filled with water which means of course they are full of ice which helps keep thing cold if something goes wrong.
But as others have said if the meat is still cold as in 35-45 degrees it is safe if you get it froze again soon

retired farmer · May 30, 2016

Had that happen last fall. Just refroze it. I'm still living.

J Wendt · May 30, 2016

If it only got to 40 I would refreeze and use it. I doubt that it thawed all the way to the middle. I hate to waste good meat. After all you are not eating it raw. but then this is just my opinion.

freezer stopped working is meat usable?

deene

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rossow (mn)

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Roger Tomfohrde

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Cory Schmidt

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JD Seller

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Bob Bancroft

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IA Roy

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moresmoke

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old

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retired farmer

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J Wendt

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