using water to thaw

chowhound

chowhound

New member
I have a question about using water to help thaw food more quickly.

If I am in a hurry to thaw frozen shrimp, I put them loosely in a bowl with a trickle of cold water running on them. I'm not even sure if that is the correct method, but I acquired that habit somewhere. I do the same for other seafood, too. Take it out of the package and put it under running water.

So, I was wondering if the same can be done of other meats. Can I take a portion of frozen chicken wings out of the bag and use the same method? Pork chops (which I usually freeze by 3-4's)?
Or should those foods be left in a bag of somesorts?

For some reason I am thinking the texture of seafood allows this, while the texture of other meats doesn't.
But I could be way off base here anyway.... :mellow:
 
I don't use running water to thaw anything.
We always have water shortages here, and I believe in doing my part.
I use my microwave on 10% power for a minute or 2 for one side, then turn over and do the other, if I'm in a real hurry.
If I have a couple hours, I usually thaw in milk. Especially scallops. Then rinse before using.
Shrimp I usually don't worry about thawing completely. Just enough to seperate them. They cook so fast, even from frozen.

Chicken I'll take out in the am, and thaw in salted cold water for dinner that night, and rinse chicken and pat dry before using.

Other meats I don't recall having to do in awhile, but I did do
a small pork tenderloin in milk in the fridge for dinner that night.

I don't know why milk. Just what mom taught me.
 
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everything I see on this says to keep the food out of contact with the water I am sure someone can elaborate as to why this is so important besides that the water than becomes potentially a contaminating substance

If I have portions I usually use a zip-lock and try to get all the air out

Water always seems to seep in though

not dead yet
 
I've noticed that with steaks, pork chops, chicken, etc., that the blood and juices from the meat tend to wash out into the water. This could become a lack of flavor, but I've never really noticed it.

I usually thaw shrimp the same way you do, chowhound.

I will thaw meat products in the wrapping, but usually only if they are vacuum-packed. If there's air or foamed plastic insulation, it will take longer to thaw.
 
AllenOK said:
I've noticed that with steaks, pork chops, chicken, etc., that the blood and juices from the meat tend to wash out into the water. This could become a lack of flavor, but I've never really noticed it.

I usually thaw shrimp the same way you do, chowhound.

I will thaw meat products in the wrapping, but usually only if they are vacuum-packed. If there's air or foamed plastic insulation, it will take longer to thaw.
Click to expand...

Allen, this sounds like you have done it this way, correct? Thawed the meats you mentioned, unwrapped, in water?
 
I would never thaw anything directly in water. Well, ice water, but that's different. You are certain to wash out nutrients and flavor.

Put the material in a sealed plastic bag that has had most of the air pushed out, then plop it in warm water.
 
chowhound said:
I have a question about using water to help thaw food more quickly.

If I am in a hurry to thaw frozen shrimp, I put them loosely in a bowl with a trickle of cold water running on them.
Click to expand...

Thats how its suppose to be done. Same for fish.

So, I was wondering if the same can be done of other meats. Can I take a portion of frozen chicken wings out of the bag and use the same method?
Click to expand...

That's how it says to do it on the bag of wings we get from GFS. If only to remove the ice coating.

Pork chops (which I usually freeze by 3-4's)?
Or should those foods be left in a bag of somesorts?
Click to expand...

Now there you got me.

I use the microwave, par thaw, split apart, par thaw, flip, par thaw, put on a plate/platter/pan and let finish thawing.

I use to freeze my meats in wax paper then freezer paper in groups of two or three servings. The above is how I use to thaw them (split apart step).

I have started freezing meats singly with that PITA clingy damned plastic wrap. I wrap and fold so when the meat and wrap goes to zero and the cling goes away the meats stay wrapped. THIS allows the meat to freeze quicker, and THAW easier and quicker.

I started freezing this way with the old top freezer fridge. What a pain. We now have a bottom drawer freezer with two drawers. The upper drawer is wire and large enough to put a cookie sheet with cooling rack for the fast freeze. Providing there is enough room in the bottom drawer to put the stuff from the top drawer. Bit thats another story.

For some reason I am thinking the texture of seafood allows this, while the texture of other meats doesn't.
Click to expand...

I think it has to do less with texture and more to do with washing away of juices.

I'm thinking if you wrapped for freezing individually with plastic wrap you could drop the meats in cold water and thaw without washing away the juices.

The thing about running water is the running water washes pathogens away, it's a food safety issue. If the meat is simply placed in a pan of water it creates a stew for bacteria to grow. The running water washes the stew away while the stew is being created.

Golly, there is more. In theory, if the water , running or in a pot, is below 40 degrees F it can stay in there up to a week, in THEORY.

And you never want to use warm water. It really doesn't make much difference except to get whats first exposed to the warm water to a temp that is very conducive for the little buggers to grow.

I'll stop now.
 
There's directions on those wings, Wart? (lol)

Thanks for the reply. And Waybomb, too.

I stay away from the microwave when it comes to thawing. No matter the settings I've used and the flipping and turning, it always comes out half cooking something before I can separate them, as in the stack of chops.
Those metal trays work great if there is just one of something. Maybe I'll have to start wrapping my chops up separately... ugh.
 
I don't like microwaves for thawing either CH.... I always end up with a cooked spot. I use water when in a hurry, but always thaw in the package. Most of my meats are in FS bags, so I just toss that into the sink with a enough cool water to cover. As for shrimps... I thought I read or heard somewhere to NEVER use water to thaw (as in place them directly in water). So I dont.
 
+3 for not thawing in the micro. I do thaw most stuff in warm water if I am in a hurry, cold if I have more time, and in the fridge if I am actually thinking that far ahead, which is not often! LOL
I hate getting water on the meat, it can become mushy (ground meats especially) and loose a lot of its taste, so I always make sure it is properly wrapped to keep the water out.
 
I have a thaw mode on my current micro wave that works good for steaks and heavy pieces of meat and not so well for shrimp for example. Mostly I plan a day or two a head of time and we move meats and frozen vegetables to the refrigerator from the freezer and let them start to thaw there. On the day we plan to use them we take them out and let them thaw normally and I won't cook most meats till room temperature. In the case of shrimp depending on the size and how I'm cooking I might not require them to completely thaw out such as small ones to be boiled or stir fried.
 
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