As an efficient way to keep large amounts of stock on hand, many businesses use cold storage to freeze large volumes of perishable goods. Yet many wonder, what’s the best way to defrost frozen products?
By using specialist quick thaw units, businesses can efficiently and effectively defrost food as needed. For many, defrosting with cold storage is the easiest way to do so, and there are several benefits
It’s the safest way to defrost food
While it takes a little longer than other methods, thawing food by leaving it in refrigeration and letting it defrost slowly is the safest way to do so. This is because as it defrosts, it stays within a safe temperature throughout. Leaving food out in the open to defrost is less safe by comparison as the optimum temperature range for bacterial growth is between 5-63℃.
Anything above or below that temperature begins to kill bacteria, which is why the Food Standards Agency recommends fridges should always remain at least 5℃ or lower and using refrigeration to thaw food. Larger items need more time to defrost this way, such as a Christmas Turkey, which can take up to 4 days to defrost in refrigeration, so it’s essential to plan accordingly.
It’s easier than other methods
When defrosting food, various methods can be taken for the thawing process. However, these can often be time-consuming and need careful monitoring to ensure the food is thoroughly defrosted before being used.
Using high-quality cold storage for the thawing process ensures that frozen products removed from freezing units are kept at a safe temperature for the defrosting process.
You can plan with ease
Other thawing methods require defrosting almost immediately before cooking food. Once defrosting to room temperature, the food will have begun to start warming up and reaching dangerous temperatures that allow dangerous bacteria to grow. Other methods, such as microwaving or boiling in hot water, may begin the cooking process of food before it has been thoroughly defrosted. Meaning it can cook unevenly when you are ready to cook, and the dangerous bacteria can multiply faster.
Using Cold Storage to defrost, the transition from frozen to chilled can start before the food is needed while still retaining its nutrition. When defrosting food, ensure it is extensively thawed before cooking. This can be tested by pressing a metal skewer to check for remaining ice crystals in the middle or thickest part.
Industry thawing
At CRS, we work with many industries that benefit from Cold Storage and have delivered a range of Cold Storage Solutions to meet their business needs too. You can find more information about a few of the specialised industries we provide cold storage solutions for here, but here are a few tips for some of those industries.
Meat
If your industry requires you to know how to defrost meat safely, using cold storage is the safest method.
Once it’s been thawed using cold storage, it can stay there for an extra day or two until it’s time to cook it, which means you can plan accordingly.
Learn more about our Meat Cold Storage here
Fish
With the short lifespan of fish once caught, they need to be frozen quickly to ensure it is viable for consumption.
Using cold storage, businesses are able to defrost fish, ensuring it remains safe until cooked and prevents foodborne bacteria from growing. You can vacuum seal fish, too, which ensures it won’t leak.
Learn more about our Fish Cold Storage Here
Bakery
If you’re a baker looking for ways to keep food fresher for longer, cold storage can help you freeze your products to help preserve their flavour. By freezing ingredients and mixtures, bakers can increase their product quantity to meet their growing demand.
After the thawing process, specific products such as cakes that require additional decoration or fillings are best.
Learn more about our Bakery Cold Storage here
CRS Cold Storage has been supplying a range of innovative solutions to companies operating in a vast range of industries for 30 years.
Do you think your business could benefit from thawing units or want to improve or add cold storage to facilitate more defrosting? Our experts can help you find the solution that bests suits your business needs. Get in touch today to find out more.
