There’s absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t thaw some frozen items at room temperature. Unless you live in a fly-blown hovel, that is. Providing your fish wasn’t sitting around for hours, while it gently warms up, it should also be okay to eat, although you may find that it’s a bit mushier than expected…mostly because some battered fish tends to be made from reconstituted fish.
Thawing in water merely speeds the process up…it doesn’t make it any safer. It does have the benefit that it maintains the textural quality of certain foods that are prone to tissue cell damage…fish being one of them. However you shouldn’t try to speed the thawing process up too much because there’s a risk that you’ll leave the centre frozen.
Some products definitely shouldn’t be thawed in water, and that includes all poultry. If you leave it soaking, there’s more chance that you’ll splash nearby items with the bacteria that causes salmonella. It won’t be the chicken or turkey that kills you…but it’s highly likely to be the utensils that are closest to the sink that will.
Thawing in the refrigerator does the opposite…it slows the defrosting time down which is handy if you’re not going to be eating the food until later that, or the following, day.
The important thing is that you follow the defrosting instructions on the item. That’s what they’re for…different products will have different recommendations. The next important thing is that you cook thawed items thoroughly and that you don’t refreeze them unless they’ve been cooked.
“Fresh” fish is different in that it can be frozen again at home, even though it’s highly likely that it would’ve been frozen on capture. However, if it’s purchased as frozen it shouldn’t be refrozen once thawed. And, under no circumstances, should you refreeze any shellfish such as prawns or shrimp.
[QUOTE=glosrfc;2345261]
Some products definitely shouldn’t be thawed in water, and that includes all poultry. If you leave it soaking, there’s more chance that you’ll splash nearby items with the bacteria that causes salmonella. It won’t be the chicken or turkey that kills you…but it’s highly likely to be the utensils that are closest to the sink that will.[/QUOTE]
Agreed. I always put any meat in ziplocs before I defrost in water.
The Brunt Ice Shelf already flows 2 metres a day into the Weddell Sea without the need for any additional warming. Every 50-60 years, the shelf also undergoes severe calving where enormous chunks of the ice break off to form massive icebergs. It’s predicted that there’s a 50% chance of this happening as early as next year…in which case the station could well be merrily floating around the Southern Ocean.
