Freezing sausages is an excellent way to stock up on this delectable food that can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. Whether you make them fresh at home or buy the fresh or frozen variety from the market, they keep well in the freezer and make for quick meals. But what if you’ve already defrosted your frozen sausage and want to refreeze it? Is it possible to thaw it again? Let us investigate!
So, can you freeze sausage again? Yes, you can refreeze previously frozen raw or cooked sausage, but only under two conditions: it must have been safely thawed or completely cooked before refreezing. Continue reading to learn more about refreezing sausages, including precautions to take before refreezing, the best way to do so, and much more.
How To Refreeze Sausage
Ground meat seasoned with fat, spices, and other ingredients is used to make sausages. From mild, fresh sausages to smoked and cured options, they can be made with a variety of meats and prepared in a number of different ways. Sausage comes in a wide variety of forms, including those that are dried, cured, smoked, or fully cooked. Sausage can be prepared in a variety of ways, such as boiling, roasting, grilling, and pan-frying.
Sausage is also simple to make at home or to purchase in supermarkets across the nation in frozen form. Similar to other types of meat, freezing sausages is a great way to extend their shelf life. The challenge comes in figuring out how to store the leftovers after they have thawed. The good news is that as long as they have been properly defrosted and handled, you can refreeze both raw and cooked sausages!
Refreezing Cooked Sausages
If you’ve already cooked your frozen sausages, you can refreeze them for later use. However, you must exercise extreme caution when handling them. Cooked sausages must be quickly cooled and refrigerated or frozen within 2 hours. The reason for this is that the longer they are allowed to sit out in the open at the “danger zone” temperature, the more likely they are to become contaminated with bacteria.
Refreezing Raw/Uncooked Sausages
Uncooked sausages that have been thawed in the refrigerator can be put back in the freezer if you decide to cook them later after you have already thawed them. It’s important to remember that storing raw sausages in the refrigerator for more than a couple of days may increase the likelihood that they will spoil.
Refreezing Commercially Frozen Sausages
When you buy frozen sausages at the supermarket, they are usually packaged in a way that allows them to withstand extreme temperature fluctuations. If they thaw a little on the way home, simply place them in the freezer as soon as you arrive. If you’ve already opened the package, you can refreeze the thawed sausages in heavy-duty freezer bags.
Things To Consider When Refreezing Sausages
There are a few things to think about when refreezing sausages to ensure that they maintain their quality and can be enjoyed later. When it comes to refreezing sausages, proper handling is essential. To ensure that your frozen sausages stay chilled for as long as possible, purchase them at the end of your grocery trip. As soon as you get home, put them in the refrigerator at 40°F, and within two days, put them in the freezer.
Never thaw sausages at room temperature as this encourages the growth of bacteria; always thaw them overnight in the refrigerator. Make sure to thoroughly cook cooked sausages before refreezing them. Sausage made with pork, beef, or poultry should be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 160°F, and vice versa. Within two hours, let them quickly cool and then freeze them.
Place the defrosted sausages in freezer-safe bags or airtight containers. Squeeze out as much air as you can from the latter before sealing them tightly. Refreeze the containers at 0°F or less while marking the date on the containers and bags.
Best Way To Thaw Sausages For Refreezing
There are several methods for defrosting sausages, but not all of them are recommended if you intend to refreeze them. The safest method is to place them in the refrigerator overnight. Although it takes the longest, it is the safest method when compared to other methods such as microwaving or leaving them on the counter. Thawing your sausages in the refrigerator keeps them at a constant temperature and limits their contact with air, which can lead to bacterial contamination. Sausages can be easily refrozen after being defrosted in the refrigerator without losing their quality or nutritional properties.
How Many Times Can You Refreeze Sausages?
Sausages can only be frozen once. A frozen sausage can be frozen once more after it has been defrosted without significantly affecting its flavor or general quality. It is not advised to do more than once because repeated freezing will affect the flavor and texture of the sausage. It is always a good idea to portion the sausages before freezing them so that you only thaw what you need, preventing refreezing. It’s not the best idea to have to defrost ten sausages that were frozen together in order to use just one! You can defrost only the amount you need without affecting the quality of the remaining sausages by portion freezing to stop the ongoing cycle of thawing and refreezing.
How Long Do Refrozen Sausages Last?
According to the USDA, sausages can be frozen indefinitely as long as the freezer maintains a constant temperature of 0°F or lower. They will, however, only keep their peak quality for a limited time: 2 months for frozen raw sausages and up to 3 months for frozen cooked sausages. When refreezing, the repeated freezing and thawing processes can have an effect on the overall quality of the sausages. The harsh freezer air causes moisture loss, which causes the meat to lose its rich flavors. For best results, refreeze sausages for a month and, as previously stated, do not refreeze them more than once.
If you leave the sausages in the freezer for an extended period of time, they may develop an unpleasant taste and freezer burn. Keeping this in mind, we recommend eating the frozen sausages within the 4-week time frame to avoid consuming bland-tasting, dry meat. Sausages that have thawed on the kitchen counter are not safe to refreeze because they have been exposed to bacterial contaminants and are about to spoil.
In such cases, consume the sausages within the recommended time frame and discard the leftovers. If you try to freeze them again, they will most likely spoil inside the freezer and become unusable. As a result, for the best results and to ensure that your refrozen sausages last as long as possible, it is critical to refreeze them at the proper time and using the proper steps.
What Is The Best Way To Use Refrozen Sausages?
There are numerous uses for frozen and refrozen sausages. When you’re ready to use them, thaw them in the fridge overnight before heating them in a skillet on the stovetop or baking them in the oven until they reach 160°F. Refrozen sausages can be used however you like, including in sandwiches and for breakfast, but they taste best when mixed with other foods like soup, pasta, or savory casseroles. The moisture in the soups, gravies, and sauces will help mask both the dryness and “frozen” taste of the sausages. This is because repeatedly thawing and freezing the sausages dries them out.
Can You Refreeze Smoked Sausage?
Yes, smoked sausages can be refreezed if they were thawed at a cold temperature or properly cooked before refreezing. If they are left at room temperature during the thawing process, the best way to proceed is to cook them before refreezing.
Can You Refreeze Sausage Rolls?
Yes, you can refreeze both cooked and uncooked sausage rolls, just like you can sausages and smoked sausages. Make sure they are hot throughout when you reheat them for eating! Since all of the cooking is done after freezing, uncooked sausage rolls freeze (and refreeze) better than cooked sausage rolls. Although cooked sausage rolls can also be frozen, doing so may cause the pastry to soften and become a bit soggy.
Sausage rolls will lose their texture and flavor if they are repeatedly frozen and thawed, just like anything else. For this reason, you should try to avoid refreezing them whenever you can. You can portion them out and defrost however many or few you require at a time by flash-freezing them to prevent them from sticking together.