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Food Safety
Here are some guidelines we suggest you follow to ensure maximum food safety.
Freezing
All of our meals are ready to freeze. To assure quality we recommend eating our meals within a reasonable period of time, 3-4 weeks after they have been frozen. The recommended maximum storage times for home-frozen products held at 0 °F are shown below.
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Products |
Storage Period |
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Fish |
3-6months |
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Meat, ground or stew |
3 months |
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Poultry & Meat Casseroles |
6 months |
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Cooked Poultry |
3-4 months |
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Uncooked (whole), chicken or turkey |
1 year |
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Uncooked (parts) chicken |
9 months |
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Beef or lamb |
12 months |
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Pork or veal |
8 months |
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Lamb or veal |
9 months |
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Pork Fresh |
4 months |
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Soups & Stews |
2-3 months |
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Vegetables |
8-12 months |
Thawing Foods
Thawing foods at room temperature increases the chance of food-borne illness and is extremely dangerous. To ensure that your food is safe to eat, follow one of these proper ways to thaw:
- In the refrigerator: Plan ahead as this is the slowest thawing technique. Small frozen items may thaw overnight in the refrigerator, while larger items will take longer. Allow 2 days to thaw large items such as casseroles & fully packed Ziploc bags.
- In cold running water: Place the frozen food in a leak-proof bag and place it under cold running water. This is acceptable for up to 2 hours.
- In a microwave on the defrost setting: Plan to cook the food immediately after it has thawed in a microwave because some areas of the food may have begun cooking during the defrost cycle.
Cooking Food
All meals from The Mixing Table should be cooked completely and properly to assure quality and safety. Specific cooking instructions will be labeled to each meal that you complete. Use a food thermometer and remember to insert into the thickest part of the meat and avoid hitting the bone. Safe cooking temperatures as recommended by The U.S. Department of Agriculture are as follows:
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Beef, veal, and lamb steaks, roasts, and chops may be cooked to 145 °F.
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All cuts of pork, 160 °F.
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Ground beef, veal and lamb to 160 °F.
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All poultry should reach a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F.
Cooking Frozen Foods
The Mixing Table recommends properly thawing all entrees to ensure the highest quality and consistent results for you and your family. Although not recommended, it is possible to cook from freezer to oven or stove top in a pinch. Raw or cooked meat, poultry or casseroles can be cooked or reheated from the frozen state. However, it will take approximately one and a half times the cooking time listed on the cooking label for the frozen item than for foods that are thawed. Fish can also be cooked successfully without thawing by allowing additional cooking time-approximately double.
Refreezing Food
Once food is thawed in the refrigerator, it must be cooked within 4 days, total. For example, a thawed meal that is re-frozen after 2 days must cooked within 2 days upon proper thawing. After cooking raw foods that were previously frozen, it is safe to freeze the cooked foods. If previously cooked foods are thawed in the refrigerator, you may refreeze the unused portion. It is safe to refreeze the item without cooking, although there may be a loss of quality due to the moisture lost through defrosting.
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