Defrosting frozen prawns ….

[Summerbay23]

Quick advice please AIBU to eat frozen prawns that have been left to defrost at room temperature all day (well 7 hours). I meant to put them in the fridge to defrost but left for work and forgot.

Should I throw them out or are they ok? DD has an A’level exam tomorrow so don’t want to risk food poisoning. Planning on adding them to a fish pie.

How do you usually defrost prawns? Some advice seems to be under running water but I’ve always just tended to defrost on the side for a couple of hours.

No way would I eat them. Frozen prawns defrost pretty quickly so they have probably been at room temperature for a while. Don't risk it

They'll be fine. I usually defrost them by putting them in a bowl of coldish water.

No I wouldn't eat them. I am fairly relaxed about defrosting and we often defrost things at room temperature, but I wouldn't risk it with prawns. Especially not if she has an exam the next day! For a few pounds it's not worth the risk of her being too sick to take an exam.

Definitely do not eat them. They probably defrosted within a couple of hours and the rest of the hours they were just growing bacteria. Straight in the bin!

Not for me thanks

Wouldn't risk it, especially with the exam tomorrow. I worked in a pub kitchen for years and standard defrosting procedure for prawns was fast, in a bowl of cold water, they were done in less than 15 mins and never left sitting out.

So can I get another batch out and just defrost in cold water?

@Summerbay23 yes, of course. Big mixing bowl with plenty of cold tap water so they're bobbing around, leave them 5 mins or so, drain water and refill with fresh water. Just break them up a bit if they're icy to speed it up. Shouldn't take long.

I am usually very relaxed about things like this, and use by dates etc, but no way would I eat them!

I just put frozen prawns in cold water and they're defrosted in a matter of minutes (if you change the water a couple of times). And then I use them as soon as they're defrosted (so I don't even get them out of the freezer until I am cooking).

If you're talking about prawns that you have bought frozen (rather than fresh ones you have frozen yourself) you can sometimes cook them from frozen - check the back of the bag/pack to see what it says.

Yes, this. But don't do it now - do it when you are actually doing the cooking.

Thanks for all your replies, looks like I’m chucking this lot away and will do the Cold water defrosting while cooking! Thanks all

I'd eat them.

Unless you have a cat OP.. my late, dearly beloved cat used to be beside himself if given a prawn..

I leave prawns to defrost on the side all the time. I’d eat them.

I wouldn't eat them. Agree with others - frozen prawns in a bowl of cold water will defrost them very quickly. Change the water a few times to speed things up.

As they're being cooked in a fish pie I'd have no issues eating these

I put them in a bowl and run cold water over them, breaking them apart as they defrost.

They taste better if you defrost them on the side/in the fridge though IME

I would have done a smell test and then drained and fried one or two to taste. If it was fine, I’d use the rest.

If I was putting prawns in a fish pie, I'd probably just cook them from frozen. I have no idea if this is safe or not or good food practice though!

No way - and don't try and fast defrost another bag. Your son has an important day tomorrow - have something else for tea.

My doctor OH used to describe sea food as shit filters for a good reason.

Does the packet say to defrost at room temperature for 7 hours? If not then no

Cooking hot for an extended time like that will kill most bacteria. But bacteria can excrete toxins. And cooking doesn’t necessarily denature the toxins so you could still get food poisoning.

Nor me, asking as they smell OK. Might Not mix with mayonnaise and eat with avocado but they are going to be cooked

...as long...

No way with an A Level tomorrow.