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.

The packet I used last night had instructions to cook from frozen.

Not unsafe, just changes cooking time and makes them more likely to go chewy/hard

Cook from frozen adds loads of water to whatever you are cooking.

I did the same thing last week. I got them out at 2pm and was delayed until 9pm but ate them anyway.
I had the shits during the night and the next day.

The thing is with prawns is that you eat their digestive tract so you basically have to be extra careful to make sure you've cooked their poo

Put frozen prawns in a bowl, in side a colander and either sit them under slowl cold running water. Takes 2-3 minutes

Hope you're OK now. Your lucky it was only 2 days

Usually I'd eat them. But in this case (child sitting important exam in the morning) I'd skip them on this occasion.

If they are biggish prawns you take out the digestive tract before use.

I'm fine now, it wasn't pleasant though.

Yeah I meant those little ones I can't afford king prawns. But yes basically be careful with the prawn poo

Glad to hear it. Food poisoning is awful

I’d definitely bin those. Maybe in the depths of winter I might consider eating something that had been sitting on the side during the day - on a 20 degree day, no chance!

Also I don't think that having an exam or not should come into it. Don't risk food poisoning just because people aren't busy the next week or so.

My advice do not eat, sea fish is very toxic in terms of food poisoning it is not worth the risk.

Ive had food poisoning from prawns before...from a restaurant. It kicked in whilst I was taking my dc to the cinema. Crouched in the cinema toilet throwing up was a low point

Thanks for this I love prawns but now not so sure! 👀🤣

From my DH, who's a Spaniard from a city that's famous for their marisco (seafood): they are keeping their prawns on the kitchen counter in room temperature for hours before cooking and it has never occurred to them to be a problem. I personally ate at my in-laws' many many times and never got ill (despite having a sensitive stomach myself).

So I wouldn't necessarily bin them, just make sure they reach a decent temperature while cooking. Bon appetit ✊🏻

Me too, have eaten prawns left on the counter for hours, never had an issue.

I tend to cook them from frozen. It's so very easy to overcook prawns.

yeah ditch and get another batch out - stick in bowl of water - change a couple of times and then use, are they massive or shrimpy - the shrimpy ones defrost in no time

My XH had aggravated food poisoning from prawns. Took him years to get right. Don’t risk it.