I freeze and defrost chicken four times before feeding it to my family. I do not think IABU. Please agree with me.

[FannyPriceless]

Yes, you heard right. I do this on a semi-regular basis, but I really do think it's OK. The number of freeze/defrost cycles may vary, but I have calculated that four is the maximum.

Here's how:

1. Buy fresh chicken (happy, free range only) and put it in the freezer when I get home. (Freeze #1)
2. Defrost it and cook it for dinner. (Defrost #1)
3. Put the carcass / leftover bones in a bag in the freezer. (Freeze #2)
4. When I have enough bones, put the bones in my enormous stock pot and make a giant batch of chicken stock. (Defrost #2)
5. Some of the stock gets used immediately for risotto or whatever, but most of it goes into freezer dishes to be used as needed. (Freeze #3)
6. Defrost stock for use in various recipes like soups, casseroles, etc. (Defrost #3)
7. Some leftovers might get put in a plastic dish in the freezer for when we need a quick meal another day. (Freeze #4)
8. Heat up a home made 'ready meal' from the freezer and eat it. (Defrost #4)

It sounds scary when I write it down. But it's all about the stock really, and what happens to it. I have read experts who say they do the same thing as me with making stock from bones they have saved in the freezer. And needless to say, everything is frozen properly, defrosted properly and cooked thoroughly at each stage.

What do you reckon? If you tell me I'm wrong I'll be really cross because so many of my recipes are built around making use of my tasty stock supply.

So any microbes that you freeze get to spring into action after the multiple thaw sessions?

What's the point.

Just plan your cooking to do it safely.

Cook it on the day you buy it
One less defrosting

If you've been doing this for some time and no one in your family has been poisoned, then yanbu.

If however, you also wash the chicken, eggs, yogurts, and any other random foodstuffs that do not need to be washed, yabu and bonkers

DS has just deleted my post, but I've counted it up, that's twice, not 4 times. The "counter" gets reset when you go from raw to cooked, and you throw the bones away once they've been used, so the stock itself is only frozen twice.

Sounds like the kind of thing I do, and I never hurt anyone.

As you say, it's all about cooking thoroughly, and killing off all those pesky bacteria.

I don't think this is a prob as you're "transforming" it each time. I think the defrost/reheat only applies to the same thing over again. I do similar with mine and have never had a problem

I can't see anything wrong with this - and I am a complete germophobe. As long as it's cooked to piping hot each cycle, then any germs will be killed.

Theoretically you could reheat and freeze as many times as you liked, although the taste would suffer after a while.

Bertie - yes, I guess that's true about throwing the bones away after making the stock - but the taste comes from the bones so they must still be 'in' the next recipe in some way.

TMWOSQ - No, I have never knowingly washed a yoghurt pot or banana. I am not bonkers yet.

LineRunner, hermione, OHF - thanks for supporting me. I thought I was going to get flamed!

I thought you could defrost stock, boil it up for 5 - 10 mins and then refreeze. As you have not suffered any ill effects I shouldn't worry.

Actually, reading the subject line, I thought YWBU, but on reading the OP, I do the same and have never given anyone food poisoning! I had never thought of refreezing stock as being the same as refreezing chicken, somehow. I am massively paranoid about hygiene but I think this is ok.

When you make stock you boil it, right? So that would kill any microbes.

Yes, when I make the stock it simmers away for several hours. I have been doing this for years and am still here to tell the tale.

I think personally (and I've completed the intermediate food safety course) that your defrosted and reheating 1 time too many if I've read right. On my understanding you should;

1. Bring home chicken then either cook, refridgerate til cook or freeze then defrost before cooking.
2. Once cooked its fine to refreeze then defrost and heat up once more.

This is industry guidelines and should be what happens in any catering business you come across.

Its not recommended that you reheat anything for a second time as some food posioning bacterias can release spores and toxins that cannot be killed by reheating.

The more times you cool and reheat things the more times your exposing the food to the temperature danger zone (where the germs like to breed). Perhaps you could cook and freeze your stock in smaller portions and just defrost the amount of portions you need at a time.

You don't have to stop making your meals and saving the stock just to be as safe as you possibly can be limit to one cook and one reheat. Sorry I know I've been super serious there (and honestly its really not like me).

What is the best way to defrost? I took a turkey leg out of the freezer yesterday evening and left it in a bowl to defrost. Someone didn't put it in the fridge overnight and it was still there I the morning. It is quite cold in thekitchen.

Now, I think that turkey smells a bit iffy anyway, so do we think it is edible?