Urgent advice needed - freezer left open overnight

[LBDD]

That's it really. DH made ice last night and left the freezer door ajar so has been defrosting for about 12 hrs now. All the bread veg etc are totally defrosted but the large joints of meat are still pretty much frozen just a bit soft to the touch.
Do I have to throw it all out now or can I just refreeze the lot. It's quite a lot of food and really don't want to lose it all.
Any advice appreciated. Thanks.

You may be covered on household insurance.

If you finish defrosting the meat and cook it, you can then refreeze the cooked food.

I wouldn't refreeze any of it still raw though.

I trust DH is grovelling in a suitably abject manner?

Thanks Alpaca don't really want to claim on insurance but will check the policy.
Do you think I could refreeze the bread and crumpets or are they a lost cause.
Looks like I'm in for a mammoth cooking session on a lovely hot day instead of sitting in the garden with a glass of wine. If I cook the big joints of pork/beef though what can I do with them. If I freeze them when cooked won't they be horrid when defrosted.
What a waste of food.

Yes - refreeeze the bread - and prob most of the veg.

Meat you'll have to cook before you can refreeze it.

Not sure what the joint would be like defrosted - you could mince/dice and stew?

I think sensibly shaped joints could refreeze whole when cooked, but I'd slice it and bag it into portions. I've actually done this in vaguely similar circumstances and it was fine.

I'd say all bread and veg is fine to refreeze.

How cold is the meat? I'd be tempted to refreeze that if it's still mostly frozen. I would cook it for longer and slower but with a good blast of high temp - to ensure it's well and truly cooked.

That's what I would do. I'd hate anyone to get food poisoning so feel free to ignore me.

And I agree - it looks like a gorgeous day and I wouldn't want the oven on either

However is DH capable of doing the cooking this afternoon while you veg out in the garden, seeing as how it's his fault ?

Great will keep bread etc in freezer and get all the meat out. Unfortunately DH is at work this afternoon as it's just me and the oven. One if the joints is absolutely enormous too so will take forever to cook. I normally slow roast most things so they just tear apart so not sure how that will work with re freezing after even if I try and portion it.
Oh bloody hell it's just not what I need and food money us tight this month so could have done without this for sure.

Do you think oven chips and hash brown type things would be safe to refreeze?

WowOoo I honestly don't think you should do that with meat. Once it's gone squishy, the natural process of decay restarts as the bacteria that are present in all foods begin to multiply. It will continue for some time even if you put it back in on Fast Freeze. All those bacteria will still be there ready to keep on growing when you defrost next time. Since bacteria multiply exponentially, the meat could be an eColi or Salmonella timebomb.

Sorry if I'm explaining myself badly, I found a really good description of why you shouldn't piss about with defrosting/re-freezing somewhere once but failed to bookmark it.

Re the chips, hash browns, other veg - are they still sealed? I think I'd risk it with sealed packs but not with the part used packs, unless you've been more organised than me and used proper freezer closures rather than odd clothes pegs!

i would just shut the door and pretend it didnt happen,

In same circumstances I just shut the door and pretend it didn't happen. I would probably be more careful with what I give my young dc but joints of meat, still hard, I've just refrozen them before.

Ok thank you for the sage advice. I've refrozen a few bits and used it as a good excuse to investigate the drawers and chuck a few bits that might be perfectly good but have been in there forever.
This afternoon I will be cooking several joints of beef and pork, some chicken breasts and thighs, making a lot of bolognese sauce and some soup with the defrosted veg. Will also be having an interesting lunch to use up the rest of the bits I can't keep, not sure if DC are going to fancy much of it. Might try BBQing it instead.
I really don't understand why the door open alarm only works when the door us fully open, surely they could make it work if door just ajar. It's an American f/f so shelves are quite shallow and can be hard to shut tight.
Thanks for the help though, not quite as disastrous as it could have been, I would probably have binned the lot.

you could look on it as a favour he did you!
now at least you will have less cookign to do in the future,
lots of ready meals waiting to be defrosted.

Alpaca - yes, I now agree it was too risky with the meat.
I've refrozen, but it was a matter of 2 hours at the most.
I think I missed the 12 HOURS bit somehow.... Sorry, op.