# Safest Way to Thaw and Refreeze Raw Food? Is it Safe to Leave Outside?



## Trinity (Nov 12, 2012)

I know it's safe to thaw and refreeze their raw food based off of previous threads on here but my question is HOW?

I buy my raw food in 25 lbs frozen blocks. What I found on another forum you should ONLY thaw frozen food in the fridge and then you can repackage and refreeze. Well I was hoping to make their food a month at a time, therefore needing to do it at about 100 lbs at a time. My fridge is simply not big enough to defrost 100 lbs at a time.

Can I leave it out at room temp then refreeze it after it's packaged? Or should I just suck it up and make it a week at a time? 

Also, would like to see if I can keep the frozen portions outside. I have a closed in patio I can leave it in, but a chef friend said it's unsafe to do that for humans so he wouldn't suggest doing it for the dogs. It's about -15 C here and only getting colder (about 5 F)

Thanks for your time everyone!


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

You are fine not defrosting their food in the fridge. There are heaps of people here who just defrost their dog's food in tubs in the garage, package and then refreeze. I do it myself all the time with my dogs food when I need to break it down to individual meals and have been doing that for years. I might even defrost and refreeze a couple of times. Don't forget that dogs have a very acidic stomach and a lot shorter digestive track, so they can handle bacteria in their food, unlike humans. No comparison really. Remember dogs will eat stuff thats been outside for days, some dogs will eat poop, quite a bit of bacteria in that. You won't have a problem.


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## mwplay (Oct 10, 2010)

Personally, I thaw large amounts in a cooler/cardboard box in the garage, or I put it in a garbage bag on my garage floor overnight (35-40 lbs). I'm in the SF Bay Area, and I've done this when the temps are in the 50's overnight. I check on it frequently and as soon as it starts getting soft but is still cool, I get it in the fridge, or make my batch & get it back in the freezer. I try to be really careful about getting the food too warm in the spring/summer, as I don't want it to spoil and don't want to push my luck with any potential issues it may give the dogs.

Since it is so cold where you are at, I think thawing it outside (as long as it won't attract other critters) would be fine.


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## Trinity (Nov 12, 2012)

mwplay said:


> Personally, I thaw large amounts in a cooler/cardboard box in the garage, or I put it in a garbage bag on my garage floor overnight (35-40 lbs). I'm in the SF Bay Area, and I've done this when the temps are in the 50's overnight. I check on it frequently and as soon as it starts getting soft but is still cool, I get it in the fridge, or make my batch & get it back in the freezer. I try to be really careful about getting the food too warm in the spring/summer, as I don't want it to spoil and don't want to push my luck with any potential issues it may give the dogs.
> 
> Since it is so cold where you are at, I think thawing it outside (as long as it won't attract other critters) would be fine.


LOL sorry the thought of thawing it outside made me laugh. It's 14 F outside right now... we just got dumped with 10 inches of snow. But it's good to know that thawing and refreezing is safe, I just wonder why the people at the raw food store say YOU CAN NOT THAW AND REFREEZE so sternly!


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## Maligatork9 (Feb 8, 2012)

I leave food on my counters to thaw for hours at a time (in a container). For larger chunks, I defrost in the garage. I then portion out and re freeze as needed. You won't have any problems.


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

Trinity said:


> LOL sorry the thought of thawing it outside made me laugh. It's 14 F outside right now... we just got dumped with 10 inches of snow. But it's good to know that thawing and refreezing is safe, I just wonder why the people at the raw food store say YOU CAN NOT THAW AND REFREEZE so sternly!


I don't have a clue either. Maybe they are just trying to cover their arses, I don't know, but when I think about Mollie eating reeking meat off a bone thats been buried in the Florida summer sun for a couple of weeks, all without any problems, I find it hard to understand their reasoning. Some of us have been feeding raw for years and years and have always defrosted this way.


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## naturalfeddogs (Jan 6, 2011)

I always thaw mine at room temperature or in warm water. You don't have to thaw it in the fridge at all if you don't want.


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## GoingPostal (Sep 5, 2011)

I thaw the 10# bags of chicken quarters in my sink overnight, big stuff like beef heart or turkey necks I leave down in my basement or kitchen and work off when I can while it thaws-might take a couple days, I fridge thaw and refreeze smaller meats all the time as well. I also use my porch as a cooler/freezer-I've been leaving deer out there while dogs work on it, it's unfortunately still warmish here and been anywhere from 20-40 above but it works for a few days and temps dropping now.


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## shellbell (Sep 24, 2011)

I put things in the basement to thaw, husband picked up a 30lb box of turkey necks this morning and it will thaw in the basement. Tomorrow evening I will re-package it up.


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## Sprocket (Oct 4, 2011)

I thaw mine over night in the utility sink in the garage. It stays cold like the fridge with our 30 degree nights but still defrosts and I can just wash the juice down the drain


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## pogo (Aug 28, 2011)

I have a big flexi tub that i leave on top of their freezer in the back room, i always defrost stuff in there never in the fridge. If i need to refreeze i just chuck it back in the freezer as is!


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## BearMurphy (Feb 29, 2012)

the biggest thing i deal with is 30 lbs of duck/turkey necks and those can be pulled a part the same day when I thaw them in a big rubbermaid container in my kitchen. i just pull off the outside of the block as much as I can after it's been sitting a while and then go back to it later. always done by night for me because I pick it up in the mornings.


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## Trinity (Nov 12, 2012)

The 25 lbs block took 3 days to defrost in the fridge so I am guessing a day maybe on the counter.

Good to know I can make it in bigger batches! I have to leave town for work sometimes so I don't want to force my room mate to do it.... not sure he would appreciate or want to.


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## wolfsnaps88 (Jan 2, 2012)

With small packages, I often toss them in the kitchen sink and defrost them. With large pieces (like animal legs, heads, etc.) I often defrost on my kitchen counter on top of plastic garbage bags. When I buy huge cases of beef heart, I defrost those in a big round tub that I use as a utility sink. 

In the winter, I sometimes leave rib cages in the snow if I don't have room in the freezers. Only do this if its cold enough outside (around 32 degrees or colder) and it sounds like where you live is cold outside. 

I have seen my dogs pick up scraps of food they left outside days ago and just eat them :x *barf* No one has ever gotten sick from doing this. I wouldn't suggest letting your dogs eat half rotten food all the time, but it illustrates that they can handle more than we give them credit for.


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## Noodlesmadison (Sep 18, 2011)

I take whatever bag I want out of the freezer, thaw in sink, feed however much I want for the day, throw back in freezer.


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