[The Woodsiders]

Hi, I wonder if anyone can let me know about re-freezing meat, I am sure the topic has been discussed on TAS before but I cannot find it, I know the re-freezing is normally a big no, no, we thawed out a pork joint from our own pigs and made it into sausages, we only made enough for ourselves and family this time but wondered about the future making and storing, your advice would be welcome.

[Bionic]

I went to a talk at the Royal Welsh Spring Festival last year and asked there about freezing meat that had previously been frozen and defrosted. I was told there is a 10 day window from the time of slaughter in which you can freeze and defrost again. I understood what he was saying at the time but can't explain it myself. 
The guy talking was very experienced and goes all over the world.

[The Woodsiders]

Thanks Bionic, will not be trying to re-freeze.

[cloddopper]

Our pork for the last but one batches of sausages was frozen at minus 21 oC , was in the freezer for nearly six months , it was thawed in the 3 oC fridge for three days  still in the wrappers , then minced and mixed for sausages within 30 min of being taken out the wrappers thawed  ( made it with lavender as well BLECH! ,never again  totally gopping as far as we are concerned   )
 The linked sausages were laid on a tray and cut in to singles , covered with a newly laundered tea towel , refrozen ,bagged vac packed and then deep frozen again in packs of four or six .
We finally finished them off on Thursday evening last week .  I think were still all OK  . They were made on 12 Sept 2014  and finally eaten / finished 15 Jan 2015 .

I made a new batch of sausages this Saturday morning , with 7 lb. 4oz.  of unfrozen fresh pork loin out the super market chiller on Thusday morning .  Laid the freshly made sausages in links on a buttered tray & left it over night in the fridge to go harder.  Bagged them this afternoon having first cut them to individual sausages ( 76 sausages )
 Put in the freezer as open pack to solidify them  to be finally vac packed & heat sealed tomorrow Monday in fours and fives .

Done this time round like this so they will only get one refreeze

 This is my take on such things    .. it may or may not be 100 % correct so don't do it if you're easily worried etc.

 I think the biggest problem occurs if you let the flesh defrost quickly outside a fridge at room temp & expose it to the air .  For at 50 oF ( 10 oC ) it is the start temp for massive breeding of harmful bacterial.

The old batch meat was as I said , thawed for three days in the fridge so never rally had any great exposure to heat and harmful bacteria.
I strongly suspect  if the temp is only just above freezing for an hour or so & stays close it is not so desperate. S long as you thoroughly cook the sausages from frozen for 12 min over all time turning them regularly in a hot pan with a bit of oil to  transfer the heat & kill any developed bacteria.

A good guide that the internal sterilizing temp has been reached is that the sausage should  be the brown caramelised colour all over .

 I wouldn't do this with chicken as I'm very susceptible to chook flesh versions of salmonella & Campylbactor ( SP )

[FiB]

I certainly re freeze once cooked.... Quite often take frozen pork out.... Make a big batch dish, portion up and re freeze.   I do sometimes take meat out, then don't fancy it that night.... So that is my way out - cook up and re freeze. Big revalation of this year is that bolognase is just as device with pork mince :-). Which is lucky as we have 5 pigs in the freezer!

[The Woodsiders]

Thanks for all your comments, understand what you are saying Clodhopper, we quite often do that but my question was mainly for the sausages we make from frozen pork and then to re-freeze.

Thanks again everybody

[RaisinHall Tamworths]

I always thought you could defrost meat then sausage it and re freeze the sausage because you have changed the process 

[The Woodsiders]

Thank you Raisinhall may be worth a call to the Health people, will keep you posted

[Fleecewife]

I always thought you could defrost meat then sausage it and re freeze the sausage because you have changed the process 

I contacted a certain sausage making equipment supplier when I first bought my stuffer etc, to ask them this exact question.  Their reply was just as you say, RaisinHall Tamworths, and I have since several times frozen some of the mince I get back, as there's too much to sausageify in one day.  When I have time to do the rest, I remince and the newly made sausages are then frozen and so far have caused us no problems.  I think the significant bit is the remincing.

[HappyHippy]

I actually went on a food hygiene course and the guy running it claimed meat could be defrosted and refrozen as many times as you want, providing when it was cooked it reached a certain temperature for a time (my brain says something like 84 for 60 seconds - but I could be wrong) Obviously this is from a safety point of view and there was no mention of how it would affect the quality 

[Rosiecrad]

We have numerous times thawed pork joints, made them into sausages and refrozen. We have been eating them like this for several years and gave had no problems. As others have said because you have changed the process. Hth