Many - and especially in these days of quarantine - buy food (mainly meat, vegetables) and put it in the freezer. And when it comes time to cook them, most take them out of the freezer to thaw.
However, this method, although quite common, is not so innocent. On the contrary, it can even prove dangerous to your health, as defrosting is not the same for all foods. In fact, some of them can grow bacteria during "thawing".
See below, how to thaw food before cooking.
Avoid room temperature
You have to remember that the "danger zone" for the growth of bacteria is the temperatures from 5 to 60 degrees Celsius. Therefore, "room temperature" is not suitable for defrosting food, according to a post on lifehacker.com.
Put frozen foods in storage
You can do this with: meat, fruits, some vegetables and frozen foods
This is one of the most common food thawing techniques and one of the safest.
Take the frozen food out of the freezer and put it in storage from the night before. The thawing process may take longer, but thanks to the cold environment of the refrigerator, bacteria will not grow.
"Cold shower"
You can do this with: meat and fruit
If you plan to cook food right away and need to defrost it quickly, then you can give them a "cold shower".
However, make sure that they are well wrapped in a plastic bag and that there are no leaks as you immerse them in cold water.
You should also change the water every half hour, and the defrosting process can take up to three hours, depending on the size of the food.
"Hot shower"
You can do this with: thin pieces of meat and fruit
Do this process if you are in a hurry. Ideally, you can thaw the meat with hot water, at 60 degrees Celsius.
Put it in the microwave
You can do this with: thin pieces of meat, fruits, some vegetables and frozen foods
You should only use this method if you want to cook something right away.
You must have done all the preparation before turning the microwave switch to "defrost".
Add a little vinegar
You can do this with: meat
You can speed up the process of thawing a food by adding a little vinegar. Also, the meat will become softer.
Rinse with water before cooking.
Cook straight
You can do this with: all vegetables
You can throw the frozen vegetables directly in the pot, without having to thaw them first.