Donate to Remove ads

Got a credit card? use our Credit Card & Finance Calculators

Thanks to johnstevens77,Bhoddhisatva,scotia,Anonymous,Cornytiv34, for Donating to support the site

Defrosting 'ready meal' in fridge - how long?

Straight answers to factual questions
Forum rules
Direct questions and answers, this room is not for general discussion please
AleisterCrowley
Lemon Half
Posts: 6381
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 11:35 am
Has thanked: 1880 times
Been thanked: 2026 times

Defrosting 'ready meal' in fridge - how long?

#408413

Postby AleisterCrowley » April 30th, 2021, 9:25 pm

Howdy
I bought a chilled 'ready meal'* (Thai prawn curry) a few weeks back and didn't get round to eating it before use by date, so stuck it in the freezer.
I was expecting the instructions to have a time to cook from frozen - but they just say , 'if frozen, defrost thoroughly before cooking'
How long will it take to defrost in my fridge (4C) ?
I don't own a microwave, and I'm not planning on eating it tonight...

cheers

A :twisted: C
*yes, don't mock my sad bachelor existence. I have had a bad enough week already.

Mike4
Lemon Half
Posts: 7084
Joined: November 24th, 2016, 3:29 am
Has thanked: 1637 times
Been thanked: 3792 times

Re: Defrosting 'ready meal' in fridge - how long?

#408416

Postby Mike4 » April 30th, 2021, 9:31 pm

I'd say several days.

Or left out on the kitchen worktop, about six hours.


Edit to add P.S. Tell us about your bad week, on reflection I realise this was the real reason for your post!

AsleepInYorkshire
Lemon Half
Posts: 7383
Joined: February 7th, 2017, 9:36 pm
Has thanked: 10514 times
Been thanked: 4659 times

Re: Defrosting 'ready meal' in fridge - how long?

#408419

Postby AsleepInYorkshire » April 30th, 2021, 9:37 pm

AleisterCrowley wrote:Howdy
I bought a chilled 'ready meal'* (Thai prawn curry) a few weeks back and didn't get round to eating it before use by date, so stuck it in the freezer.
I was expecting the instructions to have a time to cook from frozen - but they just say , 'if frozen, defrost thoroughly before cooking'
How long will it take to defrost in my fridge (4C) ?
I don't own a microwave, and I'm not planning on eating it tonight...

cheers

A :twisted: C
*yes, don't mock my sad bachelor existence. I have had a bad enough week already.

What makes you think that married or non-single men have any more of clue about this than you do :shock:

I put my boxer shorts in the laundry basket and a week later they turn up in my draw. And if you think that's a miracle I've found that if the draw runs empty I just have to leave it open and it fills itself. And even better than that if it doesn't I just place it on my good ladies pillow and it finds it's own way back to the wardrobe full up again.

I know - I've walked with my legs two foot apart for the last month :lol:

AiY

AleisterCrowley
Lemon Half
Posts: 6381
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 11:35 am
Has thanked: 1880 times
Been thanked: 2026 times

Re: Defrosting 'ready meal' in fridge - how long?

#408420

Postby AleisterCrowley » April 30th, 2021, 9:39 pm

Mike4 wrote:I'd say several days.

Or left out on the kitchen worktop, about six hours.


Edit to add P.S. Tell us about your bad week, on reflection I realise this was the real reason for your post!


Nothing too awful - just endless work! Stuck in front of a laptop for x hours a day, week after week. I'm missing the office !!!

And several days seems too long - what information I could find on the web suggests that worktop is a no no as the outside turns into a bacteria hotel while the inside is still frozen..

AsleepInYorkshire
Lemon Half
Posts: 7383
Joined: February 7th, 2017, 9:36 pm
Has thanked: 10514 times
Been thanked: 4659 times

Re: Defrosting 'ready meal' in fridge - how long?

#408424

Postby AsleepInYorkshire » April 30th, 2021, 9:43 pm

AleisterCrowley wrote:
Mike4 wrote:I'd say several days.

Or left out on the kitchen worktop, about six hours.


Edit to add P.S. Tell us about your bad week, on reflection I realise this was the real reason for your post!


Nothing too awful - just endless work! Stuck in front of a laptop for x hours a day, week after week. I'm missing the office !!!

And several days seems too long - what information I could find on the web suggests that worktop is a no no as the outside turns into a bacteria hotel while the inside is still frozen..

Use tomato or Worcester Sauce

AiY

AleisterCrowley
Lemon Half
Posts: 6381
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 11:35 am
Has thanked: 1880 times
Been thanked: 2026 times

Re: Defrosting 'ready meal' in fridge - how long?

#408427

Postby AleisterCrowley » April 30th, 2021, 9:48 pm

As a cure for food poisoning ?

AsleepInYorkshire
Lemon Half
Posts: 7383
Joined: February 7th, 2017, 9:36 pm
Has thanked: 10514 times
Been thanked: 4659 times

Re: Defrosting 'ready meal' in fridge - how long?

#408428

Postby AsleepInYorkshire » April 30th, 2021, 9:52 pm

AleisterCrowley wrote:As a cure for food poisoning ?

Nope try Guinness or Whiskey for that

AiY

Mike4
Lemon Half
Posts: 7084
Joined: November 24th, 2016, 3:29 am
Has thanked: 1637 times
Been thanked: 3792 times

Re: Defrosting 'ready meal' in fridge - how long?

#408429

Postby Mike4 » April 30th, 2021, 9:55 pm

AleisterCrowley wrote:And several days seems too long -


Just telling you what happened when I transferred my Co-op hunters chicken from freezer to fridge. Still bullet hard after three days of warming up.... mind you I keep mine at about 2c.


what information I could find on the web suggests that worktop is a no no as the outside turns into a bacteria hotel while the inside is still frozen..


Isn't that why we cook our foods?!

AsleepInYorkshire
Lemon Half
Posts: 7383
Joined: February 7th, 2017, 9:36 pm
Has thanked: 10514 times
Been thanked: 4659 times

Re: Defrosting 'ready meal' in fridge - how long?

#408432

Postby AsleepInYorkshire » April 30th, 2021, 10:02 pm

About 30 years ago we purchased our first home together. We used to go out on Sunday night for a pint.

One Sunday night we arrived home and walked into the kitchen. Our three cats and one dog were sate at the four corners of the compass around the carcass of what was a frozen chicken that had been left out on the worktop to defrost. Needless to say there wasn't a great deal left of it.

What was most impressive was that they were all sat or lying down as if they were at the dinner table.

AiY

GrahamPlatt
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 2059
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 9:40 am
Has thanked: 1032 times
Been thanked: 823 times

Re: Defrosting 'ready meal' in fridge - how long?

#408433

Postby GrahamPlatt » April 30th, 2021, 10:04 pm

https://www.review10best.com/uk/top10/microwave.html

Will kill bacteria & viruses, but botulinum toxin is heat-stable.

Mike4
Lemon Half
Posts: 7084
Joined: November 24th, 2016, 3:29 am
Has thanked: 1637 times
Been thanked: 3792 times

Re: Defrosting 'ready meal' in fridge - how long?

#408437

Postby Mike4 » April 30th, 2021, 10:15 pm

AsleepInYorkshire wrote:About 30 years ago we purchased our first home together. We used to go out on Sunday night for a pint.

One Sunday night we arrived home and walked into the kitchen. Our three cats and one dog were sate at the four corners of the compass around the carcass of what was a frozen chicken that had been left out on the worktop to defrost. Needless to say there wasn't a great deal left of it.

What was most impressive was that they were all sat or lying down as if they were at the dinner table.

AiY


Lol, I have a similar tale. Back in the day we used to bung the sunday roast in the oven to cook them go with our neighbours to the pub for a pint or two while it cooked. One Sunday we got back from said pub to find the cats tucking in to a hot steaming roast chicken in the middle of the living room carpet. Bar stewards!

Then it dawned on us it wasn't ours. Our joint of lamb was still in the oven cooking. To this day we don't know which neighbour they thieved it from....

AsleepInYorkshire
Lemon Half
Posts: 7383
Joined: February 7th, 2017, 9:36 pm
Has thanked: 10514 times
Been thanked: 4659 times

Re: Defrosting 'ready meal' in fridge - how long?

#408440

Postby AsleepInYorkshire » April 30th, 2021, 10:22 pm

Mike4 wrote:
AsleepInYorkshire wrote:About 30 years ago we purchased our first home together. We used to go out on Sunday night for a pint.

One Sunday night we arrived home and walked into the kitchen. Our three cats and one dog were sate at the four corners of the compass around the carcass of what was a frozen chicken that had been left out on the worktop to defrost. Needless to say there wasn't a great deal left of it.

What was most impressive was that they were all sat or lying down as if they were at the dinner table.

AiY


Lol, I have a similar tale. Back in the day we used to bung the sunday roast in the oven to cook them go with our neighbours to the pub for a pint or two while it cooked. One Sunday we got back from said pub to find the cats tucking in to a hot steaming roast chicken in the middle of the living room carpet. Bar stewards!

Then it dawned on us it wasn't ours. Our joint of lamb was still in the oven cooking. To this day we don't know which neighbour they thieved it from....

We had three cats. Mum and we kept two of her kittens. Mum was called Spit. The kittens were Snuggles and Billy. They lived with our dog in peace and harmony. One morning I went downstairs (in the house we're living in now) and the cats just didn't move. They just looked up from their beds and looked wasted. I thought no more of it until about two hours later I went outside to the back garden.

There were a few pigeon feathers floating about and about half a dozen piles of cat puke. Clearly they had caught a pigeon but couldn't digest it very well.

Cats are wonderful little creatures. All animals are great.

AiY

AleisterCrowley
Lemon Half
Posts: 6381
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 11:35 am
Has thanked: 1880 times
Been thanked: 2026 times

Re: Defrosting 'ready meal' in fridge - how long?

#408467

Postby AleisterCrowley » April 30th, 2021, 11:34 pm

Well I'm giving it circa 24 hours top of fridge (prob. 5C)
If it's slush tomorrow night, I'll give it an extra 5 mins in the oven
If it's rock hard it's going in the food waste recycling (outside- the smell of 'off' prawns isn't my idea of pleasant)
Whilst rummaging, just found a bag of frozen king prawns - best before Sep. 2020
Do ya feel lucky , punk?

jfgw
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 2539
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 3:36 pm
Has thanked: 1097 times
Been thanked: 1146 times

Re: Defrosting 'ready meal' in fridge - how long?

#408470

Postby jfgw » May 1st, 2021, 12:22 am

Back to answering the OP, most chilled ready meals I have seen say to defrost for 24 hours in the fridge.

Julian F. G. W.

AleisterCrowley
Lemon Half
Posts: 6381
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 11:35 am
Has thanked: 1880 times
Been thanked: 2026 times

Re: Defrosting 'ready meal' in fridge - how long?

#408475

Postby AleisterCrowley » May 1st, 2021, 1:23 am

Seems like a reasonable guesstimate!
If I'm dead on Sunday, I'll come back and haunt you all.

Mike4
Lemon Half
Posts: 7084
Joined: November 24th, 2016, 3:29 am
Has thanked: 1637 times
Been thanked: 3792 times

Re: Defrosting 'ready meal' in fridge - how long?

#408489

Postby Mike4 » May 1st, 2021, 8:02 am

I have to say, if you're gonna play Russian roulette by slowly defrosting frozen food instead of using a microwave, seafood is the least safe food to do it with. Prawns and crab in particular, according to my ex who tends to be right about stuff like this.

Surely a man of your calibration can afford to buy himself a whole new Thai Prawn Curry instead of mucking about with an old one?

Or a microwave, even!

swill453
Lemon Half
Posts: 7962
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 6:11 pm
Has thanked: 984 times
Been thanked: 3643 times

Re: Defrosting 'ready meal' in fridge - how long?

#408504

Postby swill453 » May 1st, 2021, 9:14 am

AleisterCrowley wrote:I bought a chilled 'ready meal'* (Thai prawn curry) a few weeks back and didn't get round to eating it before use by date, so stuck it in the freezer.
I was expecting the instructions to have a time to cook from frozen - but they just say , 'if frozen, defrost thoroughly before cooking'
How long will it take to defrost in my fridge (4C) ?
I don't own a microwave, and I'm not planning on eating it tonight...
...
*yes, don't mock my sad bachelor existence. I have had a bad enough week already.

Fridge for 24 hours. If it's never been stored above fridge temperature, and it was frozen well before the use by date, there's little risk.

(I don't think I've seen a kitchen without a microwave in the last 30 years. Batchelor pads especially.)

Scott.

88V8
Lemon Half
Posts: 5769
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 11:22 am
Has thanked: 4097 times
Been thanked: 2560 times

Re: Defrosting 'ready meal' in fridge - how long?

#408529

Postby 88V8 » May 1st, 2021, 10:47 am

AleisterCrowley wrote:I don't own a microwave....

Ghastly modern complexifications... but OH who is a keen cook - and a proper cook, from scratch - wouldn't be without one.

They're cheap to buy... good for veg al dente... and ready meals I suppose although we've never had one... will run off a 13amp socket... do recommend you try... no doubt Fools could suggest which ones and whether with or without turntable which seems to be a sectarian divide in the microwaving world.

Microwave (since 1982 albeit not the same one) induction hob (since 2013) pressure cooker (1975), the tripod of our kitchen.

V8

kiloran
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 4092
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 9:24 am
Has thanked: 3234 times
Been thanked: 2827 times

Re: Defrosting 'ready meal' in fridge - how long?

#408534

Postby kiloran » May 1st, 2021, 10:54 am

88V8 wrote:
AleisterCrowley wrote:I don't own a microwave....

Ghastly modern complexifications... but OH who is a keen cook - and a proper cook, from scratch - wouldn't be without one.

They're cheap to buy... good for veg al dente... and ready meals I suppose although we've never had one... will run off a 13amp socket... do recommend you try... no doubt Fools could suggest which ones and whether with or without turntable which seems to be a sectarian divide in the microwaving world.

Microwave (since 1982 albeit not the same one) induction hob (since 2013) pressure cooker (1975), the tripod of our kitchen.

V8

The problem with a turntable is that if I put a jug with a handle in the microwave, the jug handle ALWAYS ends up furthest away from me, no matter how long I microwave it for.
I don't know how the masochistic designers of microwaves arrange this.

--kiloran

Itsallaguess
Lemon Half
Posts: 9129
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 1:16 pm
Has thanked: 4140 times
Been thanked: 10023 times

Re: Defrosting 'ready meal' in fridge - how long?

#408535

Postby Itsallaguess » May 1st, 2021, 10:54 am

88V8 wrote:
AleisterCrowley wrote:I don't own a microwave....


They're cheap to buy... good for veg al dente... and ready meals I suppose although we've never had one... will run off a 13amp socket... do recommend you try...

No doubt Fools could suggest which ones and whether with or without turntable which seems to be a sectarian divide in the microwaving world.


We've had a few of the cheaper varieties over the years, but got fed up with them rusting at the interior edges and corners, so last time we spent a little more than usual on one of the Samsung 'Ceramic Inside' models, and it's been the best microwave we've ever had.

We'd buy no other make now, just for that specific 'Ceramic Inside' coating...

Cheers,

Itsallaguess


Return to “Does anyone know?”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Bing [Bot] and 6 guests