How long can freezer items sit out?

Author: Dr. Beatrice Krajcik PhD  |  Last update: Monday, September 29, 2025

Two hours is the limit for keeping food safe outside the refrigerator or freezer; one hour if the outside temperature is 90 °F ( 32.2 °C) or above. Frozen food can thaw if it is exposed to the sun's rays even when the temperature is very cold.

How long can frozen things stay out of freezer?

If food is partly frozen, still has ice crystals, or is as cold as if it were in a refrigerator (40 °F), it is safe to refreeze or use. It's not necessary to cook raw foods before refreezing. Discard foods that have been warmer than 40 °F for more than 2 hours.

How long can a freezer be out before food goes bad?

A full freezer will hold a safe temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full and the door remains closed). Food may be safely refrozen if it still contains ice crystals or is at 40°F (4°C) or below, however, its quality may suffer.

Is it safe to eat frozen food that has thawed and refrozen?

If you refreeze the food after it has been defrosted, the ice crystals will form again, but they may be smaller and not as effective at preserving the food. This can lead to the growth of bacteria and other harmful microorganisms that can cause food poisoning and make you sick.

How long does food last when taken out of the freezer?

While foods are in the process of thawing in the refrigerator (40 °F or less), they remain safe. After thawing, use ground meats, poultry, and fish within one or two additional days, and use beef, pork, lamb or veal (roasts, steaks, or chops) within three to five days.

How long can food stay in your freezer?

How long can you leave stuff out of the freezer?

Never leave food to defrost in a warm place (defrosting in the fridge at 5C is the safest way to do it), cover loosely, and ensure it is thoroughly defrosted before cooking - cook food soon after defrosting. The FSA recommends cooking defrosted food within 24 hours of defrost.

How long is food safe in an unplugged freezer?

Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain the cold temperature. The refrigerator will keep food cold for about 4 hours if it is unopened. A full freezer will keep the temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full) if the door remains closed.

What foods cannot be refrozen after thawing?

These principles apply to meat, poultry, shellfish, some vegetables and cooked foods. Do not refreeze ice cream and similar frozen desserts. You can cook and eat thawed but still cold food mixtures like casseroles, pot pies, frozen dinners or pizzas but do not refreeze them.

Can you refreeze meat if your freezer goes out?

Refrigerator-thawed, raw or cooked meat is safe to refreeze, though the U.S. Department of Agriculture warns the meat may lose some quality due to moisture loss. You should not refreeze foods that have been outside of the fridge for more than two hours – or one hour in temperatures above 90 degrees.

How long can frozen food stay in the car?

Two hours is the limit for keeping food safe outside the refrigerator or freezer; one hour if the outside temperature is 90 °F ( 32.2 °C) or above. Frozen food can thaw if it is exposed to the sun's rays even when the temperature is very cold.

How do I know if my freezer food is bad?

Look for the following signs in your frozen foods to determine if they're still good.
  1. It's freezer burnt. ...
  2. There's a change in texture. ...
  3. It smells weird. ...
  4. You can't remember when you froze it. ...
  5. It's sitting in a frozen puddle. ...
  6. The packaging is ripped. ...
  7. How to safely thaw food.

Is butter ok after a power outage?

Refrigerated foods that can be held at temperatures above 40ºF until power returns include: hard cheeses, butter, margarine, fresh fruits, fruit juice, fresh unpeeled vegetables, salad dressing, ketchup, mustard, olives, pickles, jams, jellies and peanut butter.

At what temperature does freezer food spoil?

Allow 2½ to 3 pounds of dry ice per cubic foot of freezer space. More will be needed in an upright freezer because dry ice should be placed on each shelf. Leave the freezer door closed. Frozen foods that have reached temperatures of 40 °F and above for more than two hours are not safe to eat.

How long can you leave food out of the freezer when defrosting?

This is an important question, as you need to know how long your food will be out of the freezer for. The answer is anything between 4 and 12 hours depending on the freezer you have.

How long before things go bad in freezer?

Do they have an expiration date? There's a short and a long answer here. The short answer is that foods will keep indefinitely in a frozen state. That's right — as long as your freezer is plugged in and functioning normally, frozen foods will never expire, go bad, or pose any health issues.

What is the unsafe temperature for a freezer?

Anything above the USDA-recommended 0 degrees Fahrenheit (-18 degrees Celsius) is not ideal. At 7 degrees Fahrenheit, the food inside the freezer will not be at a safe temperature for storage and may be at risk for bacterial growth, spoilage, and foodborne illness.

What to do if food in the freezer thaws?

Discard heated leftovers. Thawed cakes, biscuits, breads, fruits and fruit juices are okay to refreeze once if no strong 'yeasty' smell. Thawed snap frozen meat, poultry or fish is okay to refreeze if still below 4°C or transported and handled safely and spent less than 2 hours in temperature danger zone.

How long can frozen meat sit out?

One of the most common misconceptions about defrosting meat is that you can simply leave it out on the counter to thaw. However, food must not be left at room temperature for more than two hours, or you risk entering the danger zone where bacteria begin to multiply rapidly.

How long can frozen food sit out before refreezing?

Again, don't refreeze food that's been sitting out at room temperature for more than two hours or at a temperature above 90°F for more than one hour. Also avoid refreezing food that you've thawed in the microwave or using cold water, unless you've cooked it to a safe temperature.

Why frozen foods are not recommended for refrozen?

Remember that freezing does not kill bacteria, only prevents the microbes from multiplying. So thawed food will have some bacteria that can multiply at room temperature, meaning that if the food is refrozen, there will be an increase in bacterial count by the time it is thawed again.

Why shouldn't you freeze food twice?

The more you freeze the food, the more the tissues break down, the flavor profile decreases and moisture escapes. For example, some vegetables, like green beans, will become mushy if it is thawed and frozen multiple times. They are still safe to eat, but the texture may not be as desirable.

Why is it bad to refreeze after thawing?

One consideration when refreezing previously frozen food is that it can negatively affect the quality of the food due to moisture loss through freezing and thawing. Air trapped in the package or that seeps in from the freezer causes the moisture in the food to evaporate—making the food taste more dry.

How long is food OK in freezer when power goes out?

The USDA said a half-stocked freezer should keep food safe for 24 hours while a fully-stocked freezer can go for up to 48 hours. Food can be safely refrozen if it still contains ice crystals or is at 40 degrees or below.

How long is frozen food safe out of the freezer?

If food is partly frozen and still has ice crystals, then it is safe to refreeze or use. Discard food that has been warmer than 5 °C for more than two hours.

Do I have to throw out butter after a power outage?

Things like butter or margarine, fresh fruits that are uncut, fruit juices, peanut butter, ketchup and jelly are safe to eat after four hours without power. You can get a more detailed list of what refrigerated foods you should keep and what foods you should throw away by looking at the chart below.

Previous article
Does vinegar eat hair in a drain?
Next article
Why is my dishwasher leaving my dishes chalky?