First There Was Previously Frozen Cheese...

[pastafreak]

Now we have previously frozen and defrosted Medjool dates. Again compliments of Sainsbury's.
I've been buying these on and off the past year. They are usually grown in the Middle East...these are USA grown. First time I've seen previously frozen and defrosted on the label.
Why? Is it shipping time?

[Dizmo]

I think it's all about saving money, by defrosting them when needed in store.

I've noticed that so much stuff in Sainsbury's that is supposed to be 'fresh' is actually 'from frozen'. So many of the cakes and bread produce seem to be the same. They even freeze birthday cakes...

[Dizmo]

The other annoying thing is that they aren't allowed to sell the produce to you frozen, or at least that is the case in our local Sainsbury's. When I found out that their chocolate chip muffins are from frozen, I asked if I could buy them frozen so that I could put them in the freezer so that I could keep a large quantity of them and they'd never go off (well not in the time it takes me to eat them!). I never got a straight answer as to why they wouldn't allow me to purchase them frozen.

[pastafreak]

I'd imagine you could refreeze the muffins. I'd no idea their baked goods were from frozen. I never...well rarely...buy any.

Thinking about it...the baked goods may arrive frozen, ready for baking. Not baked, then frozen, then defrosted. Hope that made sense!

[Dizmo]

The chocolate chip muffins are baked off-site, frozen and then defrosted 24 hours before they put them on the shelf. They can't be frozen again. I can't speak for the rest of the produce, just those.

[pastafreak]

And they wonder why we are getting larger every year *sigh*

[douglas9401]

The stuff may be stored commercially at a much lower temperature than the usual -18c of a home freezer.

[barry1010]

Thankfully it is safe to home freeze the previously frozen 'fresh' fish sold in supermarkets.

[rowanwitch]

a lot of it has do not refreeze on the packaging. I tend to buy my fish frozen because of this but watching programmes on TV it seems a lot of it is frozen in the factory ships. Unless I am picking up fresh fish from the quayside I tend to assume it will have spent some of its afterlife in the freezer.

[barry1010]

Those trawlers can spend weeks at sea, the fish is processed and frozen on board. We eat a lot of fish and I don't understand why but the defrosted fish I buy is much better than the supermarket frozen fish, even when I've frozen it and defrosted it before cooking.
Maybe it's because I buy it in much bigger pieces than the pre-packaged frozen which I find shrinks during cooking.

[pastafreak]

I find pre-packaged frozen to sometimes be drier when cooked. Texture may change also.
Though frozen prawns and Argentinean shrimp are often quite good.

[rowanwitch]

Certainly tail fillets can be. I tend to use them up in dishes that have a sauce, keep the middle fillets for marinating and grilling.