I took out an unbaked apple pie from the freezer, thawed it out and baked it. I was wondering if I could refreeze it now.
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Can you expand on this? Is there something in particular you're concerned about?– AirCommented Dec 15, 2014 at 18:44
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The only concern would be temperature. Wait until the food is at room temperature before refrigerating/freezing.– Mr. MascaroCommented Dec 15, 2014 at 21:52
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@jbarker2160 Might not actually be a concern: cooking.stackexchange.com/a/29857/1672 (other answers still say it is, but this answer is pretty well-supported - see also cooking.stackexchange.com/q/30487/1672).– Cascabel ♦Commented Dec 16, 2014 at 0:19
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1@jbarker2160 Note that the "random internet commenter" in question cited plenty of very reputable sources (like the FDA directly saying that it's not a problem), and that a doctorate in microbiology does not make you good at thermodynamics - they probably don't have a very good idea what actually happens to the temperature of other food in the refrigerator when you put something hot in. (And also note that their recommendation means the hot food stays hot longer.)– Cascabel ♦Commented Dec 16, 2014 at 16:43
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2@jbarker2160 If you want to complain about the answer, do it on the answer - but be sure and read point (2) first. (Note that it's not my answer.) My entire point is that saying "my friend is a PhD microbiologist" sounds impressive, but pitting that against people who did actual research on this specific topic doesn't necessarily come out in your favor.– Cascabel ♦Commented Dec 16, 2014 at 17:21
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1 Answer
You could, but it will not be "as" good.
Freezing and thawing destroy cell wall structure; making food "mushy" (*).
When freezing, water turn to ice, and when freezing slowly, large ice crystals are formed and will break the cells wall. (and ice is take more volume than liquid water)
To reduce the risk of damaging the food when freezing/thawing, is to freeze as fast as possible (as cold as you can) and thawing as slowly as possible.
(*) http://www.extension.umn.edu/food/food-safety/preserving/freezing/the-science-of-freezing-foods/
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This is totally true for fresh produce. But we're talking about cooked apples - things are already plenty broken down.– Cascabel ♦Commented Dec 16, 2014 at 0:20
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By mushy I think @Max might imply you will lose crispiness and such, especially in the crust, by further breaking down of particles. I've had that happen with meat pies.– PhrancisCommented Dec 16, 2014 at 0:55
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@Phrancis I guess it's possible, but he said "cell wall structure" and that's not what's going on if your crust is getting soggy.– Cascabel ♦Commented Dec 16, 2014 at 3:07
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