Freezing wild game, thawing and refreezing?

I don't know where I heard it or if it's true but I'd like for someone to set me straight. My understanding is that you can harvest wild game, freeze it, but when you thaw it you have to cook it. You can't thaw it and refreeze it but you can cook it and refreeze that. Is this right? Does it only apply to wild game?

Reason I ask is because I had way to much for 5
people so I made it all. It was delish.

That would not be too much for 5 people if I was one of them. Looks awesome!

Freeze it, thaw it, freeze it, thaw it, cook it, food poisoning and being sick.... never do that again.

If you cannot remember the first time, do it again.

You will not forget it if you do it a second time.





This works for store bought food also. I had to do it with wild game and store bought to learn the lesson.

I was always taught when frozen meat was thawed, it needed to be cooked. Some stuff freezes well, other stuff, sucks when thawed.

Dayyyum, dont think there would be no worry about nothing left to freeze.

Not sure why game would be any different. From the USDA:

Refreezing
Once food is thawed in the refrigerator, it is safe to refreeze it without cooking, although there may be a loss of quality due to the moisture lost through thawing. After cooking raw foods which were previously frozen, it is safe to freeze the cooked foods. If previously cooked foods are thawed in the refrigerator, you may refreeze the unused portion. Freeze leftovers within 3-4 days. Do not refreeze any foods left outside the refrigerator longer than 2 hours; 1 hour in temperatures above 90 °F.

If you purchase previously frozen meat, poultry or fish at a retail store, you can refreeze if it has been handled properly.

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/safe-food-handling/freezing-and-food-safety/CT_Index/!ut/p/a1/jVJtT-sgFP417bcOujqdJo3B6tJOt9nrVWu_LKw9fVk6qMBW9dcLvcnNZnyDAIfzPIcD5wGlKEEpo7u6pKrmjDZmnx4vcYyP3dMATxen7gRH84d4cR0EeHw30oSnbwhz75fxXzSCf4qf_iLBUMyCWYnSlqrKqVnBUVKCciiTHQiJkoLz3JG0APXqFDRTjqwAlAaMz-nRirK8qVmpyQLgTVs6PHf2IlES_F1GLIcX9IjSw1thV_do7t0dhdO5hxdHHwmflO0f4eu66IeXDV_1Gj0RtvLG-oUCChAgBluh3ZVSrTyzsIW7rhuUnJcNDDK-sbCGzyX1lS0y5a_tZ98GKTJf2pJvRQZ-Bys7y_2hvQM90-r--qqrizFfjtbqhJEqGUXrOArjWX4Z8niyJhdQxhH5Q0JbH-33iS3XI5Y7nJhh8heyloOtzKm-ya53Gs5w0nKhaGMswzCr4m2d9da-MJBvs_5XGmBPvo-8PQEN9F_Cz8pUcalQclgd1G7uk7cbEuL6dvM4luQddUHRxw!!/#14

OK thanks guys.

It's a crock.

We cut up our deer/hogs and freeze it in gallon bags till we are ready to grind it and make sausage or hamburger. It then gets thawed... no not in a fridge, we sweep and mop the attached garage floor and put the bags directly on the concrete. For whatever reason they seem to thaw fastest when placed on the floor like that, if you put a towel blanket etc down it seems to take longer.

We grind the meat while still slightly icy. some of it gets seasoned and mixed and stuffed as sausage but most of it simply gets ground and wrapped in butcher paper for hamburger and refroze. We do a few hundred pounds a year like that and never have a problem. So literally all of our game meat is frozen twice before we eat it.

We re-freeze pretty often. The most important thing about refreezing is to make sure you thaw properly. If you plan on re-freezing only thaw the meat out in the fridge. Never let meat sit somewhere that can allow it to get over 45 degrees.The moisture from the thawing process and the warmer temperatures can be a breeding ground for bacteria. We've been doing it for years and never had any problems yet. Things like caul fat I've probably re-frozen 7-8 times. Some meats, like venison, I've re-froze 2-3 times. Don't refreeze fish; the loss in texture is pretty noticeable. I wouldn't refreeze ground meat either.

I've had to re-freeze game meat several times with never a problem of any kind. I do keep mine frozen and sealed by vacuum sealer though, if that matters.