You may be hesitant to defrost sausages if you don't know how. Bacteria and various diseases love meat that is not thawed well. Sausage can be thawed using the refrigerator, microwave, or warm water. The refrigerator is the easiest to use even though it takes a very long time. Microwave is the quickest method, but risks scorching the sausage. Using water is the most awkward way, but it doesn't burn the sausages when you cook them.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Using the Refrigerator
Step 1. Make sure the refrigerator is below 5 °C
If the temperature is higher, there is a chance that bacteria will grow and multiply. Test the temperature with a thermometer if your refrigerator doesn't have a built-in thermometer.
Place the thermometer in the refrigerator with the door closed for 5 minutes. Five minutes later, take a thermometer and check the temperature
Step 2. Leave the sausage in the package
In this method, you don't need to open the package because it actually helps the sausage to melt more quickly and evenly while in the refrigerator.
If you have already opened the package, wrap the sausage in plastic before placing it in the refrigerator
Step 3. Place the sausages on a plate, then place them on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator
The plate serves to hold the ice that melts from the sausage. Make sure you put your sausages in a separate place from ready-to-eat foods.
If these frozen sausages come into contact with other foods, you can get sick when you eat them
Step 4. Leave the sausages in the refrigerator until they are soft to the touch
If the sausage is tender to the touch and there is no ice on it, the sausage has completely melted. While this is the easiest method, it will take you a very long time to do it. If you have a lot of sausage, it may take up to 24 hours to defrost.
Once the sausage has thawed, you can store it in the refrigerator for 3-5 days before you cook it. Cook the sausages immediately if you take them out of the fridge during this time
Method 2 of 3: Using the Microwave
Step 1. Place the sausage on a microwave-safe plate
With the packaging unopened, place the sausage on a microwave-safe plate. If you're unsure whether a dish is microwave safe or not, do the following to make sure:
- Some plates have a label on the back so you can tell if they are microwave safe or not.
- If there is a wavy line symbol on it, this indicates that the dish is microwave safe.
- The wavy line symbol also means that the dish is microwave safe.
Step 2. Place the sausages in the microwave on the defrost setting until the sausages can be separated
If the microwave does not have a defrost setting, use the 50% power setting. After 3-4 minutes have elapsed, open the microwave and use a fork to check if the sausage sticks out has been removed.
If the sausage piles still don't separate, turn the microwave back on and check about 1 minute later
Step 3. Place the sausages in the microwave for another 2 minutes
Once the sausage is thawed and can be separated from the stack, put it back in the microwave and simmer for two minutes. Leave a gap between each sausage so that all of the sausage can fully melt. Check every 2 minutes until the sausage is completely melted.
If it is completely thawed, cook the sausage immediately to prevent bacteria from multiplying
Method 3 of 3: Defrosting the Sausage Using Water
Step 1. Remove the sausage from its packaging and place it in a bowl
Sausages are sold in protective packaging, which must be removed if you defrost using this method. Prepare a large bowl that can hold all the sausages you want to defrost. After that, put the sausage in a bowl.
If you don't have a large bowl to hold all the sausages in, use 2 bowls to do this
Step 2. Put lukewarm water in a bowl
Warm water usually has a temperature of around 43°C. Check the temperature of the water with a thermometer after you put it in the bowl. You can use water with a temperature of 15 °C to 43 °C.
Step 3. Place the bowl in the sink under the faucet
Open the faucet with only a small amount of water running. You only need a slightly larger flow of water than a trickle, not a heavy stream. The water should feel cool to the touch. This is to ensure that the water around the sausage remains at a constant temperature.
The drips will also ensure that the water in the bowl is constantly moving. This prevents the entry of bacteria when the sausage is thawed in the bowl
Step 4. Keep the bowl under the tap until the sausage is completely melted
The time it takes to defrost the sausage will depend on the amount and size of the sausage in the bowl. If you only have 1 or 2 small sausages, you may be able to defrost them in 25 minutes. To defrost 6 or more large sausages, it may take you 1 hour or more.
Do not leave the sausage under dripping water for more than 4 hours as bacteria will begin to multiply
Step 5. Wash bowls and sinks with bleach
Once the sausage is completely thawed, immediately clean the bowl and sink. If this is not done, bacteria or diseases such as salmonella can multiply on the surface.
