Plus, which foods you should completely avoid refreezing.

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It happens way too often at our house.

We take out some chicken from the freezer and end up only using half of it.

hands putting a container in a freezer

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Or we thaw some leftovermuffinsand end up eating just one or two.

We usually just pop them back in the freezer, but Im never sure this is the best idea.

Heres a look at the foods that repeatedly freeze welland some that dont.

close up of a bowl of frozen mixed berries

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Repeated freezing slightly dries out these foods but doesnt compromise safety.

Provided they dont contain dairy or starch-thickened bases, which may separate, she says.

Science-wise, that causes small ice crystals to form, which preserves the cell walls.

Its a little different when you freeze fruits and vegetables in your own freezer.

Home freezing introduces larger crystals that can rupture cell structures, but refreezing remains safe, Rathnakumar says.

To help avoid the browning, blanch vegetables before freezing them.

It may be drier and a little tougher, but its still safe to eat.

Cooked meats refreeze better than raw meat, Rathnakumar says.