What is thawing?

• A. The process of heating frozen food directly to serving temperature.
• B. The process of preserving frozen food by lowering its temperature.
• C. The change of a liquid to a frozen solid.
• D. The change of a frozen solid to a liquid.

Answer: (D)

Thawing is the process of changing a frozen solid into a liquid. When food is frozen, water is held in a solid form as ice; thawing melts that ice as the product warms above freezing. This is not about heating to serving temperature (that would be cooking or warming), and it isn’t preserving by lowering temperature (that’s freezing), nor is it the change of a liquid to a frozen solid (that’s freezing). For safety, thawing should happen with proper methods to limit time in the bacterial danger zone: in the refrigerator until fully thawed, in cold running water (water kept at 70°F/21°C or cooler, changed every 30 minutes), or in a microwave if the food will be cooked immediately after thawing. Avoid thawing at room temperature.