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In a Hurry: 3 Defrosting Tips for Super Fast Results

published Mar 25, 2011
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(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

Freezing food is a great way to conserve and plan for easy dinners, however, it doesn’t make for a spontaneous cooking experience. Read on for a few tips that take defrosting beyond waiting hours and nuking it in the microwave.

1. Thaw Meat Quickly with Water – This trick has become the standard in my kitchen. Simply put frozen meat in a bowl and run cool water over it until it has thawed. Don’t use warm or hot water as it will start to cook the surface of the meat.
Kitchen Shortcut: How to Thaw Meat Quickly

2. Speed Up Defrosting by Using Granite Counter Tops – Granite has an almost magical way of defrosting frozen items sitting on it. Why? We’re not sure. But give it a shot and you’ll be on your way to thawed food significantly faster.
Look! Super-Quick Defrosting on Granite Countertops

3. Soften Butter Gently in a Double Boiler – This is a problem I seem to have often. Buy extra butter. Freeze. Decide to make cookies. Uh oh. Sometimes I’ll put the butter on a stove top that’s hot from pre-heating the oven and, as long as I’m careful about turning it every few minutes, problem solved. But this method is less prone to ending up with a pool of melted butter on your stove.
Quick n’ Easy: Ways to Soften Butter

What are your speeding defrosting secrets?