Can you refreeze chips? This is one of the questions that many people ask me pretty often.
If you are one of them, then you are in the right place.
In this post, I will share with you important facts you might want to know about refreezing chips.
So, can you actually refreeze chips? Yes, you can refreeze chips but it does not make them any fresher. Refreezing will only maintain the quality of the chip for about 24 hours after being removed from its original package.
When refreezing chips, make sure that you use refreezable or microwaveable bags designed for frozen foods but these should be used within 2-4 months of purchase.
How to refreeze chips?
Refreezing chips is actually really easy, especially if you are following this simple step by step guide.
Refreeze chips only when they are still frozen solid, thaw them first before refreezing.
Unopened bags of ready to eat chips can be stored in the freezer until the next time you want to eat some.
On the other hand, opened bags of ready to eat potato chips like Pringles can be stored in the original bag or you can put them in a Ziploc bag and then they should be placed in the refrigerator.
If your chips have gone bad they should not be refrozen because this will only cause more damage to the food product.
Refreezing can affect the texture of your food product due to ice crystals that form when moisture is refrozen.
Refreezing can also cause your food to become soggy and stale.
Refreezing chips will not make them taste better, it can actually make them taste worse because refreezing will only affect the quality of your food product.
Refreezing will not kill any bacteria that might have been present before the chip were frozen so you still need to be careful of how long they are stored and under what conditions.
What happens if you refreeze frozen chips?
When you refreeze frozen chips you will notice that they lose their texture and become soggy.
This is because refreezing chips can also affect the flavor so they might not taste as good when you refreeze them.
Refreezing potato chips can lead to other problems like freezer burn if the bag is left in the freezer for too long.
Refreezing chips will also cause the food product to lose its crispness. It changes the structure of your chips because water that forms when moisture is refrozen can then expand and damage cells making them weaker.
How long can frozen chips be left out?
Like any other foods, frozen chips should not be left out for more than 2 hours.
This is to prevent bacteria that may be present in your food product from multiplying.
Refreezing chips can cause bacteria to multiply so it is best to keep frozen foods away from room temperatures for more than 2 hours.
How long do frozen chips last once defrosted?
Once the chips are thawed, they should be eaten within 24 hours.
Refreezing thawed chips will only cause them to lose texture and become soggy, which can affect their flavor too.
Is it safe to refreeze defrosted chips?
It is safe to refreeze chips as long as you do not let them defrost for longer than 24 hours.
Refreezing thawed chips will only cause them to lose their texture, become soggy and also affect their flavor.
Can you refreeze cooked chips?
Refreezing cooked chips will not affect their taste, but it will make them soggy.
It is not ideal though because they might lose the flavor of the chips.
When you refreeze cooked chips, these are no different from other foods that have been left out for more than 2 hours under room temperature.
Refreezing cooked chips will only cause them to lose their crispness.
Final Thoughts
Refreezing thawed chips will only cause them to lose texture and become soggy, which can also affect their flavor.
Thus, refreezing thawed chips is not ideal because they might lose their flavor.
Refreezing chips will cause food to lose their crispness so it is best not to refreeze thawed chips.
If you are looking for a way to make chips crisp again, you can heat them up in the oven or even put them on your grill.
I hope you find this useful.
Don’t forget to visit my food freezing guide here.