Hot pockets are our lifeline for so many reasons.
Not only it is a way for us to revive the days when we used to crave for this delicious food after school, but also hot pockets are still our companion when we are thinking of something more than snacks and less than meals.
But as we suddenly crave for this instant delicious food, we must have it stored in our refrigerator.
Putting them into the freezer, and having them while attending a zoom meeting must have become the new normal now.
But if it is needed, can you refreeze hot pockets? The answer is yes.
You can have hot pockets that are refrozen.
However, the best is to avoid refreezing. Mostly it is related to flavor.
Refreezing ruins the taste of this amazing food for sure.
So, you can refreeze the hot pocket. But it will not taste the same at all.
Keep reading to look into detail.
What Are Hot Pockets?
If you love cheese, meat, and vegetables, then behold.
You are going to love this thing called hot pockets!
It was a noble idea to save something for sandwich lovers.
Who are in love with crispy sandwiches, but also are people who like to microwave everything.
So, Chef America Inc. came up with the idea of turnovers which are microwaveable.
Launched in 2002, we know this food for quenching our hunger for any meal, and when we are craving some snacks at midnight.
The hot pockets are our everyday companions.
The traditional hot pocket has as many as 50 varieties including the breakfast variation, dinner variation, to croissant variation.
You might remember this tasty food as your after school staple.
A day without a bite of this delicious food is quite hard.
1 hot pocket contains about 350 calories.
Over the years as we became more and more dependent on a microwave, hot pockets became our favorite.
Just put the food inside the microwave and voila!
We have the tastiest food ever.
How Long are Hot Pockets Good for in The Freezer?
The ingredients used to make hot pockets are usually one or two variations of cheese, meats, and vegetables.
Most of the time, the hot pockets are made to last for at least 2 to 3 days.
And food in the fridge is supposed to be good to eat for at least 3 to 4 days.
But it is not recommended to keep a store-bought hot pocket in the fridge.
But you can store them in the freezer.
The shelf life of a store-bought hot pocket is 14 months.
So, if stored properly it lasts for up to 14 months in the freezer.
Although, it depends on the cooking quality and whether the food is properly refrigerated or not.
However, it is recommended to eat hot pockets which have been thawed.
It is always advisable to keep the hot pockets out of the freezer just at the time you want to have them.
It is not mandatory to reheat the food.
You can just leave it for some time to let the coldness go away.
Then you can enjoy it like any regular sandwich.
Can You Refreeze Hot Pockets?
There is a generic idea that you should not refreeze food.
The logic behind this is that the food loses its flavor and texture when they are thawed.
The cells of food burst when thawed. Hence, we taste the mushiness and lack of flavor when we eat food that has been refrozen.
It is recommended not to eat food that beyond its shelf life.
However, if cooked and refrigerated properly, many foods can be consumed long after.
You can have hot pockets that are refrozen.
However, the best is to avoid refreezing. Mostly it is related to flavor.
We love hot pockets for their crispy sandwich taste.
But when we put them into the freezer and they are thawed, chances are that the moisture is largely lost when put inside a microwave.
Even if you have not put it inside the microwave, and left it outside to defrost overnight, try not to put it into the freezer again.
It is better to get rid of it instead of putting it into your mouth.
Thawing, de-thawing, and refreezing hot pockets mean that the tasty meat inside has gone through rapid oxidation of the fat and protein.
Hence, it is not tasty at all when you put the hot pocket in your mouth.
Hot pockets are delicious. Refreezing ruins the taste of this amazing food for sure.
We understand how difficult it gets to keep ourselves away from eating the leftover hot pocket.
Click Here to know what to get when you are craving hot pocket very badly.
You can refreeze the hot pocket. But it will not taste the same at all.
So, we recommend you not to refreeze hot pockets.
Only take them out when you are really going to enjoy eating the food.
That way, the taste of your favorite food will remain good in your memory.
Even if your hot pocket comes with vegetables only, there are chances that they will also taste bad after refreezing.
So, why even bother to refreeze such amazing food.
Life is too short to eat bad hot pockets, isn’t it?
How to Defrost Hot Pockets?
Defrosting hot pockets is the most annoying thing to do when you are hungry and craving such delicious food.
But in order to enjoy it, you have to defrost it at first.
Since the ingredients used to make hot pockets are prone to rot quickly, you have to thaw the sandwich inside the packets.
When you are hungry and need to defrost the hot pockets, you can choose one of the following methods.
First of all, place it inside the refrigerator. The defrosting will take 3 hours at maximum.
Secondly, place it on the kitchen counter.
The temperature inside your kitchen, especially if you are cooking anything else, must be high enough to defrost your favorite hot pockets in 1 or 2 hours.
Thirdly, and most effective, place it inside the microwave for quick defrosting.
While other options can take up to hours to defrost the hot pockets.
It will take only 2 to 3 minutes in the microwave to defrost the food.
Get a microwave-safe plate, place the sandwiches on top of the plate, place it inside the microwave, select defrost, or simply put the timer on 2 to 3 minutes of heat.
When the microwave calls you, just take away the food.
Do Hot Pockets Go Bad in the Freezer?
Hot pockets are meant to be taken out of the freezer and cooked and served.
Hence it is absolutely safe to put the hot pockets inside the freezer.
Since the ingredients used to make the food can get bad quite quickly.
So, you need to put the packet into the freezer if you are not having it anyway.
But it also depends that how long are you going to put the hot pockets inside the freezer.
The shelf life of Hot pocket is 14 months. You should consume your Hot Pockets sandwiches before the Best Before date stamped on the package which ensures peak flavor and optimum quality.
But if you intend to put it more than that, make sure the hot pockets are fine to eat and do not smell foul or the ingredients are not rotten.
How Long are Hot Pockets Good for?
It is said that hot pockets have a shelf life of 14 months.
However, the ingredients that are used to make hot pockets are not last quite long.
Cheese, vegetables, and meat – they can develop odor and tastelessness if kept for a long time.
Hence, always check the expiry date on the package before buying.
Try not to delay much in order to eat the hot pockets.
Related Questions
What If You Forgot to Put Hot Pockets in Freezer?
If you forgot to keep hot pockets in the freezer and if you are in confusion if it is good to consume or not, then we would say, you can consume it but with some precautions.
Make sure They are fully cooked 170 degrees all around, including the center.
How long can Hot Pockets stay unrefrigerated?
If you let it dethaw hot pockets outside the refrigerator and more than 4 hours passed then it would be good to throw it away, not to consume.
How long do you put a Hot Pocket in the air fryer?
For air frying hot pockets, place the frozen hot pocket in the air fryer basket.
If you are cooking several hot pockets, spread out into a single even layer. There is no oil spray is needed.
Air Fry them at 380°F/193°C for 10-13 minutes.
Flip the hot pocket over and cook for another 1-3 minutes if you needed.
Can you eat a hot pocket cold?
No, it is not recommended to eat a hot pocket cold.
As hot pocket is frozen processed food and the frozen processed products that are meant to be thawed and microwaved to eat.
As per the instructions mentioned on the packet, Cooking/heating it in the microwave for a few minutes should be sufficient that make it edible.
The hot pockets are frozen to a solid-state and allowed to be served to boil.
Can you freeze homemade hot pocket?
Yes, you can freeze homemade hot pockets.
After baking hot pockets, wrap in plastic wrap and keep in a freezer-safe ziploc bag.
Freeze for later consumption.
To reheat frozen hot pocket, remove from plastic wrap, cover in a paper towel. You can microwave it for 1 1/2 minutes.
After it has been thawed, heat them in the microwave for 30-60 seconds.
Sources
https://www.goodnes.com/hot-pockets/faq/
https://bestlifeonline.com/news-hot-pockets-recalled/
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