What to do when you need to prepare some delicate livers, but you just noticed that they are frozen? Can you cook them in the freezer? Or should you look for other ingredients? Let’s find out!
Can You Cook Livers Directly From Frozen?
So, what do you need to do if you have a package with frozen livers in the freezer? Can you cook them directly from the freezer? Or you should thaw them first? As livers are very delicate, we can’t get a short answer as the result you will get depends on what you’re planning to cook with them.
If you’re planning to cook the livers frozen in a stew near some chopped onions, or if you plan to boil them, then you can cook the livers directly from the freezer. If you need to fry the frozen liver at high temperature on a pan, then I will recommend thawing them first if you want to keep the thin texture of the livers.
Besides the fact that if you fry the frozen livers in a pan, you will lose the tenderness of the livers, and you also risk not cooking them evenly.
Quick Note: Keep in mind that when livers are frozen, they will get stuck to each other. Because of that, you will need to first defrost them.
Pro Tip: You can cook the livers frozen if you cook them slowly and at a low temperature. If you fry them at high temperatures, you may risk overcooking them on the edges to obtain a raw interior.
How to Defrost Livers?
Let Them Overnight in the Fridge
The best and safest method is to put the livers on a deep plate and left them overnight in the fridge. In that way, the livers will thaw slowly and evenly. Because of that, when you cook the livers, all the pieces will have the same inner temperature and all the pieces will cook evenly.
Thaw the Livers in Hot Water
If you don’t have too much time and you need to cook the livers as soon as possible then you can put them in a top zip bag that seals well and put it in hot water.
Pro tip: Don’t leave the package with livers in hot water for longer than 30-40 minutes because you may risk forming different bacteria on them. Also, it is worth mentioning that if you defrosted them in warm water, you need to cook them immediately. If you put them back in the fridge, the bacteria can grow quickly in the livers.
Can the Livers Be Defrosted in the Microwave?
As the livers are small, there is a high chance that even if you set the lower temperature on the microwave, the cooking process will start. Because of that, I will not recommend defrosting the livers in the microwave.
How Long Does It Take to Defrost Livers?
It all depends on the method you decide to use. If you try to defrost the livers in the microwave, which is the quickest method, it will take you only a few minutes by using the defrost option on your microwave.
If you defrost the livers in hot water, it will take you about half an hour. If you are limited on time, but still looking for the best result, I recommend thawing the livers in the water as I consider that this option is the optimal variant.
If you will opt for the fridge variant, you should leave the livers in the fridge overnight to let them that slowly.
Answering Your Questions:
Can I Boil the Frozen Livers?
Yes, you can. As long as you don’t cook the livers at a high temperature from the beginning, you’re good to go.
Can I Make a Stew From Frozen Livers?
Yes. If you cook the frozen livers on low or medium heat, the inner temperature will increase slowly and they will defrost in the pan. After that, you can cook them as usual.
Leave a Reply