Image Source: www.pizzaovenreviews.co.uk
How Long Does Frozen Pizza Last In The Fridge? Answered
So, you have a frozen pizza. You put it in the fridge to get it ready to cook. How long is it okay to keep it there before you bake it? A frozen pizza that you move to the fridge to thaw should be cooked and eaten within 1 to 2 days once it is no longer frozen solid. This is because cold temperatures slow down germs, but they don’t stop them completely. Once food thaws, germs can start to grow faster.
Let’s talk more about this. It’s important to keep your food safe. We don’t want anyone getting sick.
Pizza’s Journey: From Freezer to Plate
Think about a frozen pizza. It starts very cold. This extreme cold stops most bad germs from growing. It keeps the pizza safe for a long time. This is its frozen pizza shelf life. It can stay good in the freezer for months. You will often see a frozen pizza best by date on the box. This date tells you how long the pizza is expected to be best quality while it stays frozen.
When you take the pizza out of the freezer, things change. If you put it on the kitchen counter, it will get warm fast. This lets germs grow quickly. This is not a safe way to thaw food.
The best way to thaw frozen food, like pizza, is in the fridge. Storing frozen pizza in refrigerator lets it get cold, but not frozen. The fridge is cold enough to slow down germs a lot. But remember, it only slows them down. It doesn’t stop them like the freezer does.
Comprehending Thawing in the Fridge
When a frozen pizza sits in your fridge, it slowly gets warmer. It goes from being a block of ice to being soft and ready to cook. This process takes time. A large pizza might take 24 hours or even longer to fully thaw in the fridge.
Once it is fully thawed, it is no longer a frozen pizza. It is now just a pizza kept in the fridge. And food that is just kept in the fridge doesn’t last as long as food kept in the freezer.
So, the question “How long can frozen pizza be thawed in fridge?” really means “How long can I keep this pizza in the fridge after it has thawed?” The answer is not very long.
The Clock Starts Ticking
The moment the pizza stops being frozen solid, a different timer starts. This new timer is for how long it is safe to eat the pizza when it is kept cold in the fridge. This is the thawed frozen pizza shelf life.
For most foods, including pizza, this shelf life in the fridge is short. We are talking days, not weeks or months.
Why is it so short? Even in the cold fridge, some germs can grow. These are often spoilage germs. They make food look and smell bad. Worse, some very bad germs that make you sick can also start to grow, even if they don’t change the look or smell of the food much.
The safe rule for most thawed foods is simple: cook or throw away within 1 to 2 days. This is a rule from food safety experts. It helps prevent food poisoning.
So, if you put a frozen pizza in the fridge on Monday morning, and it’s fully thawed by Tuesday morning, you should plan to cook it by Wednesday morning at the latest. That gives you about 1 to 2 days after it became soft.
Decoding the Best By Date
Let’s look at the frozen pizza best by date again. This date is about quality, mostly. It tells you how long the pizza will taste its best and keep its good quality if it stays frozen the whole time.
This date is NOT a safety deadline when the pizza is frozen. If a pizza is past its “best by” date but has stayed frozen solid, it is likely still safe to eat. It might not taste as good. It might have freezer burn. Freezer burn looks like dry, icy spots on the pizza. It happens when air gets to the food. Freezer burn doesn’t make food unsafe, but it makes it dry and less tasty. Eating expired frozen pizza (meaning past the best by date while still frozen) is usually okay for safety, but maybe not for taste.
However, once you move that pizza to the fridge, the “best by” date doesn’t matter anymore for safety. The new clock is the 1 to 2 days rule for thawed food in the fridge.
It is much more risky eating expired frozen pizza if it has been thawed past the 1-2 day fridge limit. This is when bad germs can grow to dangerous levels.
Grasping Safety: Is It Safe to Eat Thawed Pizza?
Is it safe to eat thawed pizza? Yes, absolutely. It is safe to eat thawed pizza, but only if you handle it right and cook it soon after it thaws.
Here’s when it IS safe:
* You thawed it in the fridge.
* You cook it within 1 to 2 days of it becoming fully thawed (or within 1-2 days of taking it from the freezer, assuming it thaws quickly).
* You cook it to the temperature listed on the package. Cooking kills germs.
Here’s when it is NOT safe:
* You thawed it on the kitchen counter.
* You left it in the fridge for more than 2 days after it thawed.
* You left it sitting out at room temperature for too long after it came out of the fridge (more than 2 hours total, or 1 hour if the room is warm).
The danger zone for food is between 40°F and 140°F (4°C and 60°C). In this temperature range, germs that cause food poisoning grow very fast. A fridge is below 40°F. But a kitchen counter is usually in the danger zone.
How Long Can Thawed Pizza Stay in the Fridge?
Let’s make this super clear. We are talking about pizza stored in fridge after thawing. Or, put another way, the shelf life of thawed pizza in fridge.
- If you moved a FROZEN pizza to the fridge: It’s safe to cook within 1 to 2 days after it has completely thawed.
- If you bought a pizza that was already NOT frozen (like from the deli section): Check the date on the package. Usually, these last a few days in the fridge before cooking. But a pizza that was frozen and then thawed is different.
Why the 1-2 day rule for thawed frozen pizza? Because the quality might go down, and because even slow germ growth adds up over time. After 2 days in the fridge after thawing, the risk of harmful bacteria growing is higher.
It’s always better to be safe than sorry. If you’re not sure how long it’s been in the fridge since it thawed, it’s best to not eat it.
Signs Frozen Pizza Is Bad (After Thawing)
How can you tell if a frozen pizza that you thawed in the fridge has gone bad? This is important! Knowing the signs frozen pizza is bad can protect you.
Remember, once it’s thawed, it’s just regular pizza in the fridge, but with a shorter safe time.
Here are things to look for:
- Bad Smell: This is often the first sign. If the pizza smells strange, sour, or like yeast or alcohol, it’s probably bad. Fresh pizza ingredients smell good. Bad pizza smells bad.
- Change in Color: The toppings might change color. Meat could look grayish or slimy. Cheese might get yellowish or have fuzzy spots (mold!).
- Slimy Texture: If the pizza dough or toppings feel slimy, throw it out. Slime is a sign of bacteria growth.
- Mold: Mold is a clear sign food is bad. It can look like fuzzy spots of different colors (white, green, black). You might think you can just cut off the moldy part, but mold often has roots you can’t see that go deep into the food. For soft foods like pizza dough and toppings, it’s safer to throw the whole thing away if you see mold.
What about freezer burn? We talked about this earlier. It’s those dry, icy spots on pizza that stayed frozen too long or wasn’t wrapped well in the freezer. Freezer burn doesn’t mean the pizza is unsafe after thawing. It just means those parts will be dry and not taste good when cooked. You can try to cook it, but don’t expect great taste from the freezer-burned parts. The real safety concern comes after it thaws.
So, check for smell, color, and texture after it has thawed and been in the fridge for a bit. If you see or smell anything that doesn’t seem right, it’s not worth the risk.
Planning Your Pizza Prep
Knowing how long the pizza lasts in the fridge after thawing helps you plan.
* If you want pizza tonight, take it out of the freezer this morning or the night before and put it in the fridge.
* If you took it out yesterday morning and it’s now evening, you still have tomorrow to cook it.
* If you took it out two days ago and forgot about it, it’s likely past its safe time.
Never try to speed up thawing by leaving the pizza on the counter. That is very risky for food safety. Only use the fridge for safe thawing. You can also cook some frozen pizzas right from the freezer. Check the box instructions!
How to Keep Thawed Pizza Safe in the Fridge
Okay, you’ve moved your frozen pizza to the fridge. How do you make sure it stays as safe as possible during its short time there?
- Keep it Wrapped: Leave the pizza in its original plastic wrap or box. This helps protect it from other things in the fridge. It also helps stop it from drying out.
- Put it on a Shelf: Don’t just put it anywhere. Place it on a shelf where it won’t drip on other foods (though a frozen pizza shouldn’t drip much while thawing).
- Keep the Fridge Cold: Make sure your fridge temperature is set to 40°F (4°C) or lower. This is the right temperature to slow down germ growth.
- Don’t Open the Fridge Door Too Much: Every time you open the door, warm air gets in. This can make the pizza warmer for a short time. Keep the door closed as much as possible.
These steps help keep the pizza in the safe temperature zone while it thaws and waits to be cooked.
What if I Only Need Half?
Sometimes you only want half a pizza. What should you do?
* Best Option: Only take out the half you want to thaw from the freezer. This might mean cutting the frozen pizza in half (this can be hard!) or buying a pizza that comes in two parts. Keep the other half wrapped tight in the freezer.
* Second Best Option: If you must thaw the whole pizza to get half, cut it in half after it’s thawed. Put the half you are not cooking back in the fridge right away. Treat this half like any other thawed food. It has 1-2 days left. You cannot safely refreeze raw pizza after it has thawed.
Can I Refreeze Thawed Pizza?
This is a common question. Can you refreeze pizza after it has thawed?
The general rule for food safety is: Do not refreeze raw food that has been thawed.
* If the pizza thawed in the fridge and stayed cold (under 40°F / 4°C) the whole time, technically it might be safe to refreeze it. However, the quality (taste and texture) will likely be much worse. Freezing and thawing damages food cells. Doing it twice makes it worse.
* If the pizza thawed outside the fridge (on the counter) or was left at room temperature for more than 2 hours, you must NOT refreeze it. Throw it away. Harmful bacteria could have grown.
So, while it might be technically possible to refreeze fridge-thawed pizza, it’s not recommended for quality. And if there’s any doubt about how long it was out of the fridge, do not refreeze it. Cook it within the 1-2 day window or throw it away.
What About Cooked Thawed Pizza?
Okay, let’s say you properly thawed your frozen pizza in the fridge and then cooked it. Now you have leftovers. How long does cooked pizza last in the fridge?
Cooked pizza is different from raw thawed pizza. Cooked pizza that is cooled quickly and stored properly in the fridge is usually good for 3 to 4 days.
- Cool it fast: Don’t leave hot pizza on the counter for hours. Put it in the fridge within 2 hours of cooking (or 1 hour if the room is warm). Cut it into smaller pieces to help it cool faster.
- Store it well: Put leftover slices in airtight containers or wrap them tightly in foil or plastic wrap. This keeps out air and stops germs from spreading.
- Put it in the fridge: Store it at 40°F (4°C) or lower.
So, your journey might look like this:
1. Pizza starts frozen (lasts months).
2. Move to fridge to thaw (takes 12-24 hours, maybe more).
3. Once thawed, lasts 1-2 days in the fridge before cooking.
4. Cook the pizza.
5. Leftovers last 3-4 days in the fridge.
This shows the different safe times for pizza at different stages and temperatures.
The Importance of Food Safety Rules
Why are all these rules important? Because eating food that has too many harmful germs can make you very sick. This is called food poisoning.
Food poisoning symptoms can be mild (like a stomach ache) or very severe (like bad vomiting and diarrhea that sends you to the hospital). Young children, older adults, pregnant women, and people with weak immune systems are more likely to get seriously ill from food poisoning.
Following simple rules like “thaw in the fridge” and “cook within 1-2 days of thawing” greatly reduces the risk. These rules are based on science and help keep everyone healthy.
Don’t take chances with food that might be bad. If you are ever unsure about how long a food has been thawed or stored, it is always best to throw it out. Food is much cheaper than a trip to the doctor or hospital.
Summarizing Safe Storage Times
Let’s put the different storage times for pizza into a simple table.
| State of Pizza | Where Stored | How Long it Lasts (Approx.) | Important Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frozen (Raw) | Freezer | Months (Check Best By date) | Quality might decrease over time |
| Thawed (Raw) | Fridge | 1 to 2 days | After fully thawed or removed from freezer |
| Cooked | Fridge | 3 to 4 days | Store leftovers quickly & properly |
| Cooked | Freezer | 1 to 2 months | For best quality, wrap tightly |
| Raw (Never Frozen) | Fridge | Check package date | Usually few days before cooking |
This table helps show the big difference in how long pizza lasts depending on if it’s frozen, thawed, or cooked. The focus of our talk is that short 1-2 day window for thawed pizza waiting in the fridge.
Thinking About the 1-2 Day Limit
Why is it specifically 1 to 2 days for thawed pizza in the fridge?
* Germ Growth: Even at fridge temperatures (below 40°F), some bacteria can still grow, though much slower than at room temperature. Given enough time (more than 1-2 days), their numbers can become high enough to cause illness.
* Quality: The longer thawed dough sits, the soggier it can get. Toppings can lose freshness. While quality isn’t a safety issue, it’s part of why the recommended window is short.
* Starting Bacteria: Frozen food isn’t sterile. It has some bacteria on it from before it was frozen. Thawing gives these bacteria a chance to wake up and multiply.
* Type of Food: Pizza has many ingredients – dough, sauce, cheese, meats, vegetables. This mix provides lots of nutrients for bacteria to grow on.
So, the 1 to 2 day rule is a safe limit based on how fast bacteria can grow on this type of food at fridge temperatures.
What Happens If You Ignore the Signs?
Let’s say you see some signs frozen pizza is bad, but you decide to cook it anyway. Maybe you think cooking will kill everything.
Cooking does kill many bacteria. But some bacteria make toxins. Toxins are like poisons left behind by the bacteria. Cooking might kill the bacteria, but it doesn’t always destroy the toxins. If you eat food with these toxins, you can still get food poisoning. Vomiting and diarrhea are common signs of this type of food poisoning.
So, just cooking a pizza that smells bad or looks slimy is not a guarantee of safety. If the shelf life of thawed pizza in fridge has passed, or you see clear signs it’s bad, it’s not safe, cooked or not.
This is why checking for signs frozen pizza is bad before you cook it is so important. Trust your eyes and nose. When in doubt, throw it out. This is especially true for pizza stored in fridge after thawing for too long.
The Impact of the “Best By” Date on Thawed Pizza
Again, the frozen pizza best by date is for quality when the pizza stays frozen. Once you take it out of the freezer and put it in the fridge, that date loses its meaning for safety.
Imagine you have a pizza with a “Best By” date next month. You take it out today and thaw it in the fridge. It becomes fully thawed tomorrow. Your safety window is now 1-2 days from tomorrow, not until the date next month.
Imagine you have a pizza that is one month past its “Best By” date, but it’s been in the freezer the whole time. You take it out today and thaw it in the fridge. It’s likely safe to eat from a germ standpoint while frozen, but maybe not taste great due to quality loss or freezer burn. But once it thaws tomorrow, the same 1-2 day safety clock starts ticking from tomorrow. Its original “Best By” date is irrelevant now.
The key takeaway: Once frozen food thaws (especially in the fridge), safety depends on how long it’s been thawed, not the date on the frozen package.
Final Thoughts on Safe Thawing and Storage
To wrap up:
* Always thaw frozen pizza in the fridge. This is the safest way.
* Once the pizza is thawed in the fridge, plan to cook it within 1 to 2 days. This is the safe shelf life of thawed pizza in fridge.
* The frozen pizza best by date is for quality when frozen. It does not tell you how long it’s safe after thawing.
* Look for signs frozen pizza is bad after it thaws: bad smell, slimy feel, strange color, or mold. If you see these, throw it away. Don’t risk eating expired frozen pizza (meaning past its thawed fridge limit).
* Is it safe to eat thawed pizza? Yes, if handled and cooked correctly and within the 1-2 day window after thawing.
By following these simple rules, you can enjoy your pizza safely. Don’t let that delicious meal become a source of food poisoning. Plan ahead, thaw safely, and cook within the recommended time.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
h4: What is the absolute longest I can keep thawed frozen pizza in the fridge?
Most food safety experts say 1 to 2 days is the limit for thawed foods in the fridge. Some sources might stretch it to 3 days if the fridge is very cold (closer to 35°F/2°C) and the food was handled perfectly. But 1 to 2 days is the safer, more standard rule. It’s always best to cook or discard by the end of the second day after it has thawed.
h4: Can I thaw frozen pizza on the counter if I plan to cook it right away?
No, thawing frozen pizza on the counter is not recommended. Even if the middle is still frozen, the outside can warm up into the danger zone (40°F – 140°F) quickly. Bacteria can grow fast at these temperatures. It’s always safer to thaw in the fridge, or cook straight from frozen if the package allows.
h4: What if I thawed the pizza in the fridge for more than 2 days by mistake? Should I still cook it?
No, it is best to throw it away. The risk of harmful bacteria having grown to unsafe levels after more than 2 days in the fridge is higher. Food safety rules are there to protect you. When in doubt, throw it out.
h4: My frozen pizza is past its Best By date, but it’s still frozen solid. Is it safe to thaw and eat?
Yes, it is likely safe from a bacteria standpoint if it has remained frozen. The “Best By” date relates to quality, not safety when frozen. However, it might not taste as good as expected. There might be freezer burn. Once you thaw it, the 1 to 2 day rule in the fridge applies just like any other thawed pizza.
h4: How can I thaw frozen pizza faster than the fridge but still safely?
The only other safe way to thaw frozen food quickly is by using the microwave or putting the sealed package in cold water. For a whole pizza, the microwave is tricky as parts might start cooking. The cold water method requires changing the water every 30 minutes to keep it cold and must be cooked immediately after thawing. The fridge is the easiest and safest method for most people planning ahead.
h4: Does the type of pizza affect how long it lasts after thawing?
The 1 to 2 day rule applies generally to all raw, thawed foods, including different types of pizza (cheese, pepperoni, veggie, etc.). The key is that it’s a raw product that was frozen and is now thawed. Ingredients like meat might slightly increase the risk if left too long, but the 1-2 day rule covers these risks.
h4: Can I partially thaw a pizza in the fridge and then put it back in the freezer?
It is not recommended to refreeze raw food once it has started to thaw, even if it’s only partially thawed. This is mostly for quality reasons (texture will be worse). If it remained completely frozen and just got a little soft on the edges during a very brief temperature change, it might be okay to refreeze, but it’s safer to cook it within the 1-2 day window or discard it. Always prioritize food safety.
h4: What does freezer burn look like on pizza?
Freezer burn on pizza looks like dry, discolored spots. On cheese, it might look yellowish and hard. On dough, it can look very pale and dry. Sometimes you see ice crystals right on the surface, not just frost around the packaging. It affects the quality and taste (dry, cardboard-like) but doesn’t make the pizza unsafe once thawed, provided it’s within the 1-2 day window.
h4: If my fridge is colder, does the thawed pizza last longer?
Keeping your fridge at 40°F (4°C) or lower is important for food safety. If your fridge is closer to 35°F (2°C), it will slow bacteria growth even more. While this might theoretically add a little safety time, the standard recommendation of 1 to 2 days is a good, safe guideline to follow regardless. Don’t rely on your fridge being extra cold to extend the safe time significantly beyond 2 days.
h4: What if the pizza box says ‘Keep Frozen’? Can I still put it in the fridge to thaw?
Yes, the “Keep Frozen” instruction means it is sold in a frozen state and should be stored frozen for long-term quality and safety. However, thawing in the fridge is a standard and safe method to prepare it for cooking. The box usually assumes you will cook it soon after thawing. Follow the 1-2 day rule once it is no longer frozen.