Freezer defrosted, advice please.

Buffybee I think all will be well. It hadn't got back to room temperature. Nothing had long enough to defrost enough to go off - if they had been in the fridge instead of the freezer, would she have been happy to use them next day or the day after? If so, they are no worse than they wouls have been in the fridge. There is nothing magic about freezing, it is just another method of slowing down or pausing the natural process of things getting older.

Most of the things in the freezer can be well cooked when she gets round to using them. If she has any doubts when she opens them up (appearance? smell?), she can chuck them out then. I wouldn't keep any shellfish, but then I don't like or trust shellfish anyway.

My freezer doesn’t work properly if I just turn it back on. It needs to be emptied and defrosted first but it is a very big freezer - floor to ceiling.

I agree with Monica in that if it was on when it was fully restocked and not been opened since then you can bet it hasn’t defrosted. I’d have switched back on immediately then checked frozen peas after a few hours - if they’re loose not clumped, all’s well.

I would just switch it back on. The food is highly unlikely to have gone off in such a short time, given that freezers are well insulated and defrosting takes a long time, a fact that anyone who has tried to deliberately defrost a freezer knows only too well

The worst that can happen is that freeflow items will have stuck together and there is a remote chance that flavour or texture may have deteriorate in some other items, like ice cream, but apart from that I can see no problems.

Don't forget Public Health recommendations have to take into account every contingency and people's stupidity and there is always a wide leaway between their recommendations and any possible chance of danger.

I've just rang her now and she says that she didn't know what to do first thing this morning and switched it back on again and the food is pretty much frozen again now.
It's quite a big fridge freezer with three shelves at the bottom.
She said that it was all still very cold but not what you would call frozen.
Now she thinks because she has already re-frozen, she has to throw it all away.
I've told her I think the veg will be ok and as long as she defrosts chicken, tuna steaks etc in the fridge when she uses it and cooks really well, it should be ok. Oh! And don't have the prawns raw!
What do you think?

First phone round friends begging for temporary freezer space, then open the door/lid and check the situation. Try to find out how long the power has been off (cross-question all suspects!)

If the nearer things are still frozen hard, the stuff further from the door is probably still frozen too, so pile things into bags and boxes and get them to friends' freezers as fast as possible, then return and defrost freezer ready to put everything back.

If things are starting to soften, do triage. Three piles - one of things like bread, which can be refrozen, one of things that are obviously beyond hope and have be thrown out, like melted icecream, and one of things that will be fine if you cook them and then refreeze. Then be prepared for a massive cooking marathon.

Are her freezer contents insured? Mine were, when this happened to me, but they need a detailed list of what had been in it, and could ask for "evidence" if she claims that it was full of fillet steak, lobster and caviar, (though they didn't demand evidence for my sausages and garden peas etc) So keep a note of every frozen sprout.

Check with Google. I'm sure I read somewhere, that as long as the food is still icy cold, and hasn't been out at room temperature, it can be put back in the freezer, no need to precook. But, please, please check. Dont take my word for it.

It may not have thawed if she keeps the door shut. Does she have any friends nearby with room in their freezers. It will have to be completely defrosted before she can turn it on again or it won’t get down to -18

Definitely cook the defrosted items and then refreeze.