Sustainably-harvested Weathervane Scallops are wildly popular among Wild Alaskan Company members. They’re sweet, succulent, easy to cook, and rich in essential nutrients like vitamin D and lean protein. Upon harvest, Weathervane Scallops are flash-frozen to ensure their incredible freshness and taste are preserved, from Alaska to your doorstep.
Each pack of Weathervane Scallops from Wild Alaskan Company contains 20 ounces of scallops, enough for about five servings. If you’re cooking for a crowd — or if you really, really love scallops — you’ll likely thaw and prepare the entire pack.
However, if you only want to enjoy part of the pack of scallops now and the rest at another time, consider refreezing what you don’t plan on using. Rather than storing an unused portion of fully or partially thawed scallops in the refrigerator for another day, refreezing them helps to preserve their freshness and quality and gives you more control over when to prepare your next scallop meal.
Is it safe to refreeze scallops?
Short answer: Yes, it is safe to refreeze scallops.
The USDA states that you can refreeze raw proteins that have been thawed in the refrigerator. It’s also completely safe to cook foods that have been thawed, frozen, and thawed again.
While any variety of raw seafood can be refrozen, scallops freeze quite well — unlike more delicate seafood like fish fillets, which are safe to freeze but more susceptible to changes in texture and quality. As long as Weathervane Scallops are stored in an airtight bag, refreezing them shouldn’t diminish their quality in any noticeable way.
Scallops can stay safely refrozen in the freezer indefinitely. However, refrozen portions should be enjoyed within a few weeks if they’re no longer in vacuum-sealed packaging as they are more susceptible to freezer burn.
How to Partially Thaw and Refreeze Scallops
Knowing how to properly thaw Weathervane Scallops before starting the prep and cooking process will ensure that you’ll have the freshest and best-tasting shellfish possible. Your refrigerator is the key to thawing whatever portion of scallops you’d like to cook.
Defrosting scallops in the refrigerator preserves their quality and allows you to partially thaw them safely. Plus, you’ll be able to keep a close watch as to when they should be portioned out.
Gather your materials: A plate or tray, paper towels or a tea towel, freezer-safe bags
Remove scallops from package and place on plate in fridge (lined with clean kitchen towel or paper towel, if desired).
Check on scallops about 4 to 6 hours into thawing. Once the scallops are thawed enough to pull apart, crack apart the partially thawed block of scallops into smaller sizes.
Wrap the portions you’d like to save for later in a freezer-safe bag to use at another time. You can also vacuum seal the scallops for extra freshness.
Continue to thaw the remainder as you normally would in the refrigerator, or quick-thaw to enjoy sooner. Check out how to quickly thaw Weathervane Scallops in another blog post with detailed instructions.
When desired portion has thawed completely, pat dry and cook.
Note: In every step of this process, patting them dry is key. When refreezing, this will inhibit the development of ice crystals on your frozen seafood.
How to Refreeze Scallops That Have Fully Thawed
If you forget to check in on your scallops and they fully thaw, there are two solutions:
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You can cook them all (and maybe plan an impromptu dinner party, too) within two days to ensure best quality and freshness.
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Alternatively, pat the scallops dry and refreeze what you don't plan to use within two days. Place them in a single layer in a freezer-safe bag and allow to freeze through, then store as desired in freezer.
How to Cook Weathervane Scallops
Now that you know how to easily thaw your scallops and refreeze them into meal-sized portions, it’s time to put them to good use. Luckily, we have a multitude of Weathervane Scallop recipes and resources for you to check out:
Mastering Pan-Fried Weathervane Scallops
This step-by-step guide to mastering pan-fried Weathervane Scallops will teach you how to perfect your cooking technique for perfectly seared scallops.
Pan-Seared Weathervane Scallops with Brown Butter Caper Sauce
Now that you’ve mastered the art of pan-frying Weathervane Scallops, it’s time to use the cooking method in a dish. The addition of briny capers and fresh lemon juice in our recipe for Weathervane Scallops with Brown Butter Sauce balances out the richness of the butter and enhances the natural sweetness of the scallops.
Seared Scallops with Pesto Pasta
We love a good pantry recipe. Store-bought pesto and a box of spaghetti, linguine or angel hair can make a simple, yet delicious meal when paired alongside seared scallops in our recipe for Weathervane Scallops with Pesto Pasta.
Miso Broiled Weathervane Scallops and Citrus Salad with Ginger Dressing
Not in the mood to pan-sear? Try broiling scallops in our recipe for Miso Broiled Weathervane Scallops and Citrus Salad. The combination of the umami-rich miso smeared over the scallops before broiling, tangy citrus fruit, and ginger that packs a punch makes for a bright and light entree that will shine on any table setting.
Wild Alaskan Company delivers wild-caught, sustainable seafood directly to your door. Get Started.
