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• Method 1 of 3: Thaw in the refrigerator
• Warnings

Frozen scallops must be thawed well to prevent the scallop from changing from its natural delicate texture to a tough and rubbery lump. The best way to defrost scallops is to thaw them in the refrigerator. But if you're short on time, you can put them in cold water or even put them in the microwave to speed up the defrosting process.

To step

Method 1 of 3: Thaw in the refrigerator

1. Defrost the scallops in the refrigerator for best results. Although it takes much longer to fully thaw the frozen scallops in the refrigerator, it still produces the best tasting scallops. And because the frozen scallops thaw gradually, there is hardly any chance that you will damage or contaminate the scallops during defrosting.
   • Thawing scallops in the refrigerator takes a whole day. Keep that in mind and plan that time so that the scallops are completely thawed when you prepare them!
2. Set the temperature of your refrigerator to 3 ° C. The temperature of your fridge is the most important thing to properly defrost the scallops. The best temperature for the frozen scallops is exactly 3 ° C, so set the temperature in your fridge accordingly.

   Tip: Most standard fridges are set at 3 ° C. Make sure you don't have any other food in your fridge that can spoil at 3 ° C. If so, consider finding another suitable storage area while the scallops thaw.

   
   
3. Remove the scallops from the packaging and place them in a large bowl. The bowl should be big enough to hold all of the scallops. It also needs to have enough room for any water created by the melting ice around the scallops. Take the scallops out of the package and arrange them so that the bowl is about ¾ full.
   • If you have too many scallops to put them all in one bowl, use another bowl.
4. Use cold water to defrost the frozen scallops more quickly. You can speed up the thawing process of the frozen scallops by using cold water if you don't have time to let them thaw on their own in the refrigerator. By using cold water you do not run the risk of cooking the scallops.
   • The frozen scallops thaw faster this way, but they can be a bit tougher once cooked.
5. Put the bowl in the sink and fill it with cold tap water. Move the bag with the frozen scallops back and forth slightly as the bowl fills with water to make sure they don't stick to the side. The water should be around 10 ° C to defrost the frozen scallops without cooking them and changing their texture. Fill the bowl with enough water to submerge the bag.
   • Leave the bowl in the sink in case you overfill it.
6. If you are in a hurry, defrost the scallops in the microwave. You should use a microwave that has a defrost setting as scallops are very delicate and will cook if you use a standard setting when thawing them in a microwave. Check if your microwave has a defrost setting.
   • Microwave-thawed scallops can be tougher and rubbery when cooked.
7. Place the scallops in the microwave for 2 segments of 30 seconds on the defrost setting. You can't turn it back when you cook the scallops until tender, so use short 30 second segments to thaw the scallops in the microwave. When the 30 seconds are up, take out the bowl and see if they are completely thawed by touching them with your finger. They should not have frozen areas.
   • If the scallops have not thawed after 30 seconds, repeat the process until completely thawed.
   • Do not defrost the scallops in the microwave for longer than four 30-second segments, otherwise the meat will begin to cook and change texture.

   Tip: Touch the center of the thickest scallop with your finger to confirm that all scallops have thawed.

   
   

Warnings

• Do not refreeze frozen shellfish that have been thawed or they may spoil.