How to Store, Defrost & Handle your pet's fresh food

Fresh, gently cooked and raw pet food behaves differently to a bag of kibble — and that's the point. Real ingredients don't need to survive a shelf for a year, which means storing and handling it correctly matters more than it would with processed food. The good news: once you know the routine, it takes seconds to get right.

It Arrives Frozen — Keep It That Way

Every Paw Revolution meal is delivered frozen and should go straight into your freezer when it arrives. Stored frozen, it stays fresh until you're ready to use it — there's no rush to get through a delivery in a particular window, which is part of what makes fresh feeding manageable for busy households.

Defrosting: Fridge, Not Counter

The safest way to defrost a portion is in the fridge, 12–24 hours before you plan to feed it. Move tomorrow's (or tonight's) portion from the freezer to the fridge the day before, and it'll be ready when you need it.

It's worth avoiding the two shortcuts people are often tempted by: leaving a portion out on the counter to defrost faster, or using the microwave. Both create uneven temperatures as the food thaws, which is exactly the kind of environment bacteria can take advantage of. The fridge is slower, but it's the method that keeps the food safe the whole way through.

A useful trick: you can remove the packaging while the food is still frozen, then place the block into an airtight, food-safe container to defrost in the fridge as usual. This stops food from sticking to the packaging as it thaws, so you're not left trying to scrape portions out of the bag once it's defrosted.

Splitting Into Smaller Portions? Partially Defrost First

If you'd rather split a larger block into smaller portions — say, to freeze some back for later — partial defrosting is the way to do it. Leave the block in the fridge for around 12 hours, just enough to soften it so it can be cut, while it's still mostly frozen. Portion it out, then refreeze what you're not using straight away. The key is that it should still be frozen, just defrosted enough to be workable — not fully thawed.

Once It's Defrosted

Two simple rules cover almost every situation:

If a portion has been fully defrosted but not yet served, it can stay in the fridge for up to 3 days before it should be used.

If it's been served and your pet leaves food in the bowl, that leftover portion should be discarded rather than put back in the fridge — the same way you wouldn't save half-eaten food from your own plate.

A Few Habits Worth Building In

Wash your hands, bowls, and any surfaces the food has touched, the same way you would after handling raw meat you're cooking for yourself.

Once a portion has been fully defrosted and is ready to serve, don't refreeze it — freeze in the portions you actually plan to use to begin with. The exception is the partial-defrost method above for splitting up a larger block, which is fine to refreeze since the food never fully thaws.

If you're ever unsure whether a defrosted portion is still good, the safest call is not to feed it.

The Bottom Line

Once it's part of your routine, storing and defrosting fresh food takes no more thought than remembering to take chicken out of the freezer for your own dinner. Freezer until you need it, fridge to defrost, and use what you've defrosted within a few days — that's really all there is to it.

Ready to get started? Browse our fresh recipes for dogs and cats, or read our Beginner's Guide to Fresh Feeding for everything else to know before your first order arrives.