Freezing food is a great way to reduce waste. But with great freezers come great food and safety responsibilities. Frozen food needs to be stored and prepared a certain way to ensure it cooks through or you don’t accidentally eat unsafe food. Storing food in the freezer doesn’t mean it can’t get damaged. There are also ways to ensure that how you store it doesn’t ruin your appliances or storage containers. The following are frozen food mistakes to avoid.
1. Setting the temperature incorrectly
Some freezers allow you to control the climate within. Because water has a low freezing point, the moisture around your food freezes but the food itself isn’t at a freezing point which can lead bacteria to grow. To ensure no risk of bacteria, the freezer needs to be set to -17℃ or lower. This makes sure bacteria, mould or yeast remain inert.
2. Freezing hot food
Before you store food in the freezer, it needs to cool down. If you’re doing meal prep, make sure the containers are cool before they go in. Putting hot food in the freezer can make other frozen foods start to thaw which can encourage bacteria to grow. This increases the risk of food poisoning. It can also lead to freezer burn. This is the moisture lost from frozen food and the surface looks covered in crystals. Eventually, the food looks shrivelled. It may be safe to eat but can appear unappetising. You can prevent freezer burn by ensuring the food items are properly sealed.
3. Freezing veggies
Raw veggies with high water content shouldn’t be stored in the freezer. This includes cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, or lettuce. Storing them in the freezer makes them lose their crisp texture. They become soggy because ice crystals form within which can compromise the food. According to MarthaStewart.com, this can also release enzymes which further degrades the vegetables. To store veggies and keep them from being soggy, store them in airtight glass jars in the fridge.
4. Unsafe thawing
When thawing frozen food, don’t leave it on the counter. You can safely thaw food in a container filled with cold water or use the defrost function in a microwave. Don’t defrost food outside or put them in hot water. Don’t directly cook frozen food. Remember to clean your microwave once you’ve defrosted meat in there. This is to prevent cross-contamination with meat juices.
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5. Freezing berries
Items like berries should be flash frozen individually then after they’re fully frozen, you can transfer them to a container. Freezing them individually prevents them from creating ice bridges and keeps them separate instead of forming a lump. Additionally, WebMD suggests that you boil them before using them to kill any bacteria.
6. Taking too long
You shouldn’t immediately freeze food you just cooked. But what about the food you just bought? When you buy food items or have leftovers to be stored in the freezer, you shouldn’t take too long to store them in the freezer. According to the US Department of Agriculture, you shouldn’t let food sit at room temperature for more than two hours before freezing it. In that time, food can get to a temperature that makes it easy for bacteria, E. coli, or salmonella to develop.
7. Refreezing
Refreezing thawed food can affect the taste and quality of the food items. It’s also safe to refreeze food that’s been defrosted in the refrigerator. If the food items have been thawed at room temperature, don’t refreeze them because they could have developed bacteria. Raw food defrosted in the microwave or cold water should be cooked first before it’s frozen again.
8. Stocking the freezer
Having an overpacked freezer affects the freezing process. This is because it slows down the cooling process. When foods take too long to freeze, it can lead to freezer burn and water crystals to develop in the gaps.
Understocking the freezer is also bad for your food. Frozen food should fill your freezer up to 75%. When it’s too empty, the freezer will fill with warm air every time you open the door. You should also remember not to keep opening the freezer door during a blackout. This lowers the internal temperature of the freezer. Constantly opening a freezer door makes the fridge work harder to rebalance the temperature. Don’t stack nonfrozen items on top of frozen items.
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9. Not using freezer-safe containers
Not all containers are suitable for the freezer. Some plastics can’t handle very low temperatures. Avoid containers with polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, and polycarbonate because they become brittle when frozen. Frozen liquids expand which can break the containers. Look for a snowflake logo on the container to confirm if it’s freezer-safe.
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10. Date your food
Frozen food is safe to a point. The longer it stays frozen, the less it loses its original quality. Label each container with the date it was stored in the freezer and state what the food is. This prevents people from having to open the container to confirm what it is. The US Food and Drug Administration has a guide on how long food should remain frozen. Frozen fruit can be stored for up to 12 months, and bacon and sausages should be eaten within a month. Steaks can be stored for up to four months while a whole chicken can be stored for up to a year.
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