Storing frozen foods: How to be safe and delicious?

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Although the FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) recommends that the freezer can keep food safe almost indefinitely, that does not mean that the food will still have the same taste and texture. good nutrition.

1. The Golden Rules of Freezing Food

To prevent the risks of getting out of control in freezing food, you should know the principles of food freezing right from the start. Remember that when you freeze food, you should keep these 5 principles in mind:
Prevent freezer burn Prevent moisture loss Prevent odors from transferring to other foods. Use the freezer space you have wisely Preventing food poisoning when you freeze food The key to achieving these goals lies in how you pack your food and how you store it. Here are the golden rules for doing this:
Leave as little air in the freezer compartments as possible, by removing all the air from the freezer bags before you seal them. You should use freezer-safe containers that are appropriate for the amount of food to be frozen.

Cover meats and baked goods tightly with foil before you place them in the freezer bag. Keep in mind that frozen meat in store-bought packaging (wrapped in plastic wrap and placed on a styrofoam tray) is not an ideal way to keep well in the freezer. However that is still acceptable if you use them within a month. To freeze your food as quickly as possible to prevent bacterial growth, use small food containers - with a capacity no larger than 4 liters. Chill your hot food quickly before freezing by placing a pan of hot food in a large container filled with ice or ice, stirring often to keep it cold. If you're refrigerating a lot of hot food, like a large pot of stew with chili peppers, divide into smaller, shallower containers. Pack or bag them then label them or simply put a freeze date on them, even if you think you'll be using these foods within a week or two. Place these cans of food in the coldest part of your freezer if possible, until they are completely frozen. Thawing food at room temperature is only good for muffins, breads, and other baked goods. For other foods, choose to defrost in the refrigerator or defrost in the microwave and use the "defrost" mode. Try to use your frozen foods within two to three months. When you freeze foods that contain milk or breast milk. Keep in mind that while you freeze milk, they may separate a bit after thawing. Hard and semi-hard cheeses weighing 227g to 454g can be stored in the freezer.
When you just bought it from the supermarket, these cheese pieces have been wrapped in a plastic layer and have been vacuumed, you can always put them in the freezer. While the cheese will still retain its characteristic flavor after you defrost it, it can be a bit crumbly and is more suitable for adding to cooked dishes. Cheeses that are not very suitable for freezing are cream cheese and cottage cheese. Blue cheese is most likely to become crumbly after you defrost it.

2. How long can you keep frozen food?

The question is how long can you keep a certain food in the freezer before it becomes unusable? Check the use-by date for foods when you buy frozen foods. For conventional frozen foods, here is the FDA's recommended timetable for optimum quality:
Bacon and Sausage: 1-2 months Casseroles: 2-3 months Soups and stews: 2 months Packaged but uncooked roasts: 4-12 months Uncooked ground meats: 3-4 months Uncooked whole poultry: 12 months Uncooked poultry parts: 9 months cooked handle: 4 months For foods not listed above, defrost it and check its quality. First, by smelling. If you send in food that has an unusual smell, you should throw it away.
If your food doesn't look very good but it's okay, you can try using it in soups or stews. If the food has freezing points, simply cut away the burnt spots. As for raw foods, cook them, and if you like their taste, you can absolutely eat them.

3. Some facts about freezing

Here are some other facts you may not know about frozen foods:
Refrigeration to 0 degrees has the ability to inactivate bacteria (like bacteria and mold) but it doesn't kill them. When a food is defrosted, the bacteria can become active and multiply, under certain conditions. Have you noticed that there is more water in food than when it freezes? The high water content in fruits and vegetables causes their cell walls to break down, so they contain a lot of water that freezes inside. This is why defrosted food sometimes has a pasty texture. When the power goes out, you should close the freezer door. A sufficiently cold freezer will keep food frozen for one to two days if you don't open the door. Most frozen vegetables can be cooked directly without defrosting, with the exception of corn with the core on, which needs to be partially defrosted first.

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Article reference source: webmd.com