Storing frozen foods: Keeping food safe and fresh

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1. Store food in the refrigerator

When we have equipment to help preserve food, we tend to keep everything in the freezer from year to year. It's time to rearrange and dispose of foods that have been stored for more than 6 months.....
Although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) notes that storing foods in the refrigerator by Freezing can keep food safe almost indefinitely, but that doesn't mean it will still taste and texture well. Basically anything that is no longer identifiable.

2. The golden rule of frozen foods

To prevent undesirable findings that may result from frozen stored foods. To do this, remember that when you freeze food, you need to ensure the following 5 requirements:
Prevent freezing. Prevent moisture loss. Prevents odor transfer to and from other foods. Use freezer space sensibly Prevent food poisoning as your food cools. The key to achieving these goals lies in properly wrapping and storing frozen foods. Here are the golden rules for accomplishing such requirements:
In storage boxes or packaging, leave as little air as possible. Do this by removing as much air as possible. from freezer bags before sealing them and by using freezer-safe containers that fit the amount of food to be frozen. Wrap meats and baked goods in foil before placing in freezer bags. Keep in mind that freezing meat in store-bought packaging (wrapped in plastic on a styrofoam tray) is not ideal and will not keep well at freezer temperature. However, you usually won't notice a problem if you use them within a month. To ensure your food is frozen as quickly as possible and to help prevent bacteria growth, use a small container with a capacity of no more than 4 liters. Ideally, food should be less than 7.6cm thick in the container. Cool hot foods quickly before freezing them by placing the pan of hot food in a large container filled with ice or ice, stirring often to keep the cold air circulating. If you are cooling a lot of hot food, such as a large casserole, you can divide them into smaller containers for better preservation. Label and date freezer bags or containers, even if you think you'll be using them within a week or two. Place foods in the coldest part of the freezer, if you can, until they are completely frozen.

Defrosting food at room temperature should only be done with muffins, breads and other baked goods. For other foods such as meat, fish, etc., defrost in the refrigerator or use the defrost setting in the microwave oven. Frozen foods should be used within two to three months. When freezing dishes containing dairy foods. Keep in mind that although milk may freeze, milk may separate its components slightly when thawed. Hard and semi-hard cheeses can be frozen into 227g and 454g blocks already wrapped in plastic, then placed in freezer bags. While cheese will still have a characteristic flavor when defrosted, it can be a bit crumbly and tends to work best when added to cooked dishes. The cheeses that cost the least when frozen are cream cheese and fresh cheese. Blue cheese is most likely to crumble after defrosting.

3. Shelf life of food by freezing

In good refrigerator conditions, how long can food be preserved by freezing. For conventional frozen foods, the time recommended by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for optimum quality is as follows:
Bacon and Sausage: 1-2 months Stew : 2-3 months Soups and stews: 2 months Frozen dinners and appetizers: 3-4 months Uncooked Roast: 4-12 months Uncooked ground meat: 3-4 months Whole poultry, uncooked Cooking process: 12 months

Uncooked poultry parts: 9 months Cooked poultry: 4 months For any food not listed above, defrost and check its quality. . First of the inspection process, you can try on the smell of the food. According to the FDA, any food that has an "unpleasant" odor should be thrown away, not used. Next, check the shape and color. If defrosted food doesn't look as good as before but looks fine, you can try using it with soups or stews. For raw food, cook it,

4. Some other information about frozen food

Here are some other facts you may not know about frozen food:
Refrigerating food to 0 degrees Celsius inactivates microorganisms such as bacteria and mold, but it does not kill they. When food is thawed, bacteria can reactivate and multiply, under certain conditions. You've noticed that water expands when it freezes. The high water content in fruits and vegetables causes their cell walls to rupture as the frozen water inside expands. This is why foods that are defrosted fruits and vegetables sometimes have a mushy texture. When the power goes out, you should close the freezer door. A fully loaded freezer will keep food frozen for one to two days if the door is not opened. Most frozen vegetables can be cooked straight from the freezer, with the exception of corn with the core intact, which needs to be partially defrosted first. Any questions that need to be answered by a specialist doctor as well as customers wishing to be examined and treated at Vinmec International General Hospital, please register for an online examination on the Website for the best service.

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Reference source: webmd.com