The freezer undoubtedly makes life easier, but there's a good chance you're not freezing
your food properly.
Almost no one does!
If you want to eliminate waste and make the most of your frozen goods, here are the common
mistakes you should be aware of.
The whole point of freezing food is to eat it later.
If you forget what's in there, the food will most likely wind up getting tossed out.
So you don't waste food and money, keep a freezer inventory.
Write down what items you have, and the date they were frozen.
Your inventory not only helps you keep track, but it will also help you when it's time to
clean out the freezer.
Place your inventory on the refrigerator with a magnet so it's right there for easy reference.
Or you can make a note on your phone, create a spreadsheet on your computer, or use an
app.
Also: Label everything.
Take a permanent marker and write what the item is, the date, and reheating instructions
if necessary directly on the container itself or on a piece of tape.
Your inventory can also help you not cram your freezer too full of food.
A freezer should be kept nice and tidy like a spice rack; it allows for air to circulate
throughout the unit and makes it easier to find what you're looking for.
Try to keep the items you're most likely to use in the front so they're more readily accessible.
You also don't want to pack too little.
Each time you open the freezer, warm air enters.
The freezer expends a lot of energy trying to cool down that warm air.
Keeping a good amount of frozen food in there helps keep it cold.
Everything you put into the freezer will keep for different lengths of time.
Bags of frozen vegetables, for example, are good for about a year, except for green beans,
which should be eaten within eight months.
Butter will also last for a year, but milk should be consumed within three months.
Fruit is another food that can last a year, unless the package is open, in which case
it should be eaten within eight months.
Frozen meat can be a bit tricky.
Bacon, sausage, ham, and hot dogs can last about one to two months.
Uncooked roasts or steaks on the other hand, can last anywhere from four to twelve months.
Cooked poultry should be eaten within four months, while uncooked can go for a year.
All other cooked meats, eat within around three months.
Fish is a little bit different, though.
Lean fish can last up to six months, but anything fatty or in the shellfish category has a freezer
lifespan of only a couple months.
As for leftovers, it's best to eat them within three months.
Imagine you just finished making a big pot of soup you intend to last for a while.
You divide it out among containers to pack it in the freezer.
But hold on.
You've got to let that soup cool first!
Putting hot food in the freezer can cause other food items to partially thaw, which
will affect its quality.
To cool your food quickly, put it in an ice bath or put it in the refrigerator for a while.
You want to get your perishables cooled within two hours, or the food has the potential to
grow bacteria.
You should also check the temperature of your freezer.
According to the US Department of Agriculture, a freezer should be kept at 0 degrees Fahrenheit
for long-term storage.
It's important to maintain the proper temperature, because failure to do so will cause food to
spoil.
Opening the door too often can lead to temperature variations, so if you find that your kitchen
freezer is opened as frequently as the fridge, it may be a good idea to get a second freezer
to serve as long-term storage.
"One caution, the USDA says frozen food for the long term should be kept in a deep freeze at
zero degrees, not your kitchen freezer, where the door opens five times a day."
Before you store your food, make sure your container is freezer-friendly.
Flimsy wraps and thin sandwich bags won't stand a chance against freezer burn.
Use containers that can lock in the moisture of the food.
Strong plastic wrap is ideal for solid foods like cuts of meat and bread, while resealable
plastic containers work well for short-term storage.
Zipper bags are great for everything from veggies to prepped smoothie mixes to soups.
For longer storage, glass containers work well, but the food must be packed properly
to prevent cracking.
Leave some headroom in the container and cool it before freezing.
"No matter how good you are at taking the air out of these units…"
"Mm-hm."
"...you've got to make sure that there's enough space so that the expansion doesn't bust open
your container."
Also: Don't freeze food in clumps, because you'll have to defrost in clumps.
According to Bon Appetit, meat should be wrapped into individual portions so it doesn't all
stick together.
Freeze fruit and veggies on a baking sheet in a single layer to prevent it from freezing
together, then transfer it to an airtight bag.
And you can use ice cube trays to freeze liquids or spreads.
It's probably hard to believe, but there are some things that simply should not go in the
freezer.
For example, you can ruin the texture of sour cream and yogurt because they'll separate
into liquid and fat.
Some cheeses will also get a weird texture if frozen.
Freezing greens causes them to wilt and lose flavor.
It's best to keep potatoes, and any other fresh fruits and veggies with a high water
content, out of the freezer unless you like them mushy.
Two things you absolutely can't freeze are raw eggs and canned food.
When raw eggs are placed in the freezer, the liquid expands, hardens, and cracks the shell.
Canned food can swell when frozen, making it very difficult to tell if it's still good
or not, and it doesn't need the freezer anyway.
According to USDA guidelines, it's safe to refreeze food that was thawed out properly
in the refrigerator, but that doesn't mean you should.
Bon Appetit warns that food experts believe that once something has been frozen and thawed,
it should never be refrozen.
When food is thawed and heated, it introduces more bacteria into the food, which won't be
killed just because it gets refrozen.
"Cooking kills bacteria, but bacteria will actually still live in the freezer."
Refrozen food also becomes incredibly mushy, because the water content has expanded.
And if a food item was not thawed out properly or not cooked fully, it should never be refrozen.
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