Freezing BasicsIf you learn the freezing basics, before you start, you are much more likely to have a successful and enjoyable experience with freezing food. You will also learn a valuable set of skill that will serve you well for a lifetime. Here are some basic concepts and terms related to freezing food for long term storage.
Freezing Basics - SafetyFoods stored at a constant 0°f will always stay safe to eat, providing of course it was fresh & safe when it was first frozen. Freezing doesn't destroy micro-organisms like bacteria, yeasts, and molds in food, it simply makes them go into a dormant state. Once the food has been thawed out, the micro-organisms will reactivate. Proper cooking is the only way to make sure that microorganisms are destroyed.Freezing Basics - Color ChangesFrozen foods (especially meats) often change color. Surfaces can oxidize, and meat can go from red to brown. You shouldn't worry too much about color changes in relation to safety or flavor. Vacuum packaging prior to freezing can reduce the occurrence of color changes in frozen foods. Enzymes in foods can also cause color changes, and enzymes do not stop working when frozen. They will slow down dramatically, but they are still active. Meats and high acid foods like fruit and tomatoes aren't affected much by enzyme activity. Low acid foods like most vegetables should be blanched prior to freezing to destroy enzymes and stop their activity.Freezing Basics - Freezer BurnFreezer burn can happen when air is in contact with the surface of the food being frozen. Moisture is drawn out of the food and forms ice crystals on the surface, causing a dry, discolored tough spot that usually has an off flavor and an unpleasant texture. If a small spot of freezer burn ocurrs, you can cut it away and use the food.If freezer burn happens over the entire surface (or a large portion) of a package of food, you might as well throw it out. It would still be safe to eat, it would just taste lousy. The best protection against freezer burn is to avoid exposing the frozen food to air. Pack foods in water, or it's own natural juices, or vacuum package it. Freezing Basics - Power OutagesUnless you have a reliable home generator or access to dry ice, frozen foods are at risk of thawing and spoilage during an extended power outage. That being said, foods in a freezer are usually OK for a surprisingly long period of time.A freezer full of food will be safe for up to 48 hours without electricity, if the lid or door is kept closed. A half full freezer is normally OK for 24 hours. Addition of dry ice can roughly double the time food stays frozen without electricity. Use about 50 pounds in a 15-20 cubic foot freezer. Quick Freeze PleaseFood that is frozen quickly will be of better quality than food that has frozen slowly. Quick frozen foods form very small ice crystals - which is good. Food that freezes slowly, forms larger ice crystals which can damage cell walls in food. Fruits and vegetables become much softer and mushier if they are frozen slowly. Meats that were frozen slowly tend to leak juices after it thaws, due to the cell damage, and will cook up dry.When freezing food, package it as thinly as reasonable. A half inch thick package will freeze through much faster than a 2 inch thick package. Spreading the packages out in your freezer during initial freezing will also promote quick freezing. Stacking packages results in much slower freezing through to the center packages. Once frozen, you can stack it all up neatly. We will often use cookie sheets to help keep packages flat during freezing. Keeping them flat makes them stack easier and more neatly later. Freezing Basics - Labeling and Inventory Control Always label foods that you are packaging to freeze. Identify what is in the package and the date that it was frozen. It's not always easy to tell two different same colored foods apart just by looking at the package. Here are a few things I've gotten mixed up in the past, that I thought for sure that I could tell apart so didn't bother labeling! Summer squash and sweet corn, green beans and okra, beef cubes and beef stew. Use the FIFO (first in - first out) inventory system. Package frozen foods in the freezer so that it is easy to use the oldest first. Return to Freezing Food Page from Freezing basics Page
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