How to Keep Frozen Food Fresh

Rules to Keep Frozen Food Fresh

As you’re cooking more at home, you’re most likely utilizing your freezer to store certain foods for future meals. This not only saves money, but it also saves you time in the kitchen. To stay healthy and prevent food poisoning, though, knowing how to safely freeze food is essential. Here are some guidelines to help you keep frozen food at its freshest:

1. Set freezer to 0°F. Freezers that are too warm (between 25ºF and 31º F) freeze food too slowly, allowing ice crystals to form and creating freezer burn. Plus, if the temperature is too warm, your food may become contaminated with bacteria.
2. Store food in freezer bags. Use plastic freezer bags rather than plastic containers to store food. First wrap the food very tightly in foil or plastic wrap, then place the food in a bag, filling it to within 1/2 inch of the top. Press out as much of the air from the bag as you can and seal. Then, label the bags with the contents and the date so you’ll know how long it’s been in the freezer.
3. Divide large amounts of leftovers. This way the food freezes easier and faster.
4. Don’t overstuff the freezer. Although a full freezer freezes better and uses less energy than an empty one, be careful not to overstuff it — there needs to be enough room for the cold air to circulate.
5. Know when to toss. Most foods will keep in the freezer (although fish and shellfish are best frozen for just a couple of weeks). You can tell if food has been frozen too long if the color has changed dramatically or if it looks dry. Frost on food (or freezer burn) indicates that the food was frozen too slowly or that it has partially thawed and refrozen. If that’s the case, get rid of it.