Freezing is a very convenient and easy way to preserve your food, because if we are being honest sometimes life just gets busy. Knowing the basics on how to freeze things correctly can help save you time and money in the kitchen. Here are some handy tips about how to keep your frozen foods in the best condition, retaining flavours, appearance and nutritional value.
FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES HAVE ENZYMES THAT CAUSE DETERIORATION AND SPOILAGE.
- In general, the freezing process significantly slows the chemical and microbiological processes that cause food spoilage by blocking enzyme activity.
- In order to keep fruit and vegetables’ nutritional content, it’s crucial to freeze them when they are in the peak of their ripeness.
GET TO KNOW YOUR FREEZER
A FULLY STOCKED FREEZER CAN SAVE YOU TIME AND MONEY WHEN YOU NEED TO BRING HEALTHY AND DELICIOUS MEALS TO THE TABLE IN A HURRY
- Be sure to keep track of the temperature in the freezer. The optimal temperature for food safety is -18°C or lower.
- When placing unfrozen foods in the freezer, turn the temperature to the coldest setting (-25°C is the ideal) 24 hours in advance.
- Never overload the freezer with unfrozen foods.
- In general, the rule is 30 to 50 grams of unfrozen food for each litre of freezing space. This way you will be sure that the temperature in the freezer doesn’t rise beyond the safe range.
- Always place the foods that have been in the freezer the longest towards the front (for shelves) or towards the top (for drawers). This will help you consume the oldest ones first!
- Defrost and clean your freezer thoroughly at least once a year (Always plan defrosting when the freezer has a short inventory of food.) DID YOU KNOW; A layer of frost of just 1mm already causes your freezer to consume 5% more electricity since it forms a thermal isolating layer and your freezer needs to work harder to maintain the right temperature.
- Giving your frozen food a clean and optimal environment will save energy and money.
TIPS AND BENEFITS
- Never place hot/warm food in the freezer; this will increase the temperature of the freezer and may affect the quality of the frozen foods stored in it.
- Always store your foods in covered containers that protect the foods from the air in the freezer, the FreezerKeepers range has been specially designed for this.
- The dry air in the freezer causes “freezer burn”. Freezer burns can be easily identified as darker/-grainy, dried spots on the foods. Although they affect the texture and flavor of the food, the food will still be safe to consume.
- Always label your containers with the type of food, portions, and date of storage.
SAVE TIME AND MONEY
- Buy your foods in bulk; it’s typically less expensive and then you can portion and organise your food depending on the portions you usually consume.
- Save money by buying fresh foods in season, when they are at the lowest prices. Then freeze them while in good condition to consume in other seasons; especially during winter!
- Having prepared and portioned frozen food will help save time when cooking, as the work has been done.
- When cooking your meals, cook in larger quantities. Let the additional food cool down, portion it and freeze it. You will be able to consume it for up to 4 weeks later.
PORTIONING AND THAWING
- Portioning food before freezing will accelerate the freezing time and, when it’s time to consume it, you will be able to defrost only the amount you plan to use. Use the appropriately sized FreezerKeeper or Heat’N Eat container for freezing.
- When thawing, place the portioned foods in only one layer. This will allow for even defrosting. You can place your FreezerKeeper in the fridge for thawing at a safe controlled temperature.
- Avoid, when possible, thawing at room temperature as this is the easiest way for microorganisms to grow. When using the microwave, always use the “defrost” function to prevent cooked spots in the food.
- Don’t thaw and refreeze your foods unless there is a cooking process in between.
- Once thawed, you should always use within 24 hours.
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