*Frozen Food
The Colder the Better!*
Frozen foods require low storage temperatures because quality continues to
change after harvest or slaughter. The higher the temperature, the more
rapidly quality deteriorates. For every five-degree increase in storage
temperature, changes in quality occur twice as fast.
Many refrigerator-freezer compartments cannot reach or maintain 0 degrees
Fahrenheit. Keep frozen foods no longer than a week in such a compartment.
This kind of freezing unit usually has no separate outside door.
Packaging
Use only moisture- and vapor-proof materials such as heavy-duty aluminum
foil, polyethylene bags, freezer film wraps, glass, plastic and metal
containers. The shrink-film wrap on meats in self-serve counters allows air
to enter the package and is not suitable for freezer storage beyond two
weeks. Overwrap these packages with a moisture- and vapor-proof material to
prevent freezer burn.
Frozen food tips
- Thaw frozen fish, poultry or meat in the refrigerator so the surface
does not reach dangerously high bacteria levels before the product thaws in
the center. Another benefit of slower thawing is less moisture loss or drip.
Meat, fish and poultry can be cooked without thawing. Be sure to allow about
one-third to one-half more cooking time.
- Most partially thawed foods refreeze safely if they still contain
ice crystals and are firm in the center. Many refrozen foods, particularly
ice cream, will not be top quality. Meat, fish and poultry purposely thawed
in the refrigerator and kept no more than one day may be refrozen. Do not
refreeze thawed meat or poultry pies or casseroles, cream pies or
vegetables.
- Food completely thawed, intentionally or by accident, and warmed to
room temperature (72 degrees Fahrenheit) should be thoroughly cooked
immediately or discarded. Fruit and juice concentrates can be refrozen. They
ferment when spoiled, so toss them if their flavor is off.
Quality changes with refreezing
Some foods purchased thawed, especially meats and poultry, have been
previously frozen. As long as they were commercially frozen, quality changes
are minimal when these foods are refrozen at home.
Generally, the faster the freezing rate, the better the quality is
preserved. Commercial freezing is much faster than home freezing. With quick
freezing, cells break down less. When water, a component of all food,
freezes rapidly, tiny crystals form. Slow freezing forms large ice crystals
which cause cells in food to rupture. Moisture leaks out and quality is
lowered.
When refreezing foods that were initially frozen at home, expect quality
changes. Those changes will be more extreme for texture than for color or
flavor. The food, however, should still be acceptable to use.
Why packages say "Do not refreeze"
Frozen food packers want their products to have a good image with shoppers.
Because quality can deteriorate if interior product temperatures rang up to
40 degrees Fahrenheit, many manufacturers do not recommend refreezing such
thawed food because they cannot guarantee quality under such conditions.
Freezer management
A freezer (a chest or upright unit that maintains a temperature of 0 degrees
Fahrenheit or below) offers convenience and flexibility, but it can rarely
be justified only on the merits of saving money. To get the greatest use out
of your freezer, keep it fully stocked. A rapid rate of turnover-once every
six months-is recommended to greatly reduce the operating cost per pound of
food.
Tips on freezing home-prepared foods
- All flavorings should be added when a dish is prepared for heating
before serving because:
- Black pepper, cloves, onion and garlic (in casseroles, for
example) become stronger during freezer storage
- Other seasonings tend to weaken in freezing
- Stews keep better than fried or broiled meats.
- Some foods do not freeze well, or have a very limited storage life,
such as:
- Mayonnaise, which does not keep as well as salad dressing;
- Whites of hard cooked eggs, which get tough and rubbery.
- Foods to be frozen should not be cooked to the well-done stage.
- Cream-style sweet corn retains its flavor better than whole kernel
corn and far better than corn on the cob.
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