Preserving food dates back to prehistory, so with freezers we did not invent anything new! Over time freezing has improved and we can talk today about the art of freezing. To keep your food properly, it is important to know some basic rules.
1) Fresh foods
Always keep food fresh and in good condition.
2) Empty the air from your freezer bags
In order to avoid loss of moisture it is important to freeze food under vacuum by emptying all the air! If you freeze your food in a box, pre-pack your food and place it in the box. If you freeze liquid as well as soup, allow 1 or 2 cm more space as freezing takes up volume.
3) Foods you can’t freeze
- Eggs, may explode during the freezing process. But you can freeze the white of the egg without any problem.
- Fresh cheeses are strong in water and therefore do not support freezing well, you will discover it when you defrost.
- Melon and watermelon, when freezing, these foods will lose any flavor because of their high water content.
- Mayonnaise, if frozen, becomes rubbery
In short, it is important to remember that you should not freeze foods with high humidity, dairy products and fats like butter, mayonnaise…
4) Never re-freeze thawed food
Thawing a thawed food promotes the proliferation of bacteria, which can lead to food poisoning.
5) Defrost properly
It is important to respect strict rules of defrosting:
- Remove food to thaw the day before so that defrosting is not abrupt,
- 1/2 hour before cooking them, check if they are defrosting, if not, put them at room temperature
6) Freezing fruits
- First, wash them, dry them and spread them in a dish, so that they do not touch
- Place them in the freezer. After an hour, when they are hard, place them in a bag, contact no longer matters now.
7) A few more tips
- You can store your food in two different bins to consume the oldest foods
- Write down the date they have gone into the freezer
- Respect food storage time
Source : guideastuces ; congélateur