Freezing 102
We started this topic here – today’s topic is freezer storage. After all, if you don’t store frozen foods properly, all you really have is a really cold ready-to-compost pile.
To maintain top quality, store frozen fruits and vegetables at 0F (that’s zero degrees Fahrenheit) or lower.
- Temps higher than 0F increase the rate of deterioration and shorten the shelf life of foods.
- Fluctuating freezer temperatures causes the ice in the foods to thaw slightly and then refreeze. Every time this happens, the smaller ice crystals form larger ones, further damaging cells and creating a mushier product.
Foods for the freezer must have proper packaging materials to protect their flavor, color, moisture content, and nutritive value. Freezer burn comes from moisture loss, or ice crystals evaporating from the surface of a product. Freezer-burned food is likely to develop “off” flavors, but it will not cause illness.
Suitable packaging materials include rigid plastic containers with straight sides, glass jars made for freezing and canning, heavy-duty aluminum foil, moisture-vapor resistant plastic bags (such as freezer-weight zipper bags), and freezer paper with freezer tape.
Many foods benefit from doubling up on packaging for long-term freezer storage. For example, quick breads benefit from being wrapped in waxed paper, and then in heavy-duty foil – and perhaps even put in a freezer-weight zipper bag after that. Anything with tomatoes should have something between it and foil.
When you prepare a casserole (such as lasagna) to freeze, line the baking dish with foil (or in this case, with parchment, since it’s tomato-based), with lots hanging over, before filling it. Fill and bake as usual. Freeze it in the baking dish overnight, using the excess wrap to cover the whole dish. The next morning, pull the whole thing out of the baking dish, wrap the package in another layer of foil or freezer paper, and label it. When you unwrap it, it will fit back in the baking dish you used.
Containers intended for short-term storage, such as bread wrap; take-out cartons, deli containers; regular aluminum foil; waxed paper; or the ubiquitous recycled whipped topping container do not provide effective protection against flavor and moisture loss or freezer burn during long-term storage.
Label what you freeze. Seriously. If you write on a container with a sharpie, it won’t come off, but maybe that’s okay with you. Try mailing labels and a sharpie. Include the date (at least the month and year), what it is, and any quick reheating instructions. If all you need to know is “bake 350F covered for 45 min,” why make yourself look up the recipe again?
If you’re totally organized, keep a list on your freezer door of what’s in there. When you add something to the freezer, add it to the list. When you take something out, cross it off.
More to come!
