Freezing food, whether it's fresh produce or cooked leftovers, is one of the most effective strategies to reduce food waste and have plenty of food on hand for a long time. However, there are a few strategies and tips to remember when freezing items to ensure good flavor and freshness when it's time to defrost your stash.
Importance of Preserving Food
Bacterial growth and other forms of deterioration are inhibited by preservation procedures, ensuring that the food is safe and enjoyable to consume in the future.
Food Preservation minimizes harmful bacteria.
Microorganisms such as E. coli and salmonella can cause food to deteriorate in long-term storage. Bacteria only require temperature, moisture, and time to reproduce extensively in food, however food preservation interferes with one or more of these factors, halting their growth.
Preserving Food at its optimal quality.
Food spoils with time. Mild spoiling may not always render food hazardous to consume, but it does change the taste, texture, and appearance. Some of these features, as well as the nutritional worth of some foods, can be preserved with proper food preservation.
Food preservation saves money.
Waste is expensive. Naturally, you should avoid purchasing more food than you can use, but several preservation methods may help you retain vegetables, fruits, meat, and other foods far past their expiry dates, eliminating the need to throw them away.
Some methods of preserving food might be challenging, but if you grasp them, you'll likely feel a feeling of accomplishment and pride. You'll also improve your understanding of food hygiene concerns and best practices since many preservation methods need accuracy and care to preserve food safety.
Food Preservation and Storing Tips
Follow this guide to keep all of your ingredients and leftovers taste fresh and free of contamination.
Leftovers
- When storing leftovers, they should be kept in leak-proof and airtight containers or wrappings to ensure that your food stays fresh.
- Within two hours of cooking, refrigerate leftovers. Modern refrigerators can tolerate the heat, so waiting for piping-hot meals to cool before keeping them is not necessary.
- Use flat containers and divide the leftovers to speed up the process of cooling down before refrigerating. Some bacteria spores survive cooking and can germinate if the meal is left at room temperature for long enough.
- Don't keep leftover tuna fish or other canned goods in the refrigerator. They can have a metallic taste after being opened due to residual metal seeping from the can's lid.
- Refrigerated meals can be reheated and shall be consumed within three to five days.
Meat, Poultry, and Fish
- It is best to store them in the coldest part of your refrigerator and should be in their compartment. Set the temperature of the meat compartment to 29° F if your refrigerator enables it.
- Re-wrapping fresh meat, fish, and poultry expose them to potentially harmful bacteria, so always keep them in their original retail packing. You can use a plate to catch any drippings.
Dairy
- Keep yogurt, eggs, milk, and cream in their original containers. And if consumed, don't return leftovers in their original containers instead, put them in a clean pitcher or dish and securely wrap it in plastic wrap.
- Avoid putting your milk in the door as it is the warmest part of a refrigerator.
Fruits and Vegetables
- The best way to store refrigerated veggies is to keep them in their original packaging, either lightly covered in plastic or unwashed. If your veggies are sandy, carefully wash and dry them thoroughly before placing them in a plastic bag. Otherwise, it is unnecessary to wash them because humidity increases the likelihood of mold growth.
- Perforated or open plastic bags can keep your fruits fresh as it allows them to be wet while allowing proper air circulation.
- Keep citrus fruits at room temperature. Once they've reached their peak of freshness, you may extend their shelf life by storing them in the refrigerator.
- Store your onions, potatoes, and shallots in a cool, dark place to keep them fresh. Plastic bags will expedite their decay, so avoid storing them there. Onions may be kept in a resealable bag in the refrigerator for up to one week, or frozen in a container, once they've been sliced.
How to Preserve Cooked Food
Freezing entire cooked meals is a time-honored practice that dates back to the advent of freezer technology. Here are some guidelines in freezing up cooked food you plan to eat later:
Before refrigerating, cool cooked food slightly at room temperature.
A cooked meal does not have to be entirely cooled before being refrigerated. To allow food to cool slightly before refrigerating it, do the following:
Place a small container of food on a cooling rack for 20 to 30 minutes to enable air to flow around the pan.
Food should be no more than 2 inches deep.
While your dishes are cooling, check to see if your freezer is set to a low enough temperature, since all prepared meals should be kept in a freezer with 0 degrees Fahrenheit or colder.
Pack food properly.
When freezing meals, you want to make sure the containers are as airtight as possible. To restrict the quantity of outside oxygen seeping into the dish, individual-sized meals should be packed in airtight-lidded plastic containers. If you plan on preserving the meal for more than a week, it's also a good idea to double-wrap the plastic containers in a sheet of freezer-proof plastic wrap.
When storing bigger dishes like casseroles, ensure sure the entire container is well wrapped to prevent oxygen from entering. Start by covering the top of the dish with freezer-safe foil and then wrapping the entire dish in plastic wrap. Adding a second layer of plastic wrap, depending on the amount of time you plan on keeping, will result in fresher tastes with minimal chance of freezer burn.
Label your food properly.
Before being stored away, all frozen foods should be labeled with the name of the meal, the date it was cooked, and some instructions for reheating. This will guarantee that the meal is consumed within a safe time frame and that other family members can appropriately reheat the dish if you are unable to assist.
Reheating the food.
Perishable foods should not be thawed at room temperature. Bacteria can develop and create heat-resistant toxins in perishable foods that might cause food-borne disease if they are kept at room temperature for too long. These poisons may not be destroyed by cooking.
It's highly advisable to prepare to reheat ahead of time for a slow, safe thawing in the fridge. Small things can be thawed in the refrigerator overnight.
If the food has been thawed in the microwave, finish the reheating as soon as possible. Microwave-thawed food, unlike food thawed in the refrigerator, reaches temperatures that stimulate bacterial growth. Immediately cook to eliminate any bacteria that may have grown and to prevent future bacterial development.
Do not refreeze thawed food.
Food that has been frozen a second time is more likely to contain bacteria that cause food poisoning.
Tossing away food is wasting a valuable resource from our planet. Hence, for whatever reason, financial, environmental, etc., food preservation is an important concept to put leftover food and meals to good use.
Just always remember to be extra careful at all times. When food is infested with bacteria, one can't always recognize it as it doesn't always look nor smell spoiled to the human senses. It's still always safer and healthier to throw out your leftovers if you think they've been staying in the refrigerator for too long then risk getting sick.
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