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Q.
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What foods can be frozen?
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A.
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Almost any foods can be frozen. Some exceptions would be eggs in shells and cans of food.
However, once the food is removed from the can, you may freeze it.
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Q.
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How does freezing keep food safe?
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A.
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Food stored constantly at 0°F will always be safe. Only the quality suffers with lengthy
freezer storage. Freezing keeps food safe by slowing the movement of molecules, causing
microbes to enter a dormant stage. Freezing preserves food for extended periods because it
prevents the growth of microorganisms that cause both food spoilage and foodborne illness.
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Q.
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Does freezing destroy bacteria and parasites?
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A.
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Freezing to 0°F inactivates any microbes -- bacteria, yeats, and molds --
present in food. Once thawed, however, these microbes can again
become active, multiplying under the right conditions to levels that can
lead to foodborne illness. Thorough cooking will destroy bactera.
Trichina and other parasites can be destroyed by sub-zero freezing temperatures. However,
very strict government-supervised conditions must be met. It is not recommended to rely
on home freezing to destroy trichina. Thorough cooking will destroy all parasites.
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Q.
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How can quality of foods by retained when freezing them?
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A.
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Foods frozen at the peak of their quality emerge tasting better than foods
frozen near the end of their useful life. Store all foods at 0°F or
lower to retain vitamin content, color, flavor, and texture.
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Q.
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How can freezer burn be prevented?
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A.
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Freezer burn is prevented through proper packaging. It is safe to freeze meat or poultry
directly in its supermarket wrapping but this type of wrap is permeable to
air. Unless you will be using the food in a month or two, overwrap these packages. Use
airtight heavy-duty foil, plastic wrap or freezer paper, or place the package inside
a plastic bag. Use these materials or airtight freezer containers to repackage family packs into
smaller amounts or to freeze food from opened packages. If a package
is torn or opened while in the freezer, it is still safe to use. Overwrap or rewrap it.
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Q.
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Should meat and poultry be rinsed before freezing?
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A.
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No, it is not necessary to rinse meat and poultry before freezing.
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Q.
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Does freezer burn make food unsafe?
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A.
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Freezer burn does not make food unsafe, merely dry in spots. It appears as grayish-brown
leathery spots and is caused by air reaching the surface of the food. Cut the freezer-burned
portions away either before or after cooking the food. Heavily freezer-burned foods may have
to be discarded for quality reasons.
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Q.
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How can I prevent large ice crystals from forming throughout the food?
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A.
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Freeze food as fast as possible. Rapid freezing prevents large ice crystals from forming
throughout the product because the molecules don't have time to take their
positions in the characteristic six-sided snowflake. Slow freezing creates large, disruptive
ice crystals. During thawing, they damage the cells and dissolve emulsions. This causes meat
to "drip" and lose juiciness. Emulsions such as mayonnaise and cream will separate
and appear curdled.
Ideally, a food that is 2" thick should freeze completely in about 2 hours. If your home
freezer has a "quick freeze" shelf, use it. Never stack packages to be frozen.
Instead, spread them out in one layer on various shelves, stacking them only after frozen solid.
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Q.
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How long can foods be frozen?
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A.
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Because freezing keeps food safe almost indefinitely, recommended storage times are for quality
only. See this chart for a listing of the recommended
storage time for some foods. For foods not listed, you may determine its quality after
defrosting. First check the odor. Some foods will develop a rancid or off odor when frozen
too long and should be discarded. Some may not look picture perfect or be of high enough
quality to serve alone but may be edible; use them in soups or stews.
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Q.
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How can food be safely defrosted?
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A.
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Never defrost foods in a garage, basement, car, dishwasher or plastic garbage bag. Never
defrost foods out on the kitchen counter, outdoors or on the porch. These methods can leave
your foods unsafe to eat.
There are three safe ways to defrost food: in the refrigerator, in cold water or in the
microwave. It's best to plan ahead for slow, safe thawing in the refrigerator.
For faster defrosting, place food in a leak proof plastic bag and immerse it in cold water.
(If the bag leaks, bacteria from the air or surrounding environment could be introduced
into the food. Tissues can also absorb water like a sponge, resulting in a watery product.)
Check the water frequently to be sure it stays cold. Change the water every 30 minutes.
After thawing, refrigerate the food until ready to use.
When microwave defrosting, plan to cook it immediately after thawing because some areas
of the food may become warm and begin to cook during microwaving. Holding partially
cooked food is not recommended because any bacteria present wouldn't have been destroyed.
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Q.
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Can food thawed in the refrigerator be refrozen without cooking?
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A.
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Yes, although there may be a loss of quality due to the moisture lost through defrosting. After
cooking raw foods which were previously frozen, it is safe to freeze the cooked foods. And if
previously cooked foods are thawed in the refrigerator, you may refreeze the unused portion.
If you purchase previously frozen meat, poultry or fish at a retail store, you can
refreeze if it has been handled properly.
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