Sunday 1 May 2011

7 Secrets to Successfully Freeze Food

If you know the secrets to successfully freezing food it is quite clear-cut when you sidestep the causes of freezer burn and loss of food. How many times have you taken an expensive roast out of your freezer to discover it is freezer burned beyond eating? Or unwrapped vegetables from your garden to discover them parched and white streaked? With the right food storage containers and some expertise, you can successfully freeze food you purchase in advance and it will cook up beautifully and hold on to its nutrients. This article reveals to you 7 secrets you need to know to successfully freeze food.

We all love to finding those bargains and stocking our freezers. And when the growing season is full on, or is coming to an end, you want to save some of those beautiful vegetables so abundant during the summer. You can care for your investment, your family's nutrition, and enjoyment of meals with the skills of properly freezing food.

Freezer Burn Prevention

What is freezer burn? Freezer burn appears as ice crystals on the food, with the food being discolored and dry. When food freezes, millions of water molecules within the food form ice crystals. These crystals will migrate through evaporation, which can mean out of the food and toward the walls of your freezer. This loss of water drys out the food. Oxygen enters the damaged food cells as water escapes, causing loss of color, nutrients and taste. And if temperatures are uneven the escaping water will thaw and refreeze, forming the crystals of ice you see. Freezer burned food is harmless to eat, but can be flavorless and the texture is unappetizing. So, what can you do to prevent freezer burn?

7 Secrets to Successfully Freeze Food

1. Keep your freezer below 0 degrees F and don't open it without a reason.

2. Never put hot food in the freezer. It causes dramatic warming and freezer burn on what is in there.

3. Freeze small amounts, not more than a pound per portion, and use food labels with the contents and the date!

4. Wrap meat tightly with heavy plastic, then aluminum foil, then pack in airtight containers.

5. Blanch and thoroughly drain vegetables, then pack tightly in plastic containers, "burping" out the air. Be sure to leave enough space for expansion during freezing, and seal the top with heavy plastic wrap before you snap on the lid.

6. With soups, leave expansion room at the top, and thoroughly cool. Seal the surface with plastic wrap before covering and freezing.

7. If your freezer is half full, fill containers with water, leaving expansion room, and freeze. This stabilizes freezer temperature.

To Recap: Use the proper supplies and methods and the food you freeze will remain flavorful until you are ready to cook it. Food storage containers tailored for freezing are available now that are FDA approved. These plastics contain no BPA or risky chemicals and are often manufactured to be safe to go from freezer to microwave. Divide out the food you are preparing to freeze in no more than one pound amounts. Fill the containers close to the top, leaving expansion room. Seal the surface of the food with freezer rated plastic wrap and mark them with dates and contents. If you acquire a diverse size set of food storage containers, you will be able to properly load your freezer. Freezers do their work best when packed full.

With these 7 secrets to successfully freeze food you won't ever again have to see a carefully planned meal undone because your ingredients are destroyed by freezer burn. And now it's simple to acquire just the right things you need to preserve your food at its peak.

Save yourself money and frustration by using these secrets to successfully freeze food and employ the best quality procedures and food storage methods. And did you know you can stock your freezer and economically buy groceries online now to be delivered to your front door? Click here because Life IS getting easier!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carolyn_Elizabeth_Blake

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