2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Compared to other methods, freezing food is the best and safest way to store food, while retaining the maximum nutritional value and benefits of food. The time will come soon to harvest fresh berries, fruits and vegetables. Therefore, let's remember the basic rules for storing frozen foods in refrigerators and freezers
Refrigerator parameters
The temperature at which frozen foods can be stored without fear of the consequences for their health is minus 18 ° C and below. It is this characteristic that you should pay attention to if you are just going to purchase a new refrigerator-freezer for long-term storage of food.
Important! Freeze berries and fruits as soon as possible after picking them from bushes and trees. It is recommended to blanch the food before freezing vegetables. To do this, the vegetable must be washed, cut and dipped in boiling water for 30 seconds. Then cool and only then freeze.
How to use the shelves in the freezer
In modern refrigerators with a built-in freezer, the latter is equipped with shelves. It is necessary to organize storage on them as follows:
• use one for freezing and long-term storage, • and the other for daily use.
Do not put unfrozen food on the shelf intended for long-term storage, because the temperature there will rise. Also, cool the food before freezing it. For example, in the winter on the balcony, and in the summer in cold water.
Use containers, bags and date stickers
Freeze food in small portions. This applies to both semi-finished meat products and vegetable, fruit, berry preparations. Firstly, this will make the freezing process faster. And secondly, this is important so that you can immediately get the right portion and use it for cooking. Instead of defrosting a large bag in order to take a little, and then send the semi-thawed workpiece to the freezer again. The quality of the product suffers from this.
Use containers or plastic bags to freeze in portions. Also on the boxes and sachets it is worth writing the date of freezing. This way you will know which product should be consumed faster, and which one else can lie down and wait in the wings.
Freezer: should you fill it to capacity?
There are fundamental differences in how to store food in the refrigerator and freezer. In the refrigerator, it is important that there is air circulation between the stored food. When this does not happen, then there is no cooling of the food.
In the freezer, on the contrary, it is desirable that it is full and there is no empty space. If there is not enough food, you should fill the empty spaces with ice packs. You can make them yourself - they can be bottles of water or brine. They will not only help keep food in the right condition, but will also help maintain the required temperature in the event of a power outage. And they will be useful for first aid for bruises, injuries.
If there is free space in the freezer, the hostess will always find something else to freeze, besides the food intended for storage. For example, this way you can harvest peeled and chopped or grated vegetables intended for soups - carrots, beets, bell peppers.
Advice. To prevent onions from making you cry, freeze them before cutting them. And a tear will not flow!
You can also freeze ready-made meals that you didn't have time to eat right away. For example, pancakes are well stored in the freezer. Various sauces made from fresh products, such as dill and avocado sauces, can also be stored well.
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