We pull out that package of fruit, vegetables, or beef steak and realize that it looks awful. The food is now covered in ice, discoloured, and appears to have the moisture drawn completely out of it. Well that is indeed what occurs when this phenomenon hits your refrigerated foods. Freezer burn is a process of dehydration within frozen food products and it can affect any food that is in a freezer. It occurs when the moisture within frozen meat, fruit, or vegetable is drawn to the surface and turns to ice crystals there rather than staying within the food itself and maintaining that moisture there. The food isn't bad - It just is not as pretty or tasty as it could be.
The solution comes in knowing how to prevent freezer burn from occurring in the first place. There are three rules to keep in mind to help prevent burn from affecting the refrigerated foods in your freezer: 1. Insure adequate packaging. 2. Correct your freezer's temperature setting. 3. Insure that food is used within an appropriate time frame.
If you are packaging your own freezer foods try to remove as much air as possible from the package. You can do this either by using a straw to remove the air or by tightly double wrapping your food product before freezing it.
Most meats other than deli, bacon, or sliced meats, will store safely within your freezer for anywhere between four and twelve months. The longer food remains within your freezer the greater the chance of freezer burn occurring. It is therefor very important to insure that food is appropriately wrapped and dated before placing it within your deep freeze.
If foods are clearly labeled with the date that they were frozen then it is much easier to see which products should be consumed first. Remember that the longer food stays in a frozen state then the greater the likelihood of freezer burn occurring.
Regulate
the temperature of your freezer. Try to keep your freezer at a constant
temperature. There is a correct freezer temperature and maintaining
this setting will help to insure that your foods stay securely frozen
for as long as possible.
Most foods will keep very well if frozen at zero degree Fahrenheit (minus eighteen degree Celcius). Maintaining this constant temperature will help insure that your frozen foods remain safe for consumption. If temperatures in your freezer fluctuate above the zero degree Fahrenheit temperature then this will increase the likelihood of freezer burn occurring.
Seal it in:
Food is expensive. If you are alike myself then you take a lot of care to insure that you feed the best products to your family so follow these simple guidelines to help insure that your frozen foods remain as fresh as you are able to keep them.
Related Articles by Lorelei Cohen
Freezer burn is simply a process of dehydration. So why does this process affect some foods and not others? It can be so very frustrating. Although your freezer temperature is very cold, water evaporates at low temperatures as well as at high temperatures. If there is moisture within your freezer it will evaporate. This means that any liquid within frozen foods will evaporate if given the opportunity.
As most foods contain some degree of moisture within them, poor or loose packaging will allow the withdrawal of moisture from within your frozen food to occur quite rapidly unless you take steps to prevent it. You can prevent this by using a straw to draw excess air from your packaging pre-freezing or by using a vacuum sealer bagging system to insure it is.
If freezer burn does occur then your frozen foods will discolour and your food will appear to be dehydrated. The moisture from inside your food will instead rest outside of it as ice crystals. The now dehydrated meat or vegetable will often appear discoloured. As the moisture leaves the food oxygen molecules enter it and cause the food to alter in colour and taste.
Although the freezer burned food may now look as though it has gone bad these foods are generally still safe to eat. The food may however lose some of its flavour when the freezer burn occurs. The dehydrated freezer meats and vegetables may not be as appetizing in appearance or taste but as freezer burn is simply a process of dehydration the food is usually still safe to eat. These foods will generally rehydrate during the cooking process.
Freshness does count even in freezer foods so it is always best to keep your freezer foods as fresh as possible. Date your packages and don't overstock beyond what your family can consume in a reasonable time frame. If you have a garden there can often be an abundance of food in your harvest so preserving fruits and vegetables correctly can be a necessity.
As most foods contain some degree of moisture within them, poor or loose packaging will allow the withdrawal of moisture from within your frozen food to occur quite rapidly unless you take steps to prevent it. You can prevent this by using a straw to draw excess air from your packaging pre-freezing or by using a vacuum sealer bagging system to insure it is.If freezer burn does occur then your frozen foods will discolour and your food will appear to be dehydrated. The moisture from inside your food will instead rest outside of it as ice crystals. The now dehydrated meat or vegetable will often appear discoloured. As the moisture leaves the food oxygen molecules enter it and cause the food to alter in colour and taste.
Although the freezer burned food may now look as though it has gone bad these foods are generally still safe to eat. The food may however lose some of its flavour when the freezer burn occurs. The dehydrated freezer meats and vegetables may not be as appetizing in appearance or taste but as freezer burn is simply a process of dehydration the food is usually still safe to eat. These foods will generally rehydrate during the cooking process.
Freshness does count even in freezer foods so it is always best to keep your freezer foods as fresh as possible. Date your packages and don't overstock beyond what your family can consume in a reasonable time frame. If you have a garden there can often be an abundance of food in your harvest so preserving fruits and vegetables correctly can be a necessity.
The solution comes in knowing how to prevent freezer burn from occurring in the first place. There are three rules to keep in mind to help prevent burn from affecting the refrigerated foods in your freezer: 1. Insure adequate packaging. 2. Correct your freezer's temperature setting. 3. Insure that food is used within an appropriate time frame.
The number one rule for preventing freezer burn on meat, fruits, and vegetables is to tightly wrap your food. This way the water molecules are unable to escape and added oxygen molecules are not able to enter into the food product. If you are freezing pre-wrapped products then double wrapping them or placing them within a tightly sealed plastic bag will help prevent freezer burn from occurring.
If you are packaging your own freezer foods try to remove as much air as possible from the package. You can do this either by using a straw to remove the air or by tightly double wrapping your food product before freezing it.Most meats other than deli, bacon, or sliced meats, will store safely within your freezer for anywhere between four and twelve months. The longer food remains within your freezer the greater the chance of freezer burn occurring. It is therefor very important to insure that food is appropriately wrapped and dated before placing it within your deep freeze.
If foods are clearly labeled with the date that they were frozen then it is much easier to see which products should be consumed first. Remember that the longer food stays in a frozen state then the greater the likelihood of freezer burn occurring.
Most foods will keep very well if frozen at zero degree Fahrenheit (minus eighteen degree Celcius). Maintaining this constant temperature will help insure that your frozen foods remain safe for consumption. If temperatures in your freezer fluctuate above the zero degree Fahrenheit temperature then this will increase the likelihood of freezer burn occurring.
Seal it in:
Food is expensive. If you are alike myself then you take a lot of care to insure that you feed the best products to your family so follow these simple guidelines to help insure that your frozen foods remain as fresh as you are able to keep them.
Related Articles by Lorelei Cohen