It’s time for part 2 of your journey to becoming a frozen foods MASTER!
To finish our 2-part series we’ll be talking about freezer safety do’s and don’ts (if you missed part 1, check it out here).
So let’s get FRESH and dive in 🙂
DO
- Cool hot dishes on the counter, not in the fridge or freezer. Why? A hot pot of soup can cause the temperature in your refrigerator to rise to an unsafe level for the other foods in there, and in the freezer could even potentially thaw some of the other frozen foods, degrading their quality through multiple re-freezes.
- Use Freeze-It PLUS® Containers. Specifically designed for fast freezing to preserve food’s texture, nutrients and taste—without staining!
- Keep track of the temperature in your freezer. The optimal temperature for food safety is -18°C/-0.4°F or lower.
- Place your foods that have been in the freezer the longest up front. This will help you consumes your oldest foods first.
DON’T
- Don’t seal your food to store it until completely cool. Doing so can slow the cooling process.
- Don’t thaw on the counter; instead, thaw in the refrigerator. This keeps food from reaching unsafe temperatures as the outside fully defrosts and reaches room temperature but middle remains frozen.
- Don’t thaw and refreeze your foods unless there is a cooking process in between. Cooked meals that have been frozen should be reheated to 165° F/75° C.
- Don’t freeze these items as their structure causes them not to freeze properly: Gelatin, milk-based sauces, mayonnaise, raw potatoes and yeast.
That’s a wrap! You can now call yourself a frozen foods master! (whoo!)
You can view the full Freeze-It PLUS® Containers set in our latest Winter & Spring Catalog 2018.
