It’s 6:30 p.m. and, desperate for a quick dinner fix, you’re rummaging through the freezer. Here’s what you find:
a pint of ice cream; frozen waffles; a bag of peas; about 15 foil-wrapped, positively unidentifiable lumps of frozen stuff; and a couple of unfamiliar plastic containers. Admit it — it’s happened to you. Do you risk defrosting one of the mystery packages, or are you going to have frozen waffles with a side of peas? In order to keep your frozen foods tasting great long after you bring them home, follow these handling suggestions:
Defrost and clean your freezer at least once a year. This will help prevent ice build up, which lowers its efficiency and makes it work harder.
Freezer burn may look a little scary, but it won’t affect the safety of your frozen foods. It does affect the quality, however, causing them to be too dry. Trim off any freezer-burned portions of food you’re preparing before you thaw and reheat it.
Be careful not to jam pack your freezer so that the cold air can circulate around the packages properly. A good rule of thumb to follow is no more than 2 to 3 pounds of food per cubic foot of freezer capacity.
Store most foods — especially meats — inside the freezer rather than on the freezer door, where the temperature isn’t as cold. The door is fine for certain things like juice concentrate, but not for T-bone steaks!
Don’t think you’ll eat leftovers within a couple days? Put them in an airtight container and freeze for yet another frozen dinner at your convenience.
If your freezer is half empty, you’ll need to add some plastic bottles, three-quarters filled with water. This will help reduce temperature variation within your freezer and prevent the temperature from dropping sharply when the door is opened.
Coffee (ground or beans) stays much fresher in the freezer than on the counter or in the cupboard. Since coffee doesn’t freeze, it’s ready for instant use without thawing.
Empty your ice cube tray frequently. Freezer smells accumulate in ice — especially those crystals in the bottom of the ice bin — which can make everything else smell less fresh.
Clearly mark your frozen food products with the date of purchase and the date you froze them, so you can keep inventory of when you froze those pork chops. See our chart below for more information on how long some foods will keep in the freezer.
Your freezer should be set to 0??qF to ensure the proper preservation of foods. Consider using an appliance thermometer to check the temperature.
Quick Guide to Freezer Shelf Life
• Roast Beef: 12 months
• Ground Beef Burgers: 3 months
• Bacon: 1 month
• Lamb: 12 months
• Lamb Patties: 3 months
• Whole Chicken/Turkey: 12 months
• Pork Roast: 8 months
• Veal Roast: 8 months
• Most Vegetables: 8 months
• Peas/Lima Beans: 12 months
• Bread/Rolls: 3 months
• Ice Cream: 2 months
• Individually Wrapped Bars of Ice Cream: 3 months
Artwork is for display purposes only and does not necessarily reflect specific items. Not responsible for typographical errors.
Visit Big Y’s Patisserie for a delectable selection of fresh-baked seasonal sweets!
