When you put food in the freezer, it can get freezer-burned. However, no one wants to throw away food, even if it doesn’t look quite right. So, is it safe to eat freezer-burned food?
It’s completely safe to eat freezer-burned food. However, the flavor and texture might change and make the food less enjoyable. Freezer-burned foods have a distinct taste. This taste is often described as dry, gritty, and lacking flavor because the freezer removed all of the moisture.
Now that you know it’s completely safe to eat freezer-burned foods, let’s talk about when you should throw out frozen food and how to best salvage freezer-burned foods.
What is Freezer Burn?
Freezer burn is caused by ice crystals forming on the surface of the food. This makes it appear frostbitten, dull in color, and damaged. Freezer burn happens when frozen food is exposed to cold, dry air, causing it to become dry. The outer layer loses moisture and ice crystals form.
Freezer burn is partially caused by improper packaging and handling. If the food is left in the freezer for too long, freezer burn can develop. Dry air is more likely to affect the food in the freezer if it’s not sealed correctly or if the freezer frequently fluctuates in temperature. According to USDA, food that is stored at 0 degrees Fahrenheit is always safe to eat.
Are Freezer-Burned Foods Edible?
Freezer-burned food is completely edible and safe to eat. However, the flavor might be a little different than you expected and the texture will be a bit drier than normal, which is why many people throw away freezer-burned food.
When meat becomes freezer-burned, the tissue begins to change color and become leathery. Red meats have the tendency to turn red-brown or even grey-brown in color when freezer-burned. Poultry will likely become pale beige or grey beige. Fruits and vegetables have a higher water content than meat, which means that when it gets freezer-burned, it becomes dry and shriveled.
If your frozen meat smells bad or seems to be spoiled, don’t eat it. Food that has been spoiled is no longer safe to eat, even when kept in the freezer. Food can become spoiled in the freezer if the freezer door is accidentally left open or your leave meat at room temperature for 2-4 hours.
What Does Freezer-Burned Food Taste Like?
Freezer-burned foods are described as dry and slightly gritty. Depending on the food that has been affected by the freezer burn, it can also taste salty. The freezer-burned food typically has a leathery texture, and the flavor is usually unpleasant with a metallic or chemical flavor. The lack of flavor that freezer-burned food has is often caused by the dryness and leathery texture of the food.
However, if your food recently got freezer-burned, the flavor and texture might not be affected to the point that you can notice it.
When to Throw Away Freezer-Burned Foods
Severely freezer-burned food has a very distinct taste that is especially noticeable in raw food. If the food has been freezer burned for a long period of time, it may be best to throw it away.
If the food is so freezer-burned that you can’t tell what it is, it’s a good idea to throw it away, as you likely won’t want to eat it. Make sure to label all of your food before putting it into the freezer so you know what it is and when you put it in the freezer. If the food has been in the freezer for longer than 6 months, it will likely be so freezer-burned that you won’t want to eat it even though it is technically safe to eat.
If your food smells bad after you defrost it, it isn’t safe to eat. Throw it away immediately. If you don’t do so, the food will likely make you sick.
How to Salvage Freezer Burned Food
Although freezer-burned food is edible, it won’t taste very good most of the time. However, there are many ways that you can salvage freezer-burned food. Here are some of them.
- Use it in a Soup or Stew: One of the simplest ways to mask the bland taste of freezer-burned food is to put it in a soup or stew. It’s a good idea to cook the meat slowly so it can absorb the liquid in the soup or stew over time. This will greatly improve the flavor and texture of freezer-burned meat.
- Marinate the Food: Marinating your freezer-burned food in a sauce will help mask the bland taste of the food as well. Make sure to choose a marinade that is full of flavor and spices. Let the food sit in the marinade for at least 30 minutes before cooking it.
- Brine the Food: Brining is a process that uses a salty solution to rehydrate food. It also adds flavor. However, brining takes a long time. Most people recommend that you leave your meat in the brine mixture for about 2 days.
- Add Sugar, Spices, and Herbs: You can use a combination of sugar, spices, and herbs to cover up the bland freezer-burned taste of food.
Most of these tips won’t work for frozen desserts like ice cream. If you find that your ice cream has become freezer burned, consider putting it into a milkshake or other blended ice cream drink to get rid of the flaky texture that freezer-burned ice cream typically has. If your fruit is freezer-burned, put it into a smoothie.
Overall, if your food gets freezer-burned, you can still safely eat it. However, it isn’t safe to eat if it became spoiled because the freezer became warm while your food was in it. If your food looks like it went bad even though it was kept in the freezer, throw it away as soon as you determine that it went bad, as it will likely make you sick.
However, it is ultimately up to you whether or not you eat freezer-burned food. If you eat freezer-burned food in time, you likely won’t even notice that it was freezer-burned after you finish cooking or reheating it.
