Storing your food in the freezer is a great way to preserve food and reduce waste. However, frozen food can get freezer burn. So, how do you prevent freezer burn?
To prevent freezer burn on food storage, only freeze food for up to 1-2 months. Rotate the food in the freezer and avoid thawing and refreezing the food multiple times. Use freezer-tight containers or storage bags and make sure to set the freezer to the proper temperature.
Here are some things that you can do to prevent your stored food from getting freezer-burned.
What Causes Freezer Burn?
Freezer burn is caused by a process called sublimation. Frozen food loses moisture over time because there is a lack of humidity and an increased amount of airflow. The food becomes dehydrated as the water molecules rise to the surface of the food. This causes dryness, discoloration, and ice crystals. Freezer-burned food is still safe to eat, but the flavor and texture of the food will change because of it.
How to Identify Freezer Burn
Freezer-burned food typically has a lot of ice crystals. The color of freezer-burned food will also be duller than when you first put the food in the freezer. When fruits and vegetables are freezer-burned, they will be noticeably dry and shriveled. Baked goods and certain grains will develop a rougher texture. When ice cream becomes freezer-burned, ice crystals form on the top layer and the flavor changes.
When meat gets freezer burned, it loses its moisture and becomes a grey-brown color. It will also look dry and patchy in some spots.
Prepare the Food
Never put hot food in the freezer. If you store hot foods in the freezer, the temperature in the freezer will rise, which will then cause the surrounding food to thaw and refreeze again, which will significantly increase the likelihood of freezer burn. Moisture will also gather on top of the food and the container it is being stored in, increasing the likelihood of freezer burn.
Allow your foods to cool off in the fridge before storing them in the freezer. It’s best to cool your foods to 70 degrees Fahrenheit within 2 hours of cooking or 41 degrees Fahrenheit within 4 hours of cooking.
Before freezing fruit, boil it for 3-5 minutes. Then, drain the fruit and submerge them in ice water. Dry the fruit properly before storing it in the freezer.
Use Airtight Storage Containers
Using airtight containers helps prevent exposure to air. You can put food that you are going to freeze in containers like freezer bags, freezer-ready plastic containers, freezer-safe glass containers, or a sealed vacuum bag. If you are freezing meat, it’s recommended that you wrap the meat in multiple layers of plastic wrap or tinfoil before putting it in the freezer.
If you are using a freezer bag and need help getting rid of any excess air, consider using a straw to suck the air out of the bag. Doing this will help prevent unwanted exposure to air and will prevent freezer burn.
Set the Freezer to the Proper Temperature
Setting your freezer to the right temperature will help you avoid freezer burn on your food storage because it will allow the food to freeze faster. The right temperature for your freezer is 0 degrees Fahrenheit or lower.
Many people think that setting a freezer to a colder temperature will cause freezer burn, but that is not true. If you live in a warm climate, regularly check the temperature of your freezer, as it might be higher than it used to be because of the high outside temperature.
Keep Freezer Door Closed
The more you open your freezer, the more likely it is that the cold airflow inside your freezer will fluctuate. When the foods warm up because of the freezer door being open often, your food will likely become freezer-burned. Be sure to close the freezer door quickly after getting food out of your freezer. Make sure that the door is firmly shut.
If your freezer door isn’t sealing properly, determine whether or not it can be locked. My parent’s garage freezer doesn’t seal properly, especially during the summer. Because of this, they lock it when they aren’t using it.
Keeping your freezer organized can also help limit the amount of time that your freezer door is open, which helps avoid any unwanted warm air from entering the freezer.
Rotate Food
If left in the freezer for very long periods of time, all foods are going to eventually get freezer burned no matter what you do to prevent it. That’s why it’s a good idea to rotate your freezer foods frequently. It’s also a good idea to label all of the food in your freezer with the date that it was frozen. This will help you stay organized and know what foods you need to eat first.
Avoid Thawing and Refreezing Food
When you thaw food, it loses moisture. Placing your food back in the freezer after it has been thawed will most likely lead to freezer burn. A good way to avoid this is to store your foods in small portions so you likely won’t have leftovers. It’s also a good idea to keep an eye on how long certain frozen items are left out so you can keep the temperature of the food from fluctuating drastically.
Avoid Long-term Storage
No matter how well you protect your food, if you leave it in the freezer for too long, it will still become freezer burned eventually. It’s best to only store food in the freezer for less than 6 months.
Overall, there are a lot of things that you can do to keep your food from getting freezer-burned. If you notice that the food being stored in your freezer has a lot of ice crystals on top, use it as soon as possible, as it is getting freezer-burned. Your food should still taste the way it should if it got freezer-burned, so long as long as it wasn’t freezer-burned for a long time.
