Home freezing
Only freeze fresh food which is in a
good condition.
Hints on home freezing
– The following types of food
are
suitable
for freezing:
Fresh meat, poultry, game, fish,
vegetables, herbs, fresh fruit, dairy
products, pastry, leftovers, egg
yolks, egg whites and a range of
pre-cooked meals.
– The following types of food
are not
suitable
for freezing:
Grapes, lettuce, radishes, sour
cream, mayonnaise, eggs in their
shells, onions, whole raw apples and
pears.
– To retain colour, taste and vitamin C,
vegetables should be blanched after
they have been trimmed and
washed.
To blanch: bring a large saucepan of
water to the boil, immerse the
vegetables in the fast boiling water
for 2-3 minutes, depending on
variety. Remove, and plunge into
ice-cold water to cool quickly. Drain
and pack ready for freezing.
– Lean meat freezes better than fatty
meat, and can be stored for
considerably longer.
– To prevent chops, steaks, cutlets or
rolled meat from freezing together in
solid blocks when packed, separate
with a sheet of plastic freezer film.
– Do not season fresh food or
blanched vegetables before
freezing. Only season cooked food
lightly before freezing, but care
should be taken as the taste of some
spices alters when frozen.
– Do not place hot food or drinks in the
freezer. This causes already frozen
food to thaw, and increases the
energy consumption considerably.
Allow hot food and drinks to cool
down before placing them in the
freezer.
Packaging
^
Freeze food in portions.
Unsuitable packaging material
- wrapping paper
- grease-proof paper
- cellophane
- bin bags
- plastic carrier bags
Suitable packaging material
- plastic freezer film
- freezer bags
- aluminium foil
- freezer containers
^
Expel as much air as possible from
bags etc. before sealing them, to
prevent freezer-burn on food.
^
Close the packaging tightly with
- rubber bands
- plastic clips
- string or bag ties
- freezer tape.
Freezer bags may also be sealed
using home heat sealing kits.
Freezing and storing food
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