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less than personally inventing the refrigerator. Imagine you always have to run to the grocery store every time your stomach rumbles because you have no way to store the groceries you bought last time. Yes, thank God for those food-preserving things called refrigerators/freezers.
Storing food in the freezer helps reduce waste, and with all that is going on around the world, it’s always a good idea to have food in bulk just in case another unforeseen event occurs. That means in today’s world, freezing your food is a must-have lifestyle. Not only will this help you prepare for any contingencies, but it will also help increase the shelf life of your food.
Well, now that we’ve covered that, let’s dive into creative and practical ways to preserve food in the freezer. From vegetables to protein and everything in between, this treatment will provide the much-needed food preservation knowledge you need to keep food fresher for longer.
Check out 7 practical tips for storing food in the freezer to maintain its freshness…
# first. Use a silicone ice cube tray
The best way to freeze stock or leftover drippings on pans is to place them in a silicone ice cube tray. This provides a witty way to use exactly the “cubes” you need for your next meal without having to defrost the entire batch.
# 2. Chop and freeze fruit
Do you have some overripe fruit? Well, don’t throw them out. Instead, cut them into smaller pieces and put them in the freezer. Then take them out to make when the next time you need to make a smoothie. For proper storage, Poosh recommend that you “Spare the fruit slices evenly on a baking tray and freeze them before transferring them to a silicone container for storage so the pieces don’t stick together.” Minced cuts of meat will stay fresh for three to four months. Don’t forget your bag date.
#3. Blanch the vegetables before putting them in the freezer
Have you ever put vegetables in the freezer and only found them lifeless? Sure, we all have. This is because the vegetables are not blanched first. To accomplish this, soak your vegetables or fruit in boiling water for about 2 minutes. Then proceed to soak them in ice water, if not, put them under cold running water. This will pause the cooking process. Then pat the vegetables dry and let them cool. Now it is ready to freeze. Blanching prevents oxidation and the unpleasant brown color it gives.
#4. Use a box to store food in the freezer
After making that delicious soup or stew, don’t rush to toss them in a large bin. Let them cool first, then you put them in a small container before freezing. This will ensure you only reheat the amount you need rather than defrosting the entire soup/stew, taking a portion, then putting it back in the freezer. Cooling after defrosting is a bad idea.
# 5. Label it properly before storing it in the freezer
It is true that storing your food in the freezer will keep it longer, even though everything has an expiration date. Usually, it’s convenient to grab the food closest to us and leave the food at the bottom of the freezer. Instead of doing this, use a permanent marker to mark the food name and expiration date. Also, periodically check randomly to see which foods have been in the freezer the longest, and then plan your meals around them. This helps you to be realistic and purposeful with your food consumption.
# 6. Avoid thin storage bags
Using freezer bags or microwaveable plastic dishes as opposed to regular plastic bags helps food stay fresher and slows down defrosting time. Plastic plates are the best option if you want to put food in the microwave right away. Finally, note that you should not cook food while it is still in the freezer bag.
#7. Raw butcher shop at the bottom
When storing food in the freezer, keep raw meat, fish, and seafood in the lower compartment of the freezer, which is also the coldest compartment. This avoids liquid from the meat dripping onto other foods in the freezer.
If storing food in the freezer is done properly, your cooking and eating becomes a lot easier. Indeed, you can enjoy fresh food longer.
Featured Image: Ello / Unsplash
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