Storing food in the freezer

Knowing how to get the best out your freezer helps with meal planning and avoiding food waste. 

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Freezing is a great way to store food. It will help you save money by planning ahead. And it will help you to cut the amount of food you waste if you get it in the freezer before it goes off.

If food is properly frozen it will stay safe to eat indefinitely, although after a time the taste and texture may suffer.

Whether you have a chest freezer or upright freezer, the principles of good freezing are the same.

What is the correct storage time and temperature for foods in my freezer?

Storage times for frozen foods differs depending on the type of food and type of freezer you have. Freezers have a star rating to let you know how long the food can safely be stored. You should check the star rating, as well as the instructions on packaged frozen food. This will allow you to work out how long you can store the packaged frozen food in your freezer. Also, be aware that freezers should ideally run at -18°C.

Freezer star ratings * Frozen food compartment  Runs at - 6° C and should only store food for up to one week ** Frozen food compartment Runs at -12° C and should only store food for up to one month *** Frozen food compartment Runs at -18° C and should only store food for up to three months **** Freezer Runs at -18° C and is suitable for long-term storage (three months or longer)

 

Food you can freeze

Please note freezer storage times are for quality only. Frozen food will remain safe indefinitely if frozen properly.

Food type

Recommended freezing time frames (if your freezer runs at -18oC)

Uncooked meat  (roasts, steaks, chops etc)

4-12 months

Uncooked mince meat

3-4 months

Cooked meat

2-3 months

Cured meats (ham & bacon )

1-2 months

Uncooked poultry (chicken, turkey etc)

9-12 months

Cooked poultry

4 months

Fish-raw & cooked

2-4 months

Frozen dinners ( e.g. lasagne, pizza, shepherd&#;s pie)

3-4 months

Soups, stews and casseroles

2-3 months

Milk

Up to 1 month  

Butter

Up to 3 months

Grated cheese

Up to 4 months

Vegetables

Up to 12 months

Fruit

Up to 6 months

Eggs &#; either separate the yolk and white, or beat the eggs before freezing

Up to 6 months

Cakes and baked goods without icing

6-8 months

Bread

Up to 3 months

Raw pastry

6 months

Food you can't freeze

Some foods simply are not freezer friendly.

Foods with a crumb base

These can go soggy when defrosted and reheated

Vegetables and fruits with a high water content, like lettuce, cucumber, bean sprouts, radishes and watermelons

These go limp and mushy

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Soft herbs, like parsley, basil and chives

These will go brown

Egg-based sauces, such as mayonnaise

They will separate and curdle

Milk based sauces

They will separate

Plain yogurt, low-fat cream cheese, single cream and cottage cheese

These will go watery

Raw eggs in their shells

These will expand and crack

Hard-boiled eggs

These go rubbery

Canned foods

 

Top tips for using your freezer

1. Cool the food before you freeze it

Freezing food when hot will raise the temperature of the freezer and could cause other foods to start defrosting. Dividing the food into smaller parts can speed up the cooling process.

2. Wrap the food properly or put it in sealed containers

If you do not seal your food it can get &#;freezer-burn&#;. This means that water escapes from the food and moves to the coldest part of the freezer &#; leaving your food dehydrated. While this affects the quality of the food, it will still be safe to eat.

3. Freeze food in realistically sized portions

You don't want to have to defrost a stew big enough to feed eight when you're only feeding a family of three.

4. Label everything you freeze

If you don&#;t label foods or ingredients clearly, you might not remember what they are, let alone when you froze them. Buy a blue marker for raw foods and a red marker for cooked foods. Always add the date it was frozen.

5. Check the use-by date

Do not freeze any foods after their "use-by-date", because they will not be safe to eat.

6. Don&#;t let ice build up

An icy freezer is an inefficient one, so make sure you defrost your freezer if ice builds up. Don't worry about the food; most things will remain frozen in the fridge for a couple of hours while the freezer defrosts.

7. If in doubt, throw it out

Freezing does not kill bacteria. If you are not sure how long something has been frozen or are a bit wary of something once defrosted, don't take any chances.

8. Follow these steps to freeze fresh vegetables

• Boil a handful of vegetables at a time for 30 sec in a pot of boiling water - this will stop them going brown when frozen.
• Scoop them out into a bowl of heavily iced water - this is called blanching.
• Once chilled, drain the veg and scatter them onto a tray lined with kitchen paper.
• Freeze them on the tray and then transfer them to a freezer bag.
• Cook the vegetables from frozen in a large pan of boiling water. Do not steam them, as they tend to go soggy.

When fruits and vegetables are in season, that's when they taste the best and usually cost the least. That's why it's a good idea to learn how to properly freeze fruits and vegetables so you can enjoy their flavor and freshness long after the season's over. Read on to get tips for freezing, storing, and thawing fruits and vegetables.

Quick Tips: How to Freeze Fruits and Vegetables

Meredith

• Choose produce that's ripe and unblemished.
• Before freezing vegetables, blanch and shock vegetables by boiling them briefly, drain, then plunge into ice water. Dry thoroughly. Why blanch and shock? Blanching prevents enzymes from damaging color, flavor, and nutrients. Blanching also destroys microorganisms that might be lingering on the surface of produce.
• Freeze fruits and vegetables quickly by spreading them in a single layer on a rimmed sheet pan.
• When the produce is frozen solid, store in air-tight containers or freezer bags. Fill hard-sided containers to the top and remove as much air as possible from freezer bags. Be sure to date the packages.
• Fruits and vegetables freeze best at 0 degrees F or colder.

How to Freeze Fruit

• Wash fruits and set aside damaged fruit. Some fruits freeze best with a sugar or sugar-syrup preparation. Blueberries, currants, and cranberries do fine without sugar.
• To freeze delicate berries like strawberries or raspberries: Arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Once frozen, transfer to a plastic freezer bag or container. You can also prepare delicate berries with sugar or sugar syrup.
• For fruits that tend to brown, like apples, peaches, nectarines and apricots, treat with ascorbic acid (Vitamin C). Look for the powdered form in health food stores, drugstores, and some grocery stores in the vitamin aisle. To make an ascorbic acid wash: Dissolve 1/2 teaspoon of ascorbic acid powder (or finely crushed vitamin C tablets) in 3 tablespoons water. Sprinkle this mixture over the cut fruit. An acceptable substitute: Slice the fruit and dip the slices in an acidulated water bath &#; about one quart water plus a tablespoon of lemon juice &#; before drying and freezing.

How to Freeze Vegetables

• Vegetables that hold up well to cooking (corn, peas) generally freeze well.
• To freeze vegetables, first blanch them briefly in boiling water. Then quickly submerge the vegetables in ice water to prevent them from cooking. Dry thoroughly on paper towel-lined sheet pans. See more on how to blanch and shock vegetables.
• Freeze vegetables quickly by spreading them in a single layer on a rimmed sheet pan.
• When the produce is frozen solid, store in air-tight containers or freezer bags. Fill hard-sided containers to the top and remove as much air as possible from freezer bags. Be sure to date the packages.

Packing Produce for the Freezer

Blaine Moats/Meredith

• The key to packing fruits and vegetables for freezing is to keep moisture inside the package and air outside. Contact with air can cause changes in flavor and color. Pack fruit and vegetables in air-tight containers or moisture-proof, heavy-duty freezer bags, and force out as much air as possible. Wrap freezer bags in heavy-duty foil and seal with freezer tape. Stay away from plastic sandwich bags, which are not heavy-duty enough.
• A few hours before adding food to the freezer, set the freezer to its coldest setting. And don't overload the freezer (it will slow the freezing process).

How Long Will Frozen Produce Last in the Freezer?

Jason Donnelly/Meredith

Store frozen fruits for about a year; vegetables, about 18 months. (Storing longer is fine, but the quality may decline.)

Thawing Frozen Fruits and Vegetables

France C

Most vegetables can go directly from freezer to boiling water, though corn does best when allowed to thaw a bit first. Fruits are best when allowed to thaw at room temperature. Delicate berries can turn mushy when thawed completely, so consider using them before they're thoroughly thawed, such as for baking, in smoothies, or as a topping for ice cream or yogurt.

When frozen, the water in fruits and vegetables expands, causing ice crystals to puncture and break cell walls. As a result, some fruits and vegetables tend to get mushy when thawed. To reduce the amount of cellular damage, freeze produce as quickly as possible: Colder temperatures produce smaller ice crystals, which do less damage to cell walls. The "mushy factor" is also why we recommend using frozen fruits before they have completely thawed.

If you want to learn more, please visit our website Frozen Fruits And Vegetables.