Five Tips to Prevent Freezer Burn
Freezer burn is the outcome of frozen food losing its moisture as a result of poor wrapping.
When food is frozen as a method of preservation thousands and thousands of water molecules within the steak form ice crystals. These water molecules prefer the most hospitable environment, the coldest place in your freezer. The molecules migrate from the steak to the coldest place they can find, which is often the side of your freezer. The loss of these water molecules causes the steak to become dehydrated. The end result is freezer burn.
Five useful tips to make sure you never have to deal with freezer burn again.
- Wrap your freezer-bound food twice, with as little air as possible. First wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then in a freezer bag, squeezing out as much air as you can.
- Keep your cold storage well organized. That way, you don’t have to keep the door open for 5 minutes every time you look for something, avoiding temperature fluctuations as much as possible. Self—defrosting models of freezers ae worse for freezer burn.
- Do not put hot foods directly in the freezer, let them cool first.
- Keep your freezer full, but not too full. At about three-quarters capacity, the freezer is most efficient at maintaining its cool. Pack it more, and the air won’t circulate properly. The more you have in your freezer, the easier it is (and less energy it takes) to keep food cold, since the frozen food itself actually chills its fellow food. Even if you don’t have enough stuff to fill your freezer, fill some plastic bottles or jugs with water (about 75% full) and put them in freezer to fill the space.
- Invest in a vacuum-sealer. It sucks out all the air around the food before freezing, which makes a big difference in longevity.
Although colour, texture and taste all suffer when freezer burn strikes, it does not render the food inedible, it’s still perfectly safe.
To rescue freezer burnt provisions, try concealing it in flavorful mixed dishes with lots of liquids.
http://www.foodnetwork.ca/kitchen-basics/blog/5-tips-to-prevent-freezer-burn/?cid=sf95276894+sf95276894&sf95276894=1
