Home freezing
Only freeze food that is fresh and in
good condition!
Hints for home freezing
–
The following types of food are
suitable for home freezing:
fresh meat, poultry, game, fish,
vegetables, herbs, fresh fruit, dairy
products, baked goods, leftovers,
egg yolks, egg whites and most
pre-cooked meals.
–
The following types of food are not
suitable for freezing:
grapes, lettuce, radishes, sour
cream, mayonnaise, eggs in the
shell, onions, whole raw apples and
pears.
– To retain colour, taste, flavour and
vitamin C, vegetables should be
blanched prior to freezing. To
blanch, immerse small batches of the
vegetable in boiling water for 2 to 3
minutes. Remove the vegetable and
plunge into cold water to cool
quickly. Transfer to a colander and
drain.
–
Lean meat freezes better than fatty
meat and can be stored for
considerably longer.
–
To prevent chops, cutlets, and
steaks from sticking together in solid
blocks, separate them with a sheet of
plastic film.
–
Do not salt or season raw foods or
blanched vegetables before
freezing. Cooked food may be
seasoned lightly before freezing, but
note that the flavour of some spices
deteriorates when frozen.
–
Do not place very warm or hot foods
or beverages in the freezer to
prevent already frozen food from
thawing and to save energy.
Packing
^
Freeze food in portions.
Suitable packing materials:
– plastic film
– freezer bags (polyethylene)
– aluminum foil
– freezer containers.
Unsuitable packing materials:
– packing paper
– parchment paper
– cellophane
– garbage bags
– plastic shopping bags.
^ Expel as much air as possible from
the package before sealing.
^
Close the packaging tightly with
– rubber bands
– plastic clips
– string or bag ties
– freezer tape.
Polyethylene freezer bags can also
be sealed with home sealing kits.
^
Label the package with the contents
and the date of freezing.
Freezing and storing food
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