March is National Frozen Food Month

Food preservation in cold temperatures has been practiced since the early days of mankind, although not as effortlessly as today when we have powerful freezers, polythene bags and plastic containers, freezer labels and other utensils that help us better preserve food. We also have the knowledge of how to do it properly.

Freezing food stops bacterial growth, so in theory food can be used indefinitely. However, we know from experience that quality of food degenerates over time, even frozen food. For that reason, it is important to follow these recommended storage times for frozen food in your freezer.

I find it curious that under “what not to freeze” the author does not recommend vacuum packing products before freezing. I have found that placing my food in a FoodSaver
plastic vacuum pack is an excellent way to add several months of freezer storage time to my meat, fruit and vegetables.  The same goes for storing coffee and blanched potatoes in the freezer.

Use your own judgement and don’t be afraid to try new ways of freezer storage.

To make sure defrosted food is as fresh, nutritious and tasty as before freezing it, there are certain rules to follow. For example:

• // Food should always be frozen at the peak of its ripeness / freshness;
• // Some types of food do not freeze well, such as eggs in shell or uncooked potatoes;
• // Consider purchasing inexpensive plastic storage containers;
• //  Liquids expand in cold temps, so it’s important to leave enough room in the container when freezing beverages, etc.

Most importantly, we must know how long we can keep each type of food in the freezer before it loses its taste or even becomes unsafe to eat because of freezer burn (if air gets in).

See other articles from PreparednessMama about freezing food – Fruity Success, the Do’s & Dont’s of Freezing Fruit – To Blanch or Not to Blanch: Freezing Vegetables – 8 Chest Freezer Organization ideas – Freezing Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice – Stock Your Freezer: Freezing Berries – Using a FoodSaver to Freeze Chicken

The following infographic is created as a guide to help you figure out how long you can keep your food products in the freezer. Keep it on your fridge or freezer for quick reference when planning meals.

freezerlabels.net

Amazon Products mentioned in this article, thanks for supporting PreparednessMama:

PreparednessMama

Preparedness Mama and its collaborators have created a one-stop shop of critical resources for families looking to prepare for disaster. We know firsthand that getting ready for the worst with a big family poses some particular challenges.

 

We’ve learned from the past so that you don’t have to make the same mistakes again. Fear of the unknown is one of the scariest things in life, but we hope that Preparedness Mama’s treasure trove of practical advice will make that unknown less daunting and ultimately help take the scared out of being prepared for every single one of our readers.