You can freeze almost any food. Exceptions are canned food or eggs in shells. However, once the food (such as a ham) is out of the can, you may freeze it. Being able to freeze food and being pleased with the quality after defrosting are two different things. Some foods simply do not freeze. Examples are mayonnaise, cream sauce and lettuce. Raw meat and poultry maintain their quality longer than their cooked counterparts because moisture is lost during cooking.
Is frozen food safe?
Food stored constantly at 0 degrees will always be safe. Only the quality suffers with lengthy freezer storage. Freezing preserves food for extended periods because it prevents the growth of microorganisms that cause both food spoilage and foodborne illness.
Does freezing destroy bacteria?
Freezing inactivates any microbes — bacteria, yeasts and molds — present in food. Once thawed, however, these microbes can again become active, multiplying under the right conditions to levels that can lead to foodborne illness. Since they will then grow at about the same rate as microorganisms on fresh food, you must handle thawed items as you would any perishable food.
Does freezing take nutrients out of meat and poultry?
No, the freezing process does not destroy nutrients in these foods.
What is the best way to package foods you want to freeze?
Proper packaging helps maintain quality and prevent freezer burn. It is safe to freeze meat or poultry directly in its original packaging; however, this type of wrap is permeable to air and quality may diminish over time. For prolonged storage, overwrap these packages as you would any food for long term storage. It is not necessary to rinse meat and poultry. Freeze unopened vacuum packages as is. If you notice that a package has accidentally been torn or has opened while food is in the freezer, the food is still safe to use, merely overwrap or rewrap it.
Does freezer burn mean it is not safe to eat?
Freezer burn does not make food unsafe; it just makes it dry in some spots. It appears as grayish-brown leathery spots and is caused by air coming in contact with the surface of the food. Cut freezer-burned portions away either before or after cooking the food. Heavily freezer-burned foods may have to be discarded for quality reasons.
Why does food change color when it is frozen?
The bright red color of meat purchased usually turns dark or pale brown depending on its variety. This may be due to lack of oxygen, freezer burn or abnormally long storage.
Freezing does not usually cause color changes in poultry. However, the bones and the meat near them can become dark. Bone darkening results when pigment seeps through the porous bones of young poultry into the surrounding tissues when the poultry meat is frozen and thawed.
The dulling of color in frozen vegetables and cooked foods is usually the result of excessive drying due to improper packaging or over-length storage.
Hot Pumpkin Drink
Makes 3 Servings
120 Calories per Serving
Ingredients:
2 ½ cups milk
1/3 cup pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons maple or pancake syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Directions:
- Combine all ingredients in a saucepan.
- Stir constantly until hot with a whisk or fork over medium heat. This will take 6-8 minutes.
- Froth the pumpkin drink right before serving if desired.
Tips: Use any type of milk. Strain through a fine mesh sieve before serving if you want a smoother drink. Nonfat dairy milk was used in the calorie count for this recipe.
Autumn Soup
Makes 6 Servings
210 Calories per Serving
Ingredients:
1 butternut squash (about 4 pounds)
1 tablespoon oil
1 onion, diced
2 apples, peeled, cored and sliced
4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
4 ounces Neufchatel cream cheese, cubed
Directions:
Return soup to saucepan and add cheese. Cook and stir with a whisk until cheese is smooth.
- Wash squash and pat dry with a paper towel. Prick sin 6-8 times with a knife or fork. Place squash on a microwave safe plate and microwave for 5 minutes.
- When the skin of the squash is cool enough to touch, cut off the top and bottom of the squash. Cut off peel and cut half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds. Cut squash into cubes.
- Heat oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add onion and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add squash, apples and chicken broth. Heat to boil and then reduce heat to medium low. Cover and cook for 25 minutes until squash and apples are tender.
- Blend soup until smooth using an immersion blender, blender, or food processor.
Interested in free nutrition education lessons from OSU Extension Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program? Contact Nancy Lyons at 937-206-5250 or lyons.489@osu.edu.
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