Whether you have a chest freezer or upright model, the principles of successful freezing are the same
Cool foods completely before you freeze them. Freezing food when hot will only increase the temperature of the freezer and could cause other foods to start defrosting.
Only refreeze food if you’re cooking it in between when food’s defrosted, bacteria multiply quickly, especially at room temperature. if you freeze it again, the bacteria are more likely to reach harmful levels the second time. But, if you cook it first, the bacteria are killed off.
A full freezer is more economical to run , as – the cold air doesn’t need to circulate as much and less power is needed. Fill gaps with half-filled water bottles of fill the freezer with everyday items you’ll use, such as sliced bread or frozen peas.
Make sure you wrap foods properly or put them in sealed containers, otherwise your food may get freezer-burn.
Freeze food in realistic portions. You don’t want to defrost a stew big enough to feed eight when you’re only feeding a family of three.
Contrary to what many think, freezing doesn’t kill bacteria. if you’re unsure how long something has been frozen or are wary of it one defrosted, don’t take chances.
You get out what you put it – freezing won’t improve the quality of your food. Don’t freeze old food because you don’t want to bit it; the point of freezing is to keep food at its prime.
It may seem a brother at the time, but unless you label food, you might not remember what it is or when it was frozen. Buy a blue marker for raw foods and a red one for cooked foods. Label clearly and use abbreviations if needed. For example, a red ‘B’ means cooked Beef or blue F means raw fish. Always add the date it was frozen.
Any icy freezer is an inefficient one, so defrost it 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.
If there has been a power cut or you think the freezer has been turned off at some point, don’t open the door. Food should reamin frozen in the freezer for about 24 hours, leaving you time to get to the bottom of the problem.
