Storing food in the freezer can be a convenient way to make things last longer. This can make it even more frustrating when the food that was supposed to stay preserved ends up pale and tasteless. This un-wanted freezing of food is called freezer burn and can happen when food is not stored properly in the freezer. To make it easy for you, we’ve compiled a list of different ways you can help prevent freezer burn.
How to Prevent Freezer Burn
Preventing food from going bad in the freezer can be a hard thing to remember, especially when you are in the middle of cooking or unpacking groceries. We’ll narrow it down to the 5 easiest and most effective techniques to prevent freezer burn.
1) Keep Your Freezer Below 0 Degrees
Freezer burn happens when the food you leave in the freezer is exposed to air. Water molecules inside the frozen food are turned into ice crystals and those crystals rise up to the top of the food giving it the paler look. This usually causes the food to go tasteless or taste metallic which makes it essentially useless.
The simplest way to prevent these ice crystals from forming is to keep your fridge below 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Food freezes faster at this temperature which causes smaller ice crystals to form. Smaller crystals are far less likely to cause freezer burn.
2) Double Wrap your Food
Are you wondering how to prevent freezer burn? Dehydrated food is your worst enemy when it comes to freezer burns. This is because a lack of water enables the burn to take over.
For this reason, keeping air out of your food is extremely important to burn prevention. The easiest way to take care of this is to seal your bags and containers airtight. This is far from full proof though and often air can remain behind. Instead, double wrap your food after sealing it airtight. This will add another layer of protection to your food from the freezer burns.
3) Use Proper Containers
Are you wondering how to prevent freezer burn on shrimp? Picking the proper container for your food can go a long way in preventing freezer burn from taking hold. Deciding which container to use can depend on what you are trying to freeze and how much of it you have. The goal for any potential container should be to expose the food to the least amount of air possible.
If you are freezing liquids, you should use the smallest containers you can find while still ensuring the liquid has to space to expand. If you are freezing solids you do not need any extra space at the top. If there is space in the container, make sure to cover the food with aluminum foil.
4) Keep Your Freezer Full
Keeping your freezer 75% full is another easy way you can help ensure freezer burn doesn’t take hold. At this threshold, your freezer can effectively maintain the right temperature it needs to.
The more you have in your freezer, the quicker food you add will freeze. This will not only protect your food from freezer burn but also lower the amount of energy your fridge requires to run. No one enjoys freezer burn Chicken!
5) Keep your Freezer Closed
Opening and closing your freezer door frequently can be a big cause of freezer burn. The constant temperature fluctuations make it harder for your food to stay frozen properly. If your food is freezing and unfreezing over and over it will make it much easier for freezer burn to take hold.
You can also get a spare freezer that is meant only for storing food frozen for a long period of time. This can help maintain your access to your more regularly frozen foods while ensuring your long-term frozen food isn’t impacted by freezer burn.
Freezer burn can be a huge hassle to deal with and could ruin a well-planned evening dinner at any time. Luckily, we’ve got you covered with the 5 best ways to prevent freezer burn from taking hold. From all of us at Dave Smith’s Appliances, have a wonderful week!
