Freezing food is good, but freezing it is good is better !
there are some basic rules, the b.a.-ba of freezing, in order to preserve all their nutritional values.
Enjoying a small dish simmered by you after a long day of work, it's possible! Just follow a few tips:
Almost everything! But be careful, I always prefer the freshest foods:
- The meat :Degrease it as much as possible, because fat tends to go rancid quickly. For my poultry, I stuff the inside with aluminum foil to prevent any deformation.
Storage period :6 months for fat (pork, lamb, mutton…) and 10 to 12 months for lean (beef, poultry, veal…)
- The fish :if it is raw, it must be frozen very quickly, preferably immediately after fishing, because its flesh is particularly fragile. Otherwise, I freeze it cooked. For whole fish, I drain, rinse and dry them before freezing.
Storage period :3 months for the fattest (salmon, tuna, mackerel…) and 6 months for the leanest (sole, sea bream or even hake…)
- Vegetables :I blanch them for 2 to 5 minutes in boiling water, then drain and dry them. Some vegetables, such as whole tomatoes or zucchini do not tolerate freezing well. On the other hand, preparing it as a coulis or puree, it lends itself very well!
Storage period :8 to 10 months
- Fruit :raw, just rinse and dry. Some fruits such as peaches or apricots are best kept frozen in syrup.
Storage period :8 to 10 months
- Cooked meals :when preparing them, I salt them lightly and I avoid adding too many spices. Freezing changes the flavor of herbs and it is best to check its seasoning when tasting it.
Storage period :2 to 3 months.
A golden rule to follow:all packaging must be perfectly clean.
Food containers, plastic bags or even aluminum trays, I only use perfectly airtight products to preserve all the flavor of my food.
I freeze them in small batches so that the cold seizes them more quickly and I never freeze a food that is still hot, because it will raise the temperature of my freezer.
Which foods should I ban?
Yoghurts, mayonnaise, fresh milk, boiled eggs, cakes made from egg whites as well as minced meat are not welcome in our freezer, as they lose all flavor and nutritional value.
One very important point remains:never refreeze a food that has already been frozen, as this promotes the proliferation of bacteria and can be dangerous to your health by causing serious food poisoning.
If you have any additional suggestions or tips for me, please let me know your comments!
