Do you use your freezer a lot? Then these big mistakes may look familiar to you… Read them through and make sure you don't make the same mistakes, it's better for your health and the environment!
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Believe it or not, a full freezer can hold the cold better than an empty freezer. When the freezer is full, the food helps to retain the cold temperature, reducing the freezer's hard work to keep the temperature down. Make sure that you do not fill the freezer to the brim, because there must be room for air for the freezer to do its job properly.
The most ideal temperature for is a maximum of 0 degrees, so set your freezer as low as possible. This is best for the long term and the safety of the food you keep in the freezer. Do you get problems with your biceps from scraping your ice buckets? Then store them in the door of the freezer, where the temperature is slightly higher than in the rest of the freezer.
Do you regularly thaw your chicken breasts on the counter when you go to work in the morning? Trust us, you're not alone… But it's not very helpful when it comes to food safety. Defrosting poultry, fish or red meat on the counter for too long puts the meat in the danger zone, which means that bacteria can develop before the meat is completely thawed. It is therefore wiser to let the meat thaw slowly in the refrigerator.
Most freezers don't have the handy drawers, shelves and trays that our fridges do. Why does that matter? Fast-forward two years, when you pull a plastic bag containing an unidentifiable object from the back of your freezer. Fortunately, you can also buy some plastic containers yourself to organize your freezer in a smarter way and to prevent food from being left in the freezer for too long.
Instead of storing all your blueberries, bananas and burgers in fresh bags in the freezer, it's smarter to first freeze them in a layer on a baking tray. Give them a chance to freeze completely - it will take about 24 hours - and then transfer everything to a bag or container. This prevents you from wanting to eat a few loose blueberries, but having to thaw the entire frozen lump – such a shame…
Has the power gone out? In that case, don't open the door of the freezer, even if you want to check the status of your frozen goods. By leaving the door closed, you ensure that your food can be stored longer. As soon as the power comes back on, you can immediately check what is still completely frozen and throw away anything that feels soft or slightly thawed – a shame, but well worth it to avoid food poisoning.
Frozen food also has an expiration date, especially when it comes to taste and texture. It is therefore always useful to write dates on your frozen foods when you freeze them, so that you always have an indication of how long ago you have frozen something.
Source:Realsimple.com
