Factors to Remember While Storing Frozen Foods

To extend food longevity in a food business or at home, there are myriad of choices including freezing, refrigeration, canning, slating, sugaring, and vacuum packing. Food preservation is crucial to reduce pathogenic bacteria as well as maintain its texture, taste, appearance and nutritional value. Waste is costly for commercial food business and even at home.

Dairy products, fresh meat, produce and frozen food are all refrigerated products. You may purchase high quality frozen fruits from the website naturestouchfrozenfoods.com in bulk for your home-made jam business. Purchasing in bulk enabled you to get good price breaks. Below are some guidelines to follow for proper storing of frozen foods.

Factors to remember while storing frozen foods

Critical control point

The temperature of the refrigerator needs to be maintained at -18°C or below. If temperature rises above this control point then the food can discolour and lose nutrients. You may have detected the rise in temperature instantly and lowered it but still the damage caused will not be corrected.

Wrapped tightly

Frozen fruits and veggies can be preserved for months but need to be tightly wrapped. Even properly wrapped meat and fish has a relatively long shelf-life in the freezer.

Proper freezing process

Freezing fresh fruit & veggie on premises is strenuous and time-consuming. It can be expensive. Fresh fruit needs to be prepared properly for freezing – for example, asparagus can be blanched, apple can be cooked and mashed in a puree, bananas can be chopped or mashed, berries and grapes can be spread on large tray and frozen, broccoli, carrot, celery can be cut and blanched. All these can be frozen and stored in vacuum-tight plastic bags. When you need them thaw them and use?

Monitor for freezer burns

If the frozen products are not wrapped or packed tightly, freezer burns will develop. It is a moisture loss that can affect the flavour and texture of frozen food. Common sign is grey or white spots developing on frozen food surface. Meat is very vulnerable to freezer burns.

Rotate stock

Rotation of the stored frozen food is important. In standard freezers, rotation is challenging. It often involves removing old stock prior adding new. Therefore, develop a habit to use last item purchased first.

Keep in mind that frozen food storage time differs. It will depend on the food and freezer type. Check the rating of your freezer and food packaging instructions to determine the shelf life of frozen food.