Freezing Foods

Poorly wrapped foods run the risk of developing freezer burn and unpleasant odors from other foods in the freezer. Follow these simple wrapping and container tips to ensure the quality and safety of your food:

•Use only specialty freezer wrappings: they should be both moisture-proof and vapor-proof.
•Leave as little air as possible in the packages and containers. When freezing liquids in containers, allow a small amount of head room for expansion. When using freezer bags, be sure to remove as much air as possible before closing.
•Wrap solids foods like meats and baked goods tightly in foil before you bag them.
•Use rigid containers with an air-tight lid and keep the sealing edge free from moisture or food to ensure proper closure.
•Secure wrapped packages and containers with freezer tape, and write the dish and the date on the tape with a marker.
•In many cases, meats and fish wrapped by the grocer or butcher need no extra attention before freezing. However, meat wrapped on Styrofoam trays with plastic wrap will not hold up well to freezing. If the food you want to freeze was not specially wrapped, then re-wrap them at home.
•Freeze in small containers with no more than a 1-quart capacity to ensure that freezing takes place in a timely manner (i.e., within four hours). Food that is two inches thick will take about two hours to freeze completely.

By: AllRecipes.Com