What Not To Freeze
You may have figured this out yourself already, but certain foods just don't handle the whole "freeze and thaw" thing very well. According to the Food Marketing Institute's Food Storage Information report, these are the foods that "do not freeze well" or freezing is "not recommended":
Related Topics: Technorati Tags: freezing foods, healthy diet
- apricots
- artichokes, whole
- avocados
- bacon (once package is opened)
- cheese (processed cheese slices)
- citrus fruit
- cottage cheese
- cream cheese (once opened)
- cucumbers
- dips (sour cream based)
- egg substitutes (although you can buy some brands frozen)
- eggs in the shell
- kiwi fruit
- light heavy cream
- miso
- olives
- papaya, mango (although I've bought frozen mango cubes and they work well in smoothies)
- pears
- pudding
- radishes
- ricotta cheese (although frozen lasagna which contains ricotta cheese seems to work)
- salads containing meat, fish, poultry or eggs
- sour cream
- soy or rice beverage
Related Topics: Technorati Tags: freezing foods, healthy diet
22 Comments:
Hope I am not poisoning myself with frozen bacon. When I buy a pack I bring it home and divide it into three strip packs and freeze it. I have never noticed any off taste or smell. The texture is the same.I cook for one and a whole pack would go bad before I ate it all. JJ
I do the same thing and have never had a problem.
BF
The bacon should be fine if you freeze it the day you buy it. I would add cooked potatoes to the list (unless mashed). They develop a kind of grainy texture that I dislike. I have frozen many homemade soups, and the only ones that did not come out fine were those with chunks of potato in them. Also, plan on cooking any fruit you have frozen because, on thawing, most of them develop a watery mushy texture that just does not belong in a fruit salad.
Not freeze pudding?!? But it's so yummy to buy snack packs and throw them in the freeze for summer! And since it takes forever and a half to eat it while it's frozen, it takes over my need to keep myself busy, which is 80% of the reason I was eating at that time anyway. :)
buy the bacon and fry the whole package, then freeze the slices between paper towels in a plastic freezer container. Then when you need a couple slices you can take out as needed and microwave them. This way you only have to fry once for many bacon servings.
I have good luck in cooking peeled, sliced fresh pears in a sugar syrup and then freezing. They taste better than canned pears. Arlene
I find that freezing non-american cheeses makes them crumble on thawing and are easy to use for lasagna or mac and cheese this way. Saves the tedious cutting or grating prep. Also, buying "cheese ends" from the deli provides a nice assortment to cook with. I have also frozen cottage cheese and ricotta to use in the same way successfully. BB
I did not see mayo listed...I can tell you from personal experience this should NEVER be frozen and thawed!
One thing that I was surprised to see NOT ON THE LIST was tomatoes. For those of us who grow veg. gardens, tomatoes are vine ripe fresh when frozen. Spread the tomatoes out on a waxed paper covered cookie sheet, leave enough
room so they don't touch each other and freeze. Once frozen you can put them inside a ziploc bag and remove what you need when you need them and have vine fresh tomatoes all year long! Nothing beats the taste of a fresh tomato
from your own garden and with no preservatives/additives.
DO NOT FREEZE ROMA TOMATOES! They tend not to do well, mushy. What I don't can, I freeze for fresh sliced tomatoes on sandwiches, side, etc. Give it a try!
I cook the whole package almost to where I like it, then freeze in packets of 3 slices. when needed, pop 'em in microwave for few seconds, good to go.
I also buy bacon, seperate it into smaller packs and freeze it. I have had not problems with it.
Also on egg substitutes, I freeze it and thaw it to use as needed. The package actually says you can do this. I have never had a problem.
Thanks for the info on freezing whole tomatoes, I have not done this but will, I LOVE fresh tomatoes.
I agree about pudding - it is absolutely FANTASTIC when frozen then just thawed until you can eat it like ice cream!!
I freeze bacon all the time, and have never had a problem. I also freeze tomatoes, cut them in halves, lay on cookies sheet, place in freezer. When frozen, I place them in freezer bags, and they are great for sauces, chile etc. Try it.
It'd be nice if they gave a specific reason for this. I assume it is just because the foods change texture and not that it's dangerous. I use cucubers on my eyelids and freeze the slices so I can just take out 2 at a time to thaw. They do get a bit mushy so I wouldn't recommend freezing cucs you want to eat. I also have frozen both cottage cheese and sour cream. I just let it thaw completely and stir it up good. When I had cats, I used to feed them cottage cheese mixed with their food to reduce hairballs. I never wanted to run out so I always kept a spare in the freezer. I only use sour cream in baking so I use what I need the first time then put it in the freezer for the next time. I just use it twice as by then it is nearly gone, I don't feel comfortable freezing it twice, and it gives the dogs & cats a treat.
FIGS are very perishable, so I boil them in water with a small amount of sugar and freeze them in the syrup mixture...you can add cloves and fresh ginger when boiling, for great flavor. Everything freezes well! MMMMmmmm delicious!!!
Having worked in the meat trade for many years, i must say that the way bacon is sliced by fast machines in the packing stations, requires it to be lightly frozen first. It is then vacuum packed and kept in starage just above freezing. I too freeze it for my own consumption in small packets while the bacon is still well within its sell by date. bacon with rind on will not freeze as well as rindless as its the fat that goes rancid. Roger UK
I just read through the list of "what not..." and like many I encountered in the comment section, I wondered why not the bacon? I've been freezing bacon probably longer than the writer of this article is old and have NEVER had a problem. I'm not sure what this person has been eating but they really need to re-think their comment re: the frozen/unthawed bacon. I also agree with the person who freezes puddings - I do the same thing, it kind of reminds me of ice milk only I can eat the entire package (little cup) and be happy instead of going crazy on a pint of Haggen. There are many other items in 'the list' that I have frozen to use in sauces, etc. later, so I think one needs to decide, 'why am I freezing this and what will it be like when I unfreeze?' It would have been nice if the writer had explained why not to freeze - if it's just that the texture and taste think, I think most have already figured that out on their own. If it's supposed to be physically harmful, them I should have been dead long ago.
I saw someone else mention tomatoes, but they also left out lettuce. I've had lettuce start to get ice crystals on it, even in a refrigerator or ice chest, and it just turns to mush when defrosted.
jello doesn't work either. I tried to make a gelato type thing. yuck
I freeze cream cheese all the time (esp. the "Better Than Cream Cheese" soy-based variety). The texture becomes a little crumbly, but it tastes fine and can still be spread on a bagel. For cooking (e.g., cheesecake), it's fine.
Bacon has so much salt and preservatives you could probably leave it on the floor for 3-weeks then cook it. I doubt freezing it is an issue after the package is opened but I only freeze un-opened packages.
As a mom of 3 college age boys freezing home cooked foods has become a specialty of mine. Giving my sons nutrious meals without chemical etc. and also saving money became very important. I quickly became quite the the expert on frozen food and their frozen- ness.plus delicious young men friendly food.chae
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