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Frozen food safety- misconceptions

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  • thriftlady_2
    thriftlady_2 Posts: 9,128 Forumite
    Combo Breaker First Post I've been Money Tipped!
    Linda32 wrote: »
    I guess its because these so much ready made that you are almost trained to that way of thinking. This forum is the best education I've ever had :T
    ;)
    Well I don't know whether to be pleased or depressed :D It is fantastic that you're finding this forum so useful:T but I do feel depressed that so many of us have lost touch with their food because of a reliance on ready-made food:(
  • Linda32
    Linda32 Posts: 4,385 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    thriftlady wrote: »
    Well I don't know whether to be pleased or depressed :D It is fantastic that you're finding this forum so useful:T but I do feel depressed that so many of us have lost touch with their food because of a reliance on ready-made food:(


    Be pleased, I am, I'm saving money :money: and lets face it, if I can say that "you are almost trained into that way of thinking" and can then see the way forward then thats a good thing.

    Just to let you know, I made two of the Spice Cakes from your famous thread, both at the the same time, (doubled the ingredients, made mixing easier) and cooked at the same time. Froze one and just got it out tonight for pack ups next week.

    * wonders off to look at foil parcels of chicken/herbs = ready meals etc. :rotfl: ;)
  • Charis
    Charis Posts: 1,302 Forumite
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    I've just discovered that we can refreeze food that has been frozen before! Subject to certain conditions, of course. http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/tips/summer/home_food_freezing.html
    (Scroll down to 'refreezing')

    This website, compiled with the help of Birds Eye, states categorically that there is no time limit on the storage of food, provided it is kept stored at -18C
    http://www.netmums.com/food/Top_freezer_tips.1867/?utm_source=newsquest&utm_medium=feeds
  • purplepardalis
    purplepardalis Posts: 671 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    I think the question of how long you keep something frozen all depends on the type of freezer you have. Super 4 star freezers will chill down the food and freeze it a lot quicker, meaning fewer ice crystals form and the quality of the food is maintained.

    Whilst the less powerful freezers do freeze things it happens more slowly which can affect the quality.

    I may however be talking absolute nonsense.

    I'll go and do a bit of googling:p
  • purplepardalis
    purplepardalis Posts: 671 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Fortunately some kind scientists on the internet have added credence to my theory!

    “If you freeze [products] very slowly, there's time for the moisture to migrate,“ explains Jon Hocker, one of the research and development engineers at Frigoscandia Equipment. “When moisture can migrate and form larger crystals, those crystals don't have as moist of a amouthfeel' as when you freeze very quickly. If you leave time for the moisture to move around during freezing, the quality of the product changes.“

    Faster freezing times result in smaller ice crystals, which means less cellular damage to food products. This means products are juicier, have better texture and exhibit less drip loss when thawed.

    So everyone with a good quality high powered freezer will find their food can be kept frozen for as long as you want!
  • nesssie1702
    nesssie1702 Posts: 1,345 Forumite
    Combo Breaker First Anniversary
    Thanks for this Thread ThriftLady - it's a question I get asked a lot at work as well.....

    Guess I wasn't making it up that it's okay to refreeze food that's been frozen before ;) All that will be affected is the quality of the product and that's for the reason specified in the couple of posts above mine - it's all to do with the ice crystal size in the food and whether the cells have burst.

    Interesting what Charis says about how long do we hold onto frozen food for? I think where you live can have a bearing on things too. I'm on an island and 10 miles from the town, so we have a chest freezer that gets used a lot for things I make in bulk as well as items that I might struggle to get if the ferry doesn't sail for a few days, yes and perhaps veg items that are on offer in the supermarket rather than pay full price.

    That's why food such as lettuce and strawbs don't freeze well either, they have a high water content which doesn't go well with a weak cell wall system. As the water in the strawbs or lettuce freezes, this bursts open the cells and hence the likelihood of mush.
  • blue_ashleigh
    blue_ashleigh Posts: 430 Forumite
    Can you freeze milk?
  • sunflower76
    sunflower76 Posts: 560 Forumite
    blue_ashleigh wrote: »
    Can you freeze milk?

    Oh yes! You need to allow room for expansion in the top of the bottle though.
  • Ben84
    Ben84 Posts: 3,069 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post Combo Breaker
    Provided the freezer is working right then the temperature should be too low for bacteria to continue growing, so there shouldn't be any hazard. However, don't assume it means the stuff will be preserved in edible condition forever either. I've had a few forgotten freezer items that nobody would wish to eat. Things can and do change a lot. I've had frozen cauliflower from the shop (it was properly frozen) turn black when it got old. It had been in there about a year, and was nearing the use by date.

    Stocking up and freezing to save money could result in lots of bad food if you leave it a really long time, so I wouldn't buy huge amounts in the expectation it will last forever.
  • thriftlady_2
    thriftlady_2 Posts: 9,128 Forumite
    Combo Breaker First Post I've been Money Tipped!
    Ben84 wrote: »
    Provided the freezer is working right then the temperature should be too low for bacteria to continue growing, so there shouldn't be any hazard. However, don't assume it means the stuff will be preserved in edible condition forever either. I've had a few forgotten freezer items that nobody would wish to eat. Things can and do change a lot. I've had frozen cauliflower from the shop (it was properly frozen) turn black when it got old. It had been in there about a year, and was nearing the use by date.

    Stocking up and freezing to save money could result in lots of bad food if you leave it a really long time, so I wouldn't buy huge amounts in the expectation it will last forever.
    If you read my original post I do say that your freezer should be working correctly, and that while it is possible to freeze everything (including milk:rolleyes: ) it is not always desirable. So thank you for making my point again.

    My main point is that food cannot become poisonous whilst in the freezer as many people seem to think.

    Why would you want to keep food in the freezer forever? Use your common sense and make a list of what you put in, package, label and date it properly and cross it off your list when you use it up.It isn't rocket science. Use your freezer as a storecupboard not a museum.
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