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Tips for Getting the Most from Your Freezer
Avoid freezer burn: Freezer burn is actually dehydration. It destroys cell structures and affects both flavor and texture. Plastic is not an adequate oxygen barrier. Use wrapping paper designed for freezing. If you do use plastic, it should be the heavier “freezer” bags designed for the freezer and the food should not be stored long.
Stay organized: Mark and date everything. Group foods by type with all meats going in one area of the freezer and baked goods in another. Meats should be stored on the lowest shelf so that in the event of an outage, melting juices will not drip on other foods. Keeping a pad on the freezer to jot down inventory items and dates is a good idea.
Rotate: If you don’t rotate the food in your freezer–use it–you’ll throw it out. Know what’s in your freezer and use it often. Don’t wait until the food is marginal.
Freeze only best-quality foods: Freezing never improves quality.
Do not overcook foods: Food will continue cooking when reheated.
Practice safety: Do not let lukewarm foods sit on the counter before freezing. Remember that bacteria will grow below 140 degrees and freezing does not kill them–they only go dormant to grow again when removed from the freezer. If you need to cool foods quickly before freezing, consider placing them in ice.
Do not put so much food in your freezer at one time that the freezer cannot freeze the food solid within 24 hours. ...Dennis Weaver, Prepared Pantry