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All times and tips are provided by the USDA
Freezing Guidelines
Freezing Basics
Amana provides this information as a guide to aid in food preservation. For specific questions regarding food
handling, cooking, or storage contact USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline at (800) 535-4555.
Fast Freezing Facts
•
You can freeze almost any food, the main exceptions being eggs still in
the shell and cans of foods.
•
Frozen food kept at 0° F will always be safe. Only the quality of food
suffers over time.
•
It is safe to freeze meat or poultry directly in supermarket wrapping. This
wrapping allows in air, causing freezer burn, so the meat should be used
within one to two months.
•
Freeze foods as quickly as possible. This prevents large ice crystals
from forming which decreases food quality.
•
Never stack packages to be frozen. Lay packages out in a single layer
and then stack them after they are frozen.
•
If food is thawed within a refrigerator, it is safe to refreeze it without
cooking.
•
During a power outage, a full freezer will normally keep 2 days, a half
full freezer about 1 day. Food should be stacked tightly to provide a nest
of cold air—resisting thawing.
•
As a general guideline, food 2-inches thick should freeze completely in
about 2 hours.
Freezer
burn
?
Freezer burn occurs when air reaches
the surface of the food. The cold, dry air
in the freezer causes the foodstuff to dry
out in spots and lose quality. While
freezer burn may not taste good, it does
not make the food unsafe. Freezer-
burned portions can be cut away either
before or after cooking the food.
Color changes
Color changes can occur in frozen
foods. This can cause ground beef to go
from a bright, cherry red to a darker,
duller brown due to lack of oxygen.
Freezing normally doesn’t cause color
changes in poultry, but it will cause
changes to the color near the bones
resulting in ‘bone darkening’. These
changes are only visual changes and do
not indicate poor quality or unsafe food.
Using an Appliance Thermometer
An appliance thermometer is the most accurate method to
verify that the freezer is working normally and maintaining
correct temperatures. The freezer should maintain a
temperature of 0° to 2° F.
To verify freezer temperature:
1.
Use a thermometer with an easy to read degree display. Thermometer
should have a long stem for more accurate temperature reading.
2.
Place the thermometer in the freezer between packages of foodstuffs.
The thermometer can also be placed in a glass of vegetable oil placed
in freezer (vegetable oil will not freeze).
3.
Close the freezer door.
4.
Allow the thermometer to sit for 5 to 8 hours inside the closed freezer.
5.
Check thermometer. Temperature should read between 0° and 2° F.
6.
If temperature is not within the correct range, adjust the temperature by
using the temperature control knob. Directions are in the
Using the
Freezer Controls section.
