Freezing foods, storing frozen foods
page EN-14
Freezing food
Freezing means reducing the core tempera-
ture of fresh, room-temperature food to fro-
zen as quickly as possible – for best results
“flash-frozen”. If not cooled quickly enough,
the food will be “frost-bitten”, i.e. the struc-
ture will be destroyed. A constant storage
temperature of –18 °C is needed to maintain
the food’s consistency, taste and nutritional
value.
Freezing food has a positive effect on its shelf
life. This will also help you avoid food waste.
• Set the temperature in the freezer to –18 °C
and fill it in such a way that the temperature
conditions inside are optimally utilised, guar-
anteeing optimal food storage: Place food to
be frozen in the freezer.
Preparing the food
• Only freeze high quality food.
• Freeze fresh and prepared food dry and
unseasoned. Unsalted foods are more
durable.
• Allow prepared food to cool before freez-
ing. This not only saves power, but also
prevents excessive frost formation in the
freezer.
• Carbonated drinks are not suitable for
freezing because the carbon dioxide es-
capes during freezing.
Suitable packaging
Packaging is important when freezing. This
will protect against oxidation, penetration by
microbes, transfer of odours and flavourings
and drying out (freezer burn).
• Only use packaging material that is
strong, impermeable to air and liquid, not
too stiff and labelled. It should be desig-
nated as suitable for freezer use.
• Use plastic clips, rubber bands or adhe-
sive tapes to seal.
Portions
• Use flat portions as much as possible;
these freeze through to the core faster.
• Expel the air from the freezer bag as this
causes the contents to dry out and takes
up space.
• Fill liquid containers no more ¾ full, be-
cause liquids expand when frozen.
• Do not store glass or metal containers
containing liquids such as water, lemon-
ade, beer, etc. Water expands when fro-
zen and may burst the container.
Freeze only high-percentage alcohol
(from 40% by volume); make sure that it
is tightly closed.
• Label the frozen food by type, quantity,
freeze date and expiry date. Use water-
proof marker pens or adhesive labels
wherever possible.
How to pack the freezer properly
Freeze smaller quantities
Once the freezer temperature is −18 °C, you
can freeze fresh, room-temperature foods.
