Freezing and storing food
54
Storage time for frozen food
The storage life of food is very variable,
even at a constant temperature of 0°F
(-18°C). Decomposition processes also
take place in frozen food, albeit at a
very reduced speed. Fat can become
rancid from contact with oxygen in the
air, for example. This is why lean meat
can be stored approx. twice as long as
fatty meat.
The storage times quoted are guide
values for the storage life of different
food groups in the Freezer Zone.
Food group
Storage
time
(Months)
Ice cream
2 to 6
Bread, baked goods
2 to 6
Cheese
2 to 4
Fish, oily
1 to 2
Fish, lean
1 to 5
Sausage, ham
1 to 3
Game, pork
1 to 12
Poultry, beef
2 to 10
Vegetables, fruit
6 to 18
Herbs
6 to 10
Where the storage time given on the
packaging differs, follow the advice on
the packaging.
Defrosting frozen goods
Never re-freeze partially or fully
defrosted food. Defrosted food may
only be re-frozen after it has been
cooked.
Frozen food can be defrosted in
different ways:
– In a microwave
– In an oven using “Convection” or the
“Defrost” setting
– At room temperature
– In the Fridge Zone (the cold given off
by the frozen food helps to keep the
other food cold)
– In a steam oven
Flat pieces of partially thawed meat
or fish
can be placed directly into a hot
skillet.
Meat and poultry
(e.g., hamburgers,
chicken, fish) should not come into
contact with other foods while
defrosting. Catch the defrosting liquid
and dispose of it carefully.
Fruit
can be thawed at room
temperature, either in the packaging or
in a covered bowl.
Most vegetables
can be cooked while
still frozen. Just put straight into boiling
water or hot grease. The cooking time is
slightly less than that of fresh
vegetables due to changes in the cell
structure.
Summary of Contents for KFNS 37692 iDE-1
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