What to freeze in the freezer for the winter. Frozen food is “dead” food – a myth

What can you freeze?

Here are foods that freeze well:

• young and fresh vegetables, boiled vegetables, vegetable purees

• ripe fruits (except bananas and fruits with high water content). freeze the berries on a tray, covered, then transfer to a bag

• almost all types of fish; oysters, scallops and clams. Wrap the fish first in foil or wax paper and then in a plastic bag.

• shrimp - pre-clean and trim the head

• lobster and crab - separate the meat first

• dairy products, cheese, butter, margarine, lard, heavy cream, although most hard cheeses crumble a lot after freezing, and cream will not be whipped well. milk can only be frozen for a month or so

• leftover wine - pour it into ice-freezing trays, and use the cubes in sauces and goulash

• poultry and game - do not stuff it in advance, freeze the liver and giblets separately; veal and hare; all other meat - first remove as much fat as possible

• bread, buns, cakes, cheesecakes - preferably without cream

• dough - but it is very fragile and must be packed in rigid containers

• almost all cooked dishes - eg goulash, curry, although their flavor may be enhanced

• broth - first you need to remove all the fat. Gravies and other fat-based sauces can be frozen, but they may separate during thawing and will need to be remixed or blended before use.

• fresh herbs

• broths

• nuts and seeds

• flavored butters

• citrus juice and zest

We already wrote how to freeze ready-made food last time.

And this is not worth freezing:

• vegetables with a high water content cease to be crispy - for example, green salad, radishes, peppers, celery, cucumber, etc. but they all freeze well as purees. Onions and celery stop being crunchy and become soft, but they can be used in goulash.

• low-fat cream and homemade yogurt.

• hot and warm foods and dishes - need to be cooled well first

• eggs in shell. although they can be frozen in a slightly beaten state, or with the yolk separated from the white. Boiled eggs become rubbery in the freezer.

• mayonnaise, hollandaise sauce and custard, as well as all sauces thickened with starch - they are separated.

• pieces of boiled potatoes - subsequently turn black and become slimy. Always freeze it as a puree.

• bananas, as well as tender fruits and berries, such as melon, strawberries, avocados and citrus fruit slices. Juice and zest freeze well, as do most berries if you handle them carefully. Apples, pears and peaches should be sprinkled with lemon juice.

• jelly - sweet and unsweetened - gelatin crystallizes in the freezer, although many gelatin-based desserts store well.

• canned fish and other canned foods, unless they are first mixed with other ingredients.

Tools:

Labels

Used to sign packaging. If you plan to use the packaging several times, then you should get these. They should not fall off in the freezer, so check their strength in advance.

Marker

Optimally - a permanent thin marker.

Duct tape

Use special freezer tape.

Kitchen board, notepad

A notepad is needed to record the amount of frozen food and other information. Well, it’s not hard to guess about the board :)

Freezing packaging

Strong plastic freezer bags

Sold in supermarkets in hardware departments. They differ in density.

Foil

Foil is also used with a higher density.

Containers

You can use plastic ice cream boxes, plastic yogurt and dessert jars, but they cannot be heated in the microwave or oven. It is advisable to cook straight from the freezer, so it is better to freeze in forms that are suitable for the freezer, oven, and microwave. Make sure your glass and ceramic pans are both freezer and oven safe. Foil containers with thick paper lids are great for the freezer.

Preparing food for freezing

In addition to “wash, dry, cut, grate,” there is also such a preparation stage as blanching. To blanch means to quickly parboil or scald any food item, causing it to change color. In our case, this is done in order to partially remove the air; this will help better preserve the vitamins during freezing and further storage. In addition, the taste of certain types of vegetables (spinach, cauliflower, asparagus, etc.) will improve. Blanching time should not exceed 1-2 minutes from the start of re-boiling the water, and the sooner the water boils after the product is immersed in it, the better.

I’ll tell you separately about freezing greens and mushrooms, and instructions for freezing everything else are presented in the form of a plate.

About greens. Dill, parsley, sorrel, onions, cilantro, celery, etc. Before freezing, you need to rinse, dry and cut. Place in bags, remove air, and seal as tightly as possible. Or you can freeze it in water like ice cubes. To do this, press wet greens tightly into ice trays, add water and freeze. Then pour the cubes into a bag and store in the freezer. Use without defrosting, throwing 1-3 cubes into the finished dish.

About mushrooms. Strong, non-wormy porcini mushrooms, boletus, aspen, champignons, honey mushrooms, and chanterelles are suitable for freezing. Mushrooms should be stored on the same day they were collected. Before freezing, the mushrooms are carefully sorted, cutting off damaged parts, and washed in several waters. The prepared mushrooms are dried on a towel. Mushrooms can be frozen raw, fried, boiled or in the form of ready-made soup. For the “raw” method, large mushrooms are cut into several parts, small ones are left whole, placed on a baking sheet and frozen. Frozen mushrooms are transferred to a container or bag. If you are afraid to freeze raw mushrooms, you can first boil, fry or stew them. The boiled mushrooms are drained in a colander, cooled and placed in containers. Do the same with fried mushrooms. Stewed mushrooms can be frozen along with the aromatic liquid in which they were cooked. Or you can prepare semi-finished mushroom soup: boil light mushrooms, pour the cooled broth along with the mushrooms into containers containing food bags, and freeze. After this, remove the bags from the containers and store the soup in neat briquettes.

Product	Blanch 1-2 m, dry, cool	How to freeze	Peculiarities
cucumbers	--	Cut into circles/slices, place tightly in molds, seal tightly.	Store them for no more than six months, using them for salads.
Tomatoes	--	Cherries - whole, large ones - like cucumbers, or make tomato puree and freeze it.
Bell pepper	1-2 min	For stuffing, they are frozen whole, cleared of seeds, placed one inside the other and frozen. For other purposes, cut into cubes or strips, blanched, frozen, compacted tightly into an airtight package.
Eggplant	1-2 min	Blanch, cut, freeze.
Green beans	--	Wash, peel, dry, cut into pieces 2-3 cm in size and freeze.
Polka dots	--	Clean, wash, dry and freeze in bulk, pour into a bag and store in the freezer.
White cabbage	4-6 min	Cut into strips, seal hermetically and freeze.
Cauliflower	3-5 min	Divide into inflorescences, blanch, and pack.
Broccoli	--	Separate, package, freeze.
Brussels sprouts	1-2 min	It is frozen in bulk on a tray and packaged.
Zucchini and squash	1-2 min	Cut into cubes, remove seeds, blanch, package, freeze.	After defrosting they look unpresentable.
Carrots and beets	--	Wash, peel, cut into small cubes/grate on a coarse grater, and pack in small batches. Or, before peeling, blanch beets for 20-25 minutes and carrots for 7-12 minutes, coarsely chop, and freeze.
Pumpkin	1-2 min	Cut into cubes/tinder on a grater, removing the seeds, blanch, and pack in small batches.
Apples	--	Wash, peel, remove the core, cut into circles/slices and immerse in acidified or salted water for no more than 20 minutes, freeze on a tray, when they freeze a little, take out the tray, quickly separate the slices from each other and put them back in the freezer for the final freezing. Pack ready.	Sweet and sour varieties of apples are suitable.
Strawberry, raspberry, blackberry	--	Wash thoroughly, dry and freeze in bulk on trays. The berries are poured onto a tray in one layer.	It is best to store in containers - they will not wrinkle and will retain their shape when defrosted.
Currants, gooseberries, etc.	--	Wash, dry and freeze, scatter on a tray and pack.
Apricots, peaches, cherries, plums, etc.	--	Peel and freeze in flat containers along with the extracted juice. The resulting briquettes are placed in bags.

Rules for freezing food

1. Choose fresh (firm) produce to freeze that is ripe but not overripe.
2. Choose suitable packaging and pack correctly.
3. The temperature in the freezer should not exceed -18 o C.
4. If possible, use the “Super Freeze” function of your freezer.
5. It is recommended to place no more than 1 kg of food in the freezer for freezing at a time, because... the temperature in the freezer will rise sharply, which is bad for already frozen products, and the process of freezing what you just put in will take longer. You need to throw a lot at once - put it in the refrigerator to cool, and then throw it in the freezer.
6. Thawed food cannot be re-frozen. If you have prepared something from defrosted foods by thermally treating them, then you can freeze the finished dish. This rule is explained by the fact that after repeated freezing, bacteria and microorganisms multiply very actively in the product, and the product deteriorates much faster, even when frozen.

Shelf life of frozen foods at -18 o C

• vegetables, fruits and berries - from 3 to 12 months
• raw meat - from 5 to 12 months
• turkey, chickens and game - up to 9 months
• ducks, geese - up to 6 months
• minced meat, sausages - up to 2 months
• home-cooked meat dishes - from 3 to 4 months
• small fish - from 2 to 3 months
• large fish - from 4 to 6 months
• home-cooked fish dishes - from 3 to 4 months
• boiled crayfish, crabs and shrimp - from 2 to 3 months
• bread and milk - 4−6 months
• cottage cheese, cheese, butter - 6−12 months
• , if you haven't found the product above, take a look

Defrosting rules

1. The slower the defrosting, the more beneficial it is. This is the main rule.
2. Without defrosting you can cook: soups, goulash, fish, seafood (add them to the pan at the end of cooking), pasta dishes, vegetables and fruits for filling pies or for boiling bread, small cubes of meat and fish, but large pieces must be defrosted first.

In this article we will talk about how to prepare vegetables and fruits for the winter by freezing, how to rationally allocate storage space and other secrets of freezing.

I want to enjoy the generous gifts of nature in the form of vegetables, fruits and berries not only in summer, but also in winter. In supermarkets in winter, of course, you can buy, if not all, then almost all types of fresh vegetables, berries or fruits, but their quality will not be the best.

You can also prepare pickles, compotes, jam and other types of preparations in jars for the winter. However, this option is not suitable for everyone. Some housewives do not like to tinker in the kitchen for a long time, others do not have time. Also, pickles may not work out; many people know that cans of preserves sometimes explode. In addition, many simply do not have space to store cans of preserves. And the very last argument is that it will not be possible to preserve all vitamins in their original form.

Homemade vegetables

Many housewives prefer freezing vegetables. Having a large freezer, you can prepare a lot of healthy and tasty vegetables. However, it would be a good idea to learn about the tricks of freezing, so as not to accidentally end up with an unappetizing mush instead of healthy vegetables.

So, list of vegetables that can be frozen:

• Black Eyed Peas
• Broccoli
• Pumpkin
• Cauliflower
• Zucchini or zucchini
• Brussels sprouts
• Sweet and/or bell pepper
• cucumbers
• Tomatoes
• Corn
• Green pea
• Eggplant
• Mushrooms

Turnips, radishes, and lettuce cannot be frozen.

Most vegetables need to be blanched before freezing, that is, immersed in boiling water for a short time and then cooled quickly. For example, zucchini, Brussels sprouts, eggplant, green beans, green peas, corn needs to be blanched.

Tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli, mushrooms no need to put it in boiling water. Little ones Cherry tomatoes You can store them whole, just make a few punctures so that the fruit does not burst from frost. Large tomatoes can be cut into slices or pureed. Cucumbers should also not be stored whole; cut them into small cubes or strips.

How to properly freeze vegetables?

You can also freeze potatoes, onions, carrots, and beets. But it’s worth thinking about, will this be rational? The freezer is usually small in size, and seasonal vegetables cost mere pennies and are stored for a long time without refrigeration. It's better to freeze what you can't buy in winter.

Vegetable mixtures for the winter in bags: recipes

Vegetables must be washed and dried before freezing. Sealed containers or bags are suitable as containers. The seal will prevent the absorption of foreign odors from nearby products. For example, dill gives off a strong odor that can be absorbed into other vegetables or berries.

It is convenient to freeze vegetable mixtures so that you can prepare different dishes later. It is better to freeze mixtures in small portions, so as not to break off a piece from the frozen mass later, but to take the finished portion at a time.

Vegetable mixture options:

1. Corn, peas, bell pepper.
2. Carrots, peas, green beans, red beans, corn, celery, peppers, corn.
3. Onions, mushrooms, carrots, potatoes.
4. Tomatoes, onions, peppers.

Important: Frozen vegetables and fruits can be stored in the freezer for no longer than a year.

Delicious mixture of vegetables

Vegetable seasonings for soups, salad, pasta, main courses: recipes for the winter

You can also freeze greens, which you can then add little by little to soups, salads or main courses.

• Wash and dry the greens thoroughly beforehand.
• Then finely chop it.
• First, freeze the greens in bulk, that is, spread them in a thin layer on the surface and freeze.
• Once the greens are frozen, place them in a tightly sealed bag.

Greens can be frozen in a combination of several types. For example:

1. Dill+parsley for soups
2. Dill+sorrel+onion feathers for green borscht
3. Cilantro+parsley+basil for salads

Important: Greens should be stored separately. Do not mix greens with other vegetables, otherwise the flavors will mix.

Sorrel for the winter: how to freeze

For soups The following vegetable mixture will work:

• Green peas, carrots, onions, potatoes
• Carrots, onions, potatoes, cauliflower
• Cauliflower, corn, potatoes, carrots, onions
• Sweet peppers, carrots, potatoes, onions

The same mixtures can be added to other dishes, such as risotto, stew, vegetable casseroles.

Video: How to freeze greens for the winter?

Freezing Vegetable Mix for Stew: Recipe

You can enjoy this healthy stew by freezing it:

• Zucchini, zucchini
• Bell pepper
• Green pea
• Cauliflower
• Tomatoes
• Greenery

Also, potatoes, onions, carrots, and white cabbage must be added to the stew.

A stew is a mixture of different vegetables, so you don't have to stick to a strict recipe. If you don't have one ingredient, you can easily replace it with another. The main thing is that the dish contains several types of vegetables.

Important: Many people are interested in the question: Do you need to defrost vegetables before cooking? No, you can't do this.

If you defrost vegetables, they will lose their shape when cooked and turn into mush. Therefore, place vegetables from the freezer into the pan immediately. This way they will remain fragrant, beautiful and healthy.

Freezing vegetable mixtures

Recipes for borscht dressings for freezing for the winter

Borscht in winter will be much tastier and healthier if you take care of the dressing in advance.

Recipe for borscht dressing:

• Sweet pepper in thin strips
• Onion diced
• Carrots, julienned or grated
• Beets in strips
• Tomato puree

It would be useful parsley And dill as spices, you just need to store the greens separately.

Wash all ingredients, dry, cut, grate and mix. Pack the dressing into separate bags for one use.

This method will help not only prepare aromatic borscht in winter, but also save the family budget.

Dressing for borscht for the winter

How to freeze stuffed peppers with vegetables?

Stuffed pepper- a tasty and healthy dish, but you can fully enjoy it only during the season, that is, in the fall. But if you freeze peppers, you can prepare your favorite dish at any time of the year.

Some housewives stuff the peppers and then put them in the freezer. This method is good, but it takes up a lot of space in the freezer.

There is another way:

1. Wash the peppers and dry with a paper towel
2. Remove the stem and seeds from the fruit
3. Insert the fruits one into the other
4. Place the peppers in columns, carefully wrapping them in bags.

Pepper slices are suitable for salads, stews, soups and other dishes. It is much more convenient to store it in this form than whole.

Pepper for the winter

What vegetable mixtures can be frozen in the freezer to feed a baby for the winter?

If there is an infant in the family, or a new addition is expected, the young mother should consider preparing homemade vegetables for complementary feeding.

Complementary feeding should be introduced at 5-6 months of the baby’s life if the child is breastfed. If the child eats an adapted formula, then complementary foods should be introduced earlier - in the 4th month of life.

If this period falls in winter or spring, then frozen vegetables will become a lifesaver during the introduction of complementary foods.

To feed your baby you can freeze the following vegetables:

1. Cauliflower
2. Zucchini
3. Broccoli
4. Pumpkin

After the baby begins to eat pureed vegetables, light vegetable soups can be introduced in small quantities. To do this, freeze in advance:

• Potato
• Carrot

Vitamins and naturalness - this is the most important advantage of freezing vegetables for complementary feeding. Provided that you are sure that the vegetables have not been treated with chemicals, or that you grew them in your own garden.

Vegetable puree for complementary feeding

What fruits and berries can be frozen in the refrigerator freezer and freezer: list

You can freeze any fruits and berries:

• Strawberry
• Strawberries
• Blueberry
• Blackberry
• Cowberry
• Plums
• Apricots
• Peaches
• Apples
• Currant
• Gooseberry

Frozen berries

Do I need to wash fruit before freezing?

In addition to vegetables, you can freeze fruits and berries. Before putting them in the freezer, thoroughly wash and dry the fruits and berries.

Fruits and berries cannot be re-frozen. Firstly, they will turn into mush, and secondly, they will lose all their beneficial properties.

How to freeze fresh fruits and berries for the winter?

You can puree the berries and freeze them as is, with or without sugar - your choice.

Another way to freeze is dry. Place the prepared berries or fruits in a thin layer on a surface, for example, on a board. Freeze this way, then place the berries in a bag, releasing the air from it.

It is advisable to store delicate berries such as strawberries and raspberries in a container so that the berries are not damaged.

Apples can be cut into slices. Store small and fleshy fruits (plums, apricots, cherries) whole and with the pit.

Recipes for mixtures of fruits and berries for the winter

From frozen fruits and berries in winter you can prepare aromatic compotes, fruit drinks, or add fruit to yogurt or porridge.

Remember that ripe and undamaged fruits should be frozen. Make small portions of berries and use one bag per preparation.

Mixtures of fruits and berries:

• Strawberry, blackberry, raspberry
• Plums, apricots, apples
• Apples, apricots, raspberries
• Cherry, apple, strawberry
• Cherries, currants, raspberries
• Strawberries, currants, cranberries

Important: Most modern refrigerators do not require defrosting, but if you need to do this, wrap the container with frozen vegetables and fruits in a thick blanket so that the products do not have time to defrost. In winter, the freezer can be taken outside or onto the balcony.

How to freeze fruit

Freezing fruits, berries and vegetables is a profitable and quick way to get all the healthy vitamins in winter and enjoy the taste of summer. But do not forget to follow the rules of freezing in order to preserve vitamins and taste. You can watch a video on this topic and learn a lot of useful information about freezing vegetables and fruits.

Video: How to properly freeze greens, vegetables and fruits?

Modern household appliances have made life much easier for housewives. One such useful device is a refrigerator, in which you can store almost any prepared food for a long time. All you have to do is take them out and warm them up. But it happens that some dishes prepared with love become completely unsuitable for consumption. This is due to the fact that food must be frozen correctly.

What foods can be frozen?

First you need to figure out what should not be frozen. It is best not to put canned food, chopped boiled potatoes, cottage cheese, eggs, custard, jelly, cream, unsterilized milk, or mayonnaise in the freezer. You should also remember that food should not be placed in the refrigerator while warm.

Which ones Here is the most complete list:

• fresh, young, boiled vegetables, pureed from them;
• almost all types of fish, oysters, shellfish;
• crab, lobster, shrimp;
• ripe fruits (except those that contain a large amount of water);
• dairy products - cheese, margarine, heavy cream, butter, lard;
• meat;
• buns, cakes, bread;
• dough;
• ready meals;
• bouillon;
• flavored butters;
• seeds, nuts.

Cooling and freezing technology

Any refrigerator freezes food, and it can be stored for a very long time only after deep freezing. If you follow the storage rules, then even after quite a long time they will be of high quality and contain all the nutrients. You should pay attention to this point: cold helps preserve the quality of products, but does not improve it. If benign fruits, vegetables and meat were initially frozen, then a few months after they are thawed they will be the same. Rot, frozen meat, affected root vegetables will remain the same.

If prepared foods contain harmful bacteria, then the cold will slow down their vital activity, but they will still remain. At a temperature of -18 degrees, their number, as a rule, remains unchanged, but if the temperature in the chamber begins to rise, the bacteria will immediately become active and will actively multiply.

What should you freeze food in?

By using the right packaging for freezing food, you can be sure that even after quite a long time, it will retain its freshness, color, taste, nutritional value and moisture content. Food can be frozen raw in its original packaging, but it is best to additionally wrap it in a layer of plastic. Also, you should not put milk, ice cream, pancakes, cutlets, etc. in cardboard boxes for freezing; you need to use bags or containers for this.

Packaging for frozen products must meet the following requirements:

• be impermeable to moisture, air, fat and oil;
• have strength, reliability;
• it should not tear, crack or break easily at low temperatures;
• closes easily and securely;
• should not prevent the penetration of foreign odors.

Frozen foods can be stored in two types of packaging - rigid containers and flexible bags or film.

Rigid containers are made of plastic or glass and are typically used for freezing easily creased and liquid foods. Plastic bags and film are essential for freezing dry foods and those that are irregularly shaped and difficult to fit into containers.

Proper food preparation

Before freezing food, you should inspect it carefully. If something begins to deteriorate, then it should be thrown away without regret. After this, the products must be thoroughly cleaned. They should be prepared in such a way that they can be consumed immediately after defrosting. To do this, the products are sorted, washed, cut, boiled, blanched, seeds are removed from the fruit, and the fish is gutted. After washing, be sure to dry everything. Now they put everything in small portions in bags or special dishes.

Warm fruits, vegetables, herbs or meat are first cooled to room temperature, then placed in the refrigerator, and then in the freezer.

Freezing

Freezing should be done as quickly as possible, since if delayed, ice crystals will form on the surface of the food, which can tear the tissue. As a result, all the juice flows out, the gastronomic and nutritional properties decrease, the taste and color deteriorate. Therefore, the temperature in the freezer should be -18 degrees. This prevents bacterial growth and helps preserve nutritional value.

Freezing must be complete, i.e., carried out to the entire depth of the product. The lower the temperature, the better the freezing occurs. Violation of the rules for carrying out such a procedure may subsequently affect human health.

Secrets of effective freezing

In order for frozen food to retain its quality for a long time, you should know a few secrets.

• Freezing is best done in thin portions, as in this case the process will go faster. Large fruits must first be cut into small pieces.
• Products in the form of briquettes are best placed in a small gap. In this case, they will completely freeze, and the gap is necessary for air circulation.
• Do not overload the refrigerator or freezer with products intended for long-term storage, as this may subsequently affect their quality.
• Should only be frozen in

Vegetables, herbs and mushrooms

In order for vegetables to be frozen correctly, this must be done immediately, as soon as they are brought from the store or brought from the dacha. They should be washed, cut into pieces, dried, cooled and packaged in a plastic bag, after which they are put in the refrigerator. With mushrooms, you also need to do everything quickly, but, unlike vegetables, you can freeze them raw, boiled or even fried. When it comes to greens, they are washed, thoroughly dried and placed in an airtight package.

Fruits and berries

Small fruits are usually frozen whole, while large ones are cut into pieces. The seeds are usually removed in advance, as is the core of pears and apples. If the fruits are quite juicy, then after defrosting it is recommended to make puree from them. Raspberries and strawberries are usually stored sprinkled with granulated sugar.

Meat and fish

Fresh fish and meat are frozen in small pieces in an airtight container and must be cleaned, rinsed and dried before storage.

Flour products

When freezing products such as dumplings, dumplings, pancakes, rolls and fresh bread, you must ensure that the bags are sealed. Finished products should not stick to each other, and it is advisable to cut the bread into pieces.

Cheese

This product can be frozen in a large piece, after which it will not crumble. If it is cut into small pieces before storage, then 1 tsp should be added to the container. flour or cornstarch to prevent the slices from sticking together.

How to store food in the freezer?

Frozen food must be stored at a certain temperature. Deadlines must also be met.

It is recommended to store offal and minced meat for no more than 2 months, pork, poultry and lean lamb - 6 months, beef and game - up to 10 months. For ready-made meals, pure fat and meat, this period is 4 months. Seafood and small fish are stored for about 2-3 months, portioned pieces of large fish - for six months. Frozen fruits, vegetables and berries can be kept in the freezer all year round.

These recommendations only apply to foods that have been properly prepared and frozen. If meat is stored in the freezer in one piece, it may spoil even before it freezes completely.

Thermal bags for frozen foods

Thermal bags are containers in which chilled, frozen and hot products are stored and transported. Thanks to the foam layer, which is located between layers of special foil, frozen foods defrost much more slowly.

Before purchasing such containers, you need to pay attention to the packaging with information about how long it keeps cold. Transportation of frozen products, in particular vegetables, is carried out in thermal bags. If it is very hot outside, then such containers remain effective for up to three hours, and in cooler weather - up to five hours. Insulated bags for frozen food are indispensable for a picnic, as they can be used to transport pizza or grilled chicken.

How to defrost food?

The defrosting process should be slow. It is very important to eat the food immediately after this, because the damaged cellular structure is quite susceptible to harmful bacteria. That is why defrosted food must be fried, boiled, stewed or baked immediately after removal from the freezer.

For proper defrosting, food is placed on a plate and placed on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. It is important during this process to ensure that raw poultry, fish or meat does not come into contact with its own juices, as they may contain bacteria. To do this, place a saucer in a deep plate, turned upside down, on which the product is placed. Cover the top with a bowl or foil.

Defrosting can take different times depending on the weight and volume of the food. For example, half a kilo of meat can be consumed 5-6 hours after being removed from the freezer; fish of the same weight takes 3-4 hours to thaw.

It is not recommended to defrost food in the fresh air, as there is a high probability of microbes multiplying on their surface. This cannot be done in a microwave oven due to loss of taste, and in hot or warm water the beneficial properties and appearance are lost. It is also undesirable to defrost in cold water, but in case of emergency, you should do so so that the food does not come into contact with it, for example, by placing it in a plastic bag.

Poultry and meat, as well as fruit or vegetable slices, should not be defrosted. They are placed in a frying pan or pan immediately after removal from the freezer. The exception is minced meat, which is recommended to be defrosted on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator.

Conclusion

Thus, it is necessary to properly freeze food so that after a while you can eat it, and it will be of normal quality. If certain storage conditions are not observed, there is a high probability of food spoilage, which can negatively affect human health.

Many products are convenient to put in the freezer for long-term storage, but there are some that are very harmed by frost. Freezing can cause many problems, from destroying the texture and flavor of a food to reducing its health benefits.

Some foods cannot be placed in the freezer, even for a short period of time. Below is a list of foods for which frost should be prohibited.

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1. Vegetables with high water content

Many vegetables can be safely frozen without fear of harming them or yourself. But you should avoid freezing vegetables with a lot of water. When you defrost them, they run the risk of turning into a soft, shapeless mass with altered flavor. Therefore, onions, radishes, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, cauliflower and other vegetables with high water content should never be frozen.

2. Dairy products

Dairy products also made the list. Everything - from soft cheeses and yogurt to milk and cottage cheese - can only be stored in the refrigerator. Liquid foods will curdle when defrosted, and soft foods (such as cheese) will change their texture in an unpleasant way. Only hard types of cheese can be placed in the freezer for a short time; they will hardly change when defrosted.

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3. Fruit

Fruits can be frozen only if you plan to blend them in a blender for cocktails or smoothies after defrosting. Otherwise, don't expect frozen fruit to deteriorate by changing texture after being in the freezer.

4 eggs

Raw or cooked, eggs are in any case on the list of foods prohibited from freezing. Fresh eggs in the freezer will simply crack, and when thawed, the whites of boiled eggs will turn into something more like rubber. If freezing is unavoidable, separate the whites and yolks of raw eggs and freeze them in separate containers.

5. Lettuce

Cabbage, lettuce and any green leafy lettuce should also not be placed in the freezer if you want to keep their texture intact after defrosting. The leaves will not only wither quickly, but will also lose a lot of flavor.

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6. Fried food

Fried foods—from potatoes to chicken—become just a soggy mess once they thaw. However, this can still be fixed - they can be heated on the stove or in the oven. But the initial taste of such products will still be lost.

7. Sauces

Do not freeze sauces and mayonnaise. As a rule, when defrosted, they curl up, which makes them completely useless. Sauces containing flour or cornstarch are especially sensitive to freezing, but you won't get the best results by freezing egg white custard or glaze.

8. Carbonated drinks

Soda should not be frozen, remembering that liquids expand when they solidify. Carbon dioxide, which is responsible for the bubbles, will go away after freezing, and the taste of the defrosted drink can change greatly.

9. Thawed food

Freezing food that has already been thawed is a big health risk. Repeated freezing promotes the growth of bacteria, which can cause food poisoning. Therefore, if you have already defrosted the product, try to cook it anyway.

Now, while it's still in season, is the time to freeze vegetables and herbs for the winter! In winter, they will cost many times more, but the taste and benefits will be much less. So don’t be lazy and freeze it. 😀 You’ll see how they will help you out and diversify your diet in winter!

Vegetables can be stored in the freezer until next summer. They do not need to be thawed before cooking unless instructed to do so.

What vegetables must be frozen and how to do it correctly?

1. Greens

Be sure to prepare dill and parsley; optionally, basil, celery, cilantro, spinach, sorrel, etc. Frozen greens can be added to any dish; they are indistinguishable from fresh ones.

Wash the greens in advance and leave to dry. It can be frozen for the winter in several ways:

• Sliced– cut the greens, distribute them into small bags and place them in the freezer.
• Bunches– place a bunch of greens in a bag, squeeze out the air from it and put it in the freezer.
• Butter cubes– chop the greens, add soft butter (per 100 grams of greens – 25 grams of butter), place in ice molds or store-bought candy molds. You can also use olive oil - then pour the greens into molds and fill with oil. Place the frozen cubes in containers and leave them in the freezer.

2. Tomatoes

Wash the beans and trim the tails. Cut it into pieces about 4 cm long.

I personally don’t blanch green beans, but for longer storage it is recommended to boil them for 3 minutes and then cool them sharply, just like cauliflower.

Place dry beans on a board or baking sheet in one layer and place in the freezer. When it freezes, transfer it to bags.

7. Eggplant

Wash the zucchini and wipe dry. Peel the old ones and remove the seeds.

• Cubes– cut the vegetables into cubes of about 1.5 x 1.5 cm, pack into small packages and freeze. It is advisable to add finely chopped dill to the zucchini - it will be very fragrant.
• Slices– cut the zucchini lengthwise into slices 3-4 mm thick. Place on a baking sheet lined with cling film or paper so that the slices do not touch. Freeze. Then carefully remove and place several pieces in stacks in bags. Before preparing the rolls, defrost them in hot water or milk (as in).
• In circles– cut the vegetables into circles 4-5 mm thick. Freeze the same way as zucchini slices.
• Grated– Grate the zucchini on a coarse grater and squeeze out the juice. Divide into bags and freeze. To prepare the pancakes, you will need to defrost them first.

9. Corn

Who doesn't love boiled corn and salads with canned grains?

• cobs– peel the corn from leaves, pack and freeze. In winter, simply remove the cobs and boil them undefrosted.
• Grains– Boil the corn and immediately immerse it in cold water. Then cut off the grains with a knife. Divide into bags or containers and freeze.