Secrets of Frozen Food

If stored correctly, home-made frozen food can last between 3-6 months, depending on the food type. Keep in mind that food in the freezer very rarely goes “bad”, it’s the quality that starts to diminish because of 'freezer burn'. The longer the meal is in the freezer the longer it is exposed to opening and closing doors and susceptible to freezer burn. The microorganisms aren’t growing as they would be in a refrigerator, organisms are frozen. However, the longer you leave the dish in the freezer the less appealing it can become. As per my other post, I have eaten meals that have been in the freezer for over a year and still lived to tell about it though *LOL*

So how long you can freeze any food? Below is the general guidelines:

So, what is a freezer burn? Taken from Mr Wiki, Freezer burn is a condition that occurs when frozen food has been damaged by dehydration and oxidation, due to air reaching the food. This can happen when food is not securely wrapped in air-tight packaging. Freezer burn is NOT a food safety risk. The result, you have less tasty or 'prettier' food. So, the key here is - AIR TIGHT, and this lies in the containers you choose to use.

The secret to getting a delicious frozen food meal is thawing it the right way. Frozen food will taste best when it is back to room temperature, which in thawing it will takes more than 12 hours. You can thaw it outside the fridge if you are staying at home the whole day to check on the food now and then, or in the fridge. Casserole and lasagna type dishes will take 24-48 hours to defrost in the fridge; meat will take anywhere from 12-24 hours. Usually what I will do is, If I'd like to have the food for breakfast, I will take it out of the freezer and put in the fridge before going to sleep at night, or even while cooking dinner, if I already have plans for breakfast menu. The first thing in the next morning, I put it on the table, and than have my showers. Next, I can reheat them either by fire or just pop in the microwave/oven (depending on the food) while getting my kids ready. In less than 10 minutes, we would have our breakfast on the table! This also goes well for dinners for working moms. Before going out of the house in the morning, take out your 'future dinner' from the freezer into the fridge, then after work, just pop it into the microwave/oven...or you can even cook it on fire as usual.

For extra-sensitive-taste-buds and I-can-only-eat-local-food picky eaters, there's also a solution for our busy moms. Cook the curries, sambal, stews, soup separately without adding in the meat (beef/lamb/chicken) or seafood. Reheat the food on fire and once the liquid fully melted and return to its own usual texture, add in the meat or seafood. You can cut them upfront together with the veggies but store separately in the freezer, and thaw the same way as the gravy by taking them 12 hours upfront into the fridge. Before you start cooking, again thaw them using water as this will bring them to their natural state faster. This is almost similar method as you buying and using packed instant curries sold in the market, but the great thing here is, yours now is home-cooked :)