Freezer burn is caused by exposure to air and loss of moisture, resulting in dry spots, discoloration, and ice crystals. It doesn’t impact food safety, but impairs quality. To minimize freezer burn, keep the freezer cold, package food well, and consume within its shelf life. Trim freezer-burned areas before cooking and adjust flavors as needed.
When food comes out of the freezer with dry areas, patches of discoloration, and ice crystal formations, it is said to have freezer burn, sometimes seen written as “freezer.” While this phenomenon is unfortunate, it does not impact food safety and burnt foods in the freezer can be consumed. However, it impairs quality, and severely compromised food can be bland or have a decidedly metallic taste.
Freezer burn is caused by exposure to air and the resulting loss of moisture. If food is packaged poorly for the freezer, the water molecules in the food will start to leak out, leaving dry spots that could discolor. As water molecules rise to the surface of food, they tend to form dense areas of ice crystals.
Several things can minimize freezer burn. The first step is to keep the freezer as cold as possible. Fluctuating temperatures can contribute to problems, especially if the food isn’t as cold as it may be to begin with, as well as it can overfill the freezer. Finally, all foods have a shelf life in the freezer. Freezing something can greatly reduce the time it takes to go bad, but it won’t stop the process entirely. While freezer burn isn’t harmful, leaving food in the freezer too long is, and severely burned food may have outlived its shelf life.
Finally, make sure you package your food well before freezing it. If food is stored in plastic containers, make sure the lids are tight and try to squeeze out as much air as possible. Some people like to crumple wax paper at the top of a plastic container before sealing it for freezing, to further reduce the air in the container. If something is bagged and frozen, push all the air out of the bag and make sure it’s sealed tightly. If you are unsure, double bag the food to make sure it is airtight.
If a package of frozen food has freezer burn, you can trim the area before cooking. Keep in mind that the food may have lost some flavor as a result and that you may need to season it more heavily than you normally would. Taste the food as you cook it and adjust the flavors as needed.
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