Leader Lesson The Family Freezer: Making the Most of What Goes In

1. Leader LessonThe Family Freezer: Making the Most of What Goes In Provided by: Barbara Brown, Ph.D., R.D./L.D. Food Specialist, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service Associate Prof., Department of Nutritional Sciences

2. The situation • Not a new home preservation tool • What is going into your freezer? • How is your food wrapped? • How long will food be stored in the freezer? California Agriculture, California Experiment Station, March, 1947 Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

3. Plusses of freezing • Save food when you have time • Use oven efficiently when bake extra to freeze • Less waste if leftovers are frozen (if used) • Prepare special diet & baby foods in quantity & freeze in single portions • Save time by doubling, tripling recipes • Eases cooking for 1 or 2 • May save $ by making own convenience foods Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

4. On the minus side • Expensive when total cost of packaging, energy use, & freezer itself • More energy used to cook, freeze & reheat a dish than to cook for immediate use • Some dishes have a relatively short storage life compared to storage life of the ingredients • Must allow time for thawing unless a microwave is available • Some foods don’t freeze well or don’t justify work & cost of freezing Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

5. Cost associated with freezing • Initial cost of freezer, divided over 20 years if new, nine years if used • Lost interest on cash outlay for freezer • Freezer maintenance and repair • USDA estimates 2% of purchase price of new freezer/year • Used freezers may be higher Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

6. Cost associated with freezing (continued) • Electricity needed to reach and maintain 0oF • Packaging materials • Water & fuel to prepare food for freezing • Cost of ingredients Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

7. Figuring the cost • Takes 0.l kilowatt hours to freeze 1 pound of food & lower its temperature to 0oF Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

8. Energy required depends on many factors • Temperature of room where freezer is located • Frequency of door openings • Size of freezer. In general, larger freezers use more electricity than smaller ones. • Insulating properties of freezer • Clean, well maintained freezers use less energy Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

9. Energy required depends on many factors • Full freezers use less total electricity & less electricity/pound of food to maintain 0oF • Turnover of food—cost to maintain frozen food mounts daily • Chest vs. upright • In general, chests are more economically to operate than uprights • Manual defrost vs. frost-free • Frost-free freezers cost considerably more to operate Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

10. Example of energy costs:Frost free vs. manual defrost • Cost to run a 15-cubic foot freezer for 1 year when electricity costs 7 cents/kilowatt hour: • Frost-free freezer cost $123.27/year • Manual defrost freezer cost $81.37/year • Difference = $41.90 • $838 over 20 years of freezer life Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

11. Operation cost of a 15-cubic foot freezer/pound of food for 1 year Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

12. Safety of frozen foods • Freezer is set at recommended freezer temperature (0oF) will keep food safe to eatindefinitely • Food must be safe to eat when it goes in • Slows movement of molecules causing microbes to enter a dormant state • Harmful bacteria not killed by freezing temperatures • Begin to grow as food thaws • Parasites can be destroyed by freezing Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

13. Freezer storage • Color, flavor & texture eventually deteriorate • Recommended storage times are for quality only • Effects of too long a storage • Some foods develop rancid or off odor • Appearance suffers even if edible • Usable in soups, stews, casseroles Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

14. Keep it cold • Keep freezer set at 0oF or lower • Use appliance thermometer to monitor • Refrigerator freezing compartment can’t maintain temperature if opened often • Use only for short-term frozen storage Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

15. To help keep unit cold • Allow air movement inside freezer • Reduce number of items in freezer & add shelf space • Allow air to circulate more efficiently for a more thorough freeze • Keep foods away from back vent • Blocks air circulation & results in a warmer freezer Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

16. Preparing homemade convenience foods for freezing • Freeze slightly undercooked if will be reheated • Cool quickly after preparation by: • Put pan in ice water, stir if possible OR • Put in serving size freezer containers & refrigerate until cool • Freeze as soon as cool Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

17. Not all foods freeze well *Cucumbers & cabbage can be frozen as marinated foods (freezer pickles or slaw) Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

18. Not all foods freeze well (continued) Source: National Center for Home Food Preservation, http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/ Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

19. Don’t know how it will freeze? • Try freezing a small portion, then check quality Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

20. Packaging • Pack amount to be used at one time • Choose packaging that matches thawing & reheating method you’ll use • Freezer- & microwave-safe containers for those to be thawed and/or cooked in microwave oven Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

21. Packaging options • Use moisture-vapor-proof packaging • Plastic containers, freezer bags, heavy-duty aluminum foil, coated freezer paper, wide-mouth canning jars (leave 1 to 2 inches headspace) • Convenience foods—glass or metal baking pans lined with plastic wrap or foil; when frozen lift out food & put in freezer bags or wrap with freezer paper Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

22. Vacuum-packaging • More oxygen removed, the better the quality • Vacuum-packaging does not kill microbes • Must keep food cold while thawing • Vacuum-sealed bags not designed for cooking • Replacement bags can be expensive, more difficult to locate Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

23. Freezer burn • Moisture loss from the food surface • May look like fuzzy, grayish white spot on food surface • Not harmful but causes off-flavors, dries out & toughens food • Packaging in moisture/vapor-proof containers or wrapping & storing food for recommended length of time helps prevent • Cover fruit with syrup & cooked meat with gravy or sauce to help prevent Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

24. Rules for wrapping • Wrap tightly • Wrap again (double wrap) • Wrap individual portions separately when appropriate • Wrapping tightly & double wrapping help maintain quality & prevent freezer burn • Wrapping individual portions separately lets you remove some food to prepare without thawing unneeded food Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

25. Best storage materials are easy to mark • Label foods with the date & contents so that keeping an inventory is easy • Use permanent markers to label either on strip of masking tape or directly on package/container • Remove permanent marker from empty plastic containers with rubbing alcohol • Throw away canning jar lids & plastic bags Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

26. Package dating & freezing • Don’t buy foods with out-of-date Sell-By or Best-if-Used-By dates • Buy the food with the longest Best-if-Used-By date for best food quality. If you can’t use perishable foods within 3 to 7 days, freeze • For quality purposes, freeze food before Best-if-Used-By date to maintain the highest quality while frozen • Once food is frozen the package date becomes irrelevant Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

27. Putting food into the freezer • Freeze at 0oF or below • Place packages against cooling surfaces of freezer for quick freezing • Freeze only what can be frozen in 24 hours • Usually 2-3 pounds/cubic foot Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

28. Keep an inventory • Post list of frozen food with freezing date near freezer • Add & subtract from list Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

29. Using frozen foods • Reheat food that was cooked & frozen to 165oF • Use a thermometer to check to avoid overcooking Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

30. Thawing frozen food • Room temperature • Ok for nonperishable foods (bread, cakes, cookies) • Leave food in package until thawed • Refrigerator • Best for perishable foods (meats, main dishes, cooked meat, side dishes, eggs) • Microwave oven • General guideline: 6-8 min/pound thawed on defrost setting (30% power) • Frozen foods may be cooked without thawing • Allow 1/3 to 1/2 more cooking time Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

31. Using thawed food • When you thaw, open, & prepare frozen food, use within 3—7 days to keep it safe • Discard improperly thawed and opened, or prepared foods that have been uneaten within 4 days Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

32. Freezer tips • Freeze whole grains and foods that contain them to slow the onset of rancidity • Yeast: freezing not recommended • Bagels & English muffins defrost more quickly when frozen pre-sliced or separated • Hamburger patties: separate burgers with square pieces of parchment paper then place in freezer bag • Also works with tortillas, crepes, French toast, pancakes Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

33. Freezing tips for meat • May be left in original packaging up to 2 weeks • For longer storage, wrap tightly in freezer packaging to prevent freezer burn Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

34. Freezing coffee • Coffee beans: if use a bag in less than 10—12 days, store beans in original bag or zipper-lock bag away from heat & light • For longer storage, freeze • Ground coffee: store in freezer • Measure amount needed into filter & warm to room temperature before brewing Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

35. Power outages • Keep the door shut • Full freezer usually okay for 48 hours; 1/2-full only 1 day • Refrigerator freezing compartment may not keep foods frozen as long • If the freezer is not full, quickly group packages together to stay cold more effectively • Separate meat & poultry from other foods so if they begin to thaw, juices won't drip onto other foods Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

36. If power stays off consider… • Putting dry ice, block ice, or bags of ice in freezer • Use appliance thermometer to monitor freezer temperature • Moving foods to a family or friend's freezer • Invest in a generator—know how to use it safely Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

37. If power stays off don’t… • Move food outside • Can thaw when exposed to sun even when temperature is very cold • Food may become too warm & foodborne bacteria could grow • Food could be exposed to unsanitary conditions or animals Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

38. When power comes back on… • Determine safety by checking condition & temperature of food • Refreeze or use food that is partly frozen, still has ice crystals, or is as cold as if it were in a refrigerator (40°F) • Not necessary to cook raw foods prior to refreezing Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

39. Throw away • Perishable foods that have been warmer than 40°F over 2 hrs • Any food contaminated by raw meat juices • Soft or melted ice cream (low quality) Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

40. Summary • Freezing food offers many benefits • Freezing is an expensive method of preserving food • Use proper packaging and label food to be frozen • Monitor what is in your freezer and use it before quality deteriorates • Have a plan for power outages Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

41. Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service