Knowing how to get the best outyour freezer helps withmeal planning and avoiding food waste.
Freezing is a great way to store food. It will help you save money by planning ahead. And it will help you to cut the amount of food you waste if you get it in the freezer before it goes off.
If food is properly frozen it will stay safe to eat indefinitely, although after a time the taste and texture may suffer.
Whether you have a chest freezer or upright freezer, the principles of good freezing are the same.
What is the correct storage time and temperature for foods in my freezer?
Storage times for frozen foods differs depending on the type of food and type of freezer you have. Freezers have a star rating to let you know how long the food can safely be stored. You should check the star rating, as well as the instructions on packaged frozen food. This will allow you to work out how long you can store the packaged frozen food in your freezer. Also, be aware that freezers should ideally run at -18°C.
Freezer star ratings| * Frozen food compartment | Runs at - 6° C and should only store food for up to one week |
| ** Frozen food compartment | Runs at -12° C and should only store food for up to one month |
| *** Frozen food compartment | Runs at -18° C and should only store food for up to three months |
| **** Freezer | Runs at -18° C and is suitable for long-term storage (three months or longer) |
Food you can freeze
Please note freezer storage times are for quality only. Frozen food will remain safe indefinitely if frozen properly.
Food type | Recommended freezing time frames (if your freezer runs at -18oC) |
|---|
Uncooked meat (roasts, steaks, chops etc) | 4-12 months |
Uncooked mince meat | 3-4 months |
Cooked meat | 2-3 months |
Cured meats (ham & bacon ) | 1-2 months |
Uncooked poultry (chicken, turkey etc) | 9-12 months |
Cooked poultry | 4 months |
Fish-raw & cooked | 2-4 months |
Frozen dinners ( e.g. lasagne, pizza, shepherd’s pie) | 3-4 months |
Soups, stews and casseroles | 2-3 months |
Milk | Up to 1 month |
Butter | Up to 3 months |
Grated cheese | Up to 4 months |
Vegetables | Up to 12 months |
Fruit | Up to 6 months |
Eggs – either separate the yolk and white, or beat the eggs before freezing | Up to 6 months |
Cakes and baked goods without icing | 6-8 months |
Bread | Up to 3 months |
Raw pastry | 6 months |
Food you can't freeze
Some foods simply are not freezer friendly.
Foods with a crumb base | These can go soggy when defrosted and reheated |
Vegetables and fruits with a high water content, like lettuce, cucumber, bean sprouts, radishes and watermelons | These go limp and mushy |
Soft herbs, like parsley, basil and chives | These will go brown |
Egg-based sauces, such as mayonnaise | They will separate and curdle |
Milk based sauces | They will separate |
Plain yogurt, low-fat cream cheese, single cream and cottage cheese | These will go watery |
Raw eggs in their shells | These will expand and crack |
Hard-boiled eggs | These go rubbery |
Canned foods | |
Top tips for using your freezer
1. Cool the food before you freeze it
Freezing food when hot will raise the temperature of the freezer and could cause other foods to start defrosting. Dividing the food into smaller parts can speed up the cooling process.
2. Wrap the food properly or put it in sealed containers
If you do not seal your food it can get “freezer-burn”. This means that water escapes from the food and moves to the coldest part of the freezer – leaving your food dehydrated. While this affects the quality of the food, it will still be safe to eat.
3. Freeze food in realistically sized portions
You don't want to have to defrost a stew big enough to feed eight when you're only feeding a family of three.
4. Label everything you freeze
If you don’t label foods or ingredients clearly, you might not remember what they are, let alone when you froze them. Buy a blue marker for raw foods and a red marker for cooked foods. Always add the date it was frozen.
5. Check the use-by date
Do not freeze any foods after their "use-by-date", because they will not be safe to eat.
6. Don’t let ice build up
An icy freezer is an inefficient one, so make sure you defrost your freezer if ice builds up. Don't worry about the food; most things will remain frozen in the fridge for a couple of hours while the freezer defrosts.
7. If in doubt, throw it out
Freezing does not kill bacteria. If you are not sure how long something has been frozen or are a bit wary of something once defrosted, don't take any chances.
8. Follow these steps to freeze fresh vegetables
- Boil a handful of vegetables at a time for 30 sec in a pot of boiling water - this will stop them going brown when frozen.
- Scoop them out into a bowl of heavily iced water - this is called blanching.
- Once chilled, drain the veg and scatter them onto a tray lined with kitchen paper.
- Freeze them on the tray and then transfer them to a freezer bag.
- Cook the vegetables from frozen in a large pan of boiling water. Do not steam them, as they tend to go soggy.
FAQs
Also, when putting food away, don't crowd the refrigerator or freezer so tightly that air can't circulate. Keep your appliances at the proper temperatures. Keep the refrigerator temperature at or below 40° F (4° C). The freezer temperature should be 0° F (-18° C).
What is the proper storage of food in the freezer? ›
Also, when putting food away, don't crowd the refrigerator or freezer so tightly that air can't circulate. Keep your appliances at the proper temperatures. Keep the refrigerator temperature at or below 40° F (4° C). The freezer temperature should be 0° F (-18° C).
Is enough to keep food frozen? ›
The guidelines for freezer storage are for quality only—frozen foods stored continuously at 0°F (-18°C) or below can be kept indefinitely.
What temperature should freezer be kept at _______ or lower for safe food storage? ›
To store frozen foods at best quality, keep the freezer set to maintain zero (0 °F or -17.8 °C). Some combination refrigerator-freezers cannot keep the freezer air that cold. As long as foods are solidly frozen, they will stay safe.
When storing food in a freezer what temperature should it be below? ›
Storing food
Ensure your fridges and freezers are set to the recommended temperatures. Fridges and chilled display equipment should be set at 8˚C or below as a legal requirement. A freezer should be -18°C.
How to freeze food properly? ›
Wrap and seal food tightly: Foil, plastic wrap and plastic freezer bags help protect food from freezer burn. Try to remove as much air when wrapping to prevent freezer burn. Or if you're using food storage containers, make sure you've left enough space in the container for liquid to expand as it freezes.
What is the best storage for freezer food? ›
Zip-top bags are great for freezing food because it's easier to get all the air out of them than it is with rigid containers. And zip-top bags have an added space-saving benefit: You can stack them, if you lay them flat to freeze first.
What are the guidelines for food storage? ›
Storage. Always refrigerate perishable food within 2 hours (1 hour when the temperature is above 90 °F). Check the temperature of your refrigerator and freezer with an appliance thermometer. The refrigerator should be at 40 °F or below and the freezer at 0 °F or below.
Which methods of food storage are correct? ›
Keep food in original containers or labeled containers approved for food storage. Use the First In, First Out (FIFO) method of inventory rotation. Dating products and storing new products behind old products will make FIFO easy to follow.
Is 10 degrees cold enough for a freezer? ›
Is It OK for Your Freezer To Be Set at 10 Degrees? Setting your freezer to 10 degrees Fahrenheit is generally not recommended for long-term food storage. Food stored at this temperature is at a higher risk of spoilage and freezer burn, as well as the growth of bacteria and other pathogens.
Bacteria grow most rapidly in the range of temperatures between 40 ° and 140 °F, doubling in number in as little as 20 minutes. This range of temperatures is often called the "Danger Zone." That's why the Meat and Poultry Hotline advises consumers to never leave food out of refrigeration over 2 hours.
What is the correct temperature for a freezer? ›
The temperature of a freezer should be set at 0 degrees Fahrenheit so everything stays very cold. A freezer should be cold enough to keep food frozen and preserve it until they are ready to be cooked or reheated.
At what temperature does freezer food spoil? ›
If the freezer is above 40 degrees F and you know it has been at that temperature more than two hours, then the food probably is not safe. Fruits and bread products are exceptions. Fruits ferment when they start to spoil, but a little fermentation won't make fruits unsafe to eat.
What is the recommended temperature zone to store frozen food? ›
Storing food in the fridge
Your fridge temperature should be at 5 °C or below. The freezer temperature should be below -15 °C. Use a thermometer to check the temperature in your fridge.
What temperature is cold enough to store food? ›
Food should be stored in a refrigerator that is 40°F or cooler or a freezer that is 0°F or cooler.
What is the storage condition for frozen food? ›
You should store frozen food at -15°C or colder and defrost it in the fridge, not at room temperature. The 'temperature danger zone' for food safety is between 5°C and 60°C. Bacteria can't grow easily at temperatures outside of this zone. Storing food in airtight containers can help slow the growth of harmful bacteria.
What is the best way to organize food in a freezer? ›
The best way to organize a freezer without shelves is to use freezer-safe bins and organizers to categorize items and to create layers, drawers, and zones. You can use magazine holders, file sorters, milk crates, or bins designed specifically for freezers.
What is the safest way to store frozen food? ›
Both Leone and Saffitz wrap everything tightly in plastic wrap before packing it in a freezer bag and—this is really important—removing as much air as possible. "A vacuum sealer is really best," Leone says. He also advises against freezing in glass—it has a tendency to expand and break.
What is the correct order for storing food? ›
Store raw food separately from cooked food
Always store raw food in sealed or covered containers at the bottom of the fridge. Keep raw foods below cooked foods, to avoid liquid such as meat juices dripping down and contaminating the cooked food.
