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Freezing and storing food
53
Storage time for frozen food
The storage life of food is very variable,
even at a constant temperature of 0°F
(-18°C). Decomposition processes also
take place in frozen food, albeit at a
very reduced speed. For example fat
can become rancid from contact with
oxygen in the air. This is why lean meat
can be stored approx. twice as long as
fatty meat.
The storage times quoted are guide
values for the storage life of different
food groups in the freezer section.
Food group Storage
time
(Months)
Ice cream 2 to 6
Bread, baked goods 2 to 6
Cheese 2 to 4
Fish, oily 1 to 2
Fish, lean 1 to 5
Sausage, ham 1 to 3
Game, pork 1 to 12
Poultry, beef 2 to 10
Vegetables, fruit 6 to 18
Herbs 6 to 10
Where the storage time given on the
packaging differs, follow the advice on
the packaging.
Defrosting
Frozen food can be thawed in various
ways:
– in the microwave,
– in a regular oven, using the "Fan" or
"Defrost" setting
– at room temperature,
– in the refrigerator section (the cold
given off by the frozen food helps to
keep the other food cold),
– in a steam oven.
Flat pieces of partially thawed meat or
fish can be placed directly into a hot
skillet.
Meat and poultry (e.g. hamburger,
chicken, fish) should not come into
contact with other foods while
defrosting. Catch the defrosting liquid
and dispose of it carefully.
Fruit can be thawed at room
temperature, either in the packaging or
in a covered bowl.
Most vegetables can be cooked while
still frozen. Just put straight into boiling
water or hot fat. The cooking time is
slightly less than that of fresh
vegetables due to changes in the cell
structure.
Never re-freeze partially or fully
defrosted food. Defrosted food may
only be re-frozen after it has been
cooked.
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