Refrigerator and Freezer Tips

The refrigerator is one of the most important things in your kitchen when it comes to food safety. Bacteria exist everywhere. If kept at the appropriate temperature, your refrigerator slows the growth of bacteria. Here are some tips to make sure you are refrigerating and freezing foods properly.

• Make sure the refrigerator temperature is 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below, and 0 degrees Fahrenheit or below in the freezer. Occasionally verify these temperatures using an appliance thermometer.

• Refrigerate or freeze perishables, prepared foods and leftovers within two hours.

• Never defrost or marinate food at room temperature. Use the refrigerator. You can also thaw foods in airtight packaging in cold water (change the water every 30 minutes, so the food continues to thaw). Or, thaw in the microwave if you’ll be cooking the food immediately.

• Divide large amounts of leftovers into shallow containers for quick cooling in the refrigerator.

• Don’t over-stuff the refrigerator. Cold air must circulate to keep food safe.

Freezing is one of the most convenient and least time-consuming methods of preserving foods. The extreme cold slows down the growth of microorganisms and chemical changes that affect quality or cause food to spoil. However, quality largely depends on being freezer savvy: how food was wrapped, how fast it froze, how long it is kept, the freezer’s temperature and whether the food should have been put on ice in the first place.

When freezing foods, packaging materials are important. They must be moisture- and vapor-resistant, durable, and leak proof to maintain the quality of food. When packing, leave headspace of half to one-and-a-half inches to allow for expansion. Label packages with the date the food was frozen.

Containers that are appropriate to use include: plastic freezer containers, plastic freezer-weight bags, aluminum foil, foil pans, coated freezer paper, heavy plastic wrap, and zip bags. You should not freeze in glass jars (which can break), cottage cheese or yogurt containers, bread wrappers, produce bags, or wax paper. These are generally not airtight or thick enough.

There are several factors that can compromise good food that was frozen badly. Here are some things to watch out for and prevent:

• Freezer Burn: To minimize the risk of freezer burn, caused by moisture loss, don’t thaw and refreeze food numerous times. That causes food to dry out faster. If food does suffer from freezer burn, cut off the affected areas — before or after cooking – and use the rest of the food.
• Microorganisms: Growth is stopped when food is frozen, but microorganisms are not destroyed. When food is thawed, they become active again and multiply; food must be cooked to be safe.
• Ice Crystals: Formation of small ice crystals is better for food. Large ice crystals tend to rupture cells and may cause a texture change.
• Temperature: The storage life of foods is shortened as temperature rises. A temperature of 0 degrees or lower should be maintained to keep foods at top quality. Fluctuating temperatures result in growth in the size of ice crystals, further damaging cells and creating a mushier product.
• Air: Oxygen may cause flavor and color changes if the food is improperly packaged. Many foods change color when frozen due to lack of oxygen or especially long storage. For example, red meat can turn brown but it is still safe to eat.
• Enzymes: Freezing slows enzyme activity, and most food keeps when put in the freezer. In vegetables, however, enzymes must be inactivated before freezing.

Time Limits for Food Storage*
Soups and Stews, vegetable or meat: refrigerator: 3-4 days, freezer: 2-3 months
Ham fully cooked whole: refrigerator: 7 days, freezer: 1-2 months
Ham fully cooked sliced: refrigerator: 3-4 days, freezer: 1-2 months
Fresh uncooked meat: refrigerator: 3-5 days, freezer: 6-12 months
Leftover meat: refrigerator: 3-4 days, freezer: 2-3 months
Gravy and meat broth: refrigerator: 1-2 days, freezer: 2-3 months
Fresh raw poultry: refrigerator: 1-2 days, freezer: 12 months
Cooked poultry: refrigerator: 3-4 days, freezer: 3 months
Cooked poultry with broth/gravy: refrigerator: 1-2 days, freezer: 3 months

Thawing Foods

September 28, 2010

Last week we talked about refrigerator and freezer best practices, but when it comes to food safety, the lesson does not end there. It’s just as important to be sure you thaw and defrost foods properly.

Upon removal of frozen food items from the freezer, bacteria start multiplying within the dangerous zone (40 degrees Fahrenheit to 140 degrees Fahrenheit). Therefore, the defrosting process should be looked at as a race between you and bacteria with the aim of completing the defrosting process in a way that maintains the taste and nutritive value of the food before the bacteria exceeds the permitted concentration levels. Bacteria win this race if food is kept for more than two hours within the dangerous zone.

Food safety experts recommend thawing foods in the refrigerator or the microwave oven; or putting the package in a watertight plastic bag submerged in cold water and changing the water every 30 minutes.

Changing the water ensures that the food is kept cold, an important factor for slowing bacterial growth that may occur on the outer thawed portions while the inner areas are still thawing.

When microwaving, follow package directions. Leave about 2 inches (about 5 centimeters) between the food and the inside surface of the microwave to allow heat to circulate. Smaller items will defrost more evenly than larger pieces of food. Foods defrosted in the microwave oven should be cooked immediately after thawing.

Do not thaw meat, poultry and fish products on the counter or in the sink without cold water; bacteria can multiply rapidly at room temperature.

There are four basic ways to thaw: in the refrigerator; in cold tap water; in the microwave; and in the oven. Never set any food out at room temperature to thaw.

Refrigerator (40 degrees Fahrenheit or below): Allow one day for every 4 pounds of whole poultry; one day for a 1-pound package of meat, poultry or seafood; and two or more days for roasts, steaks or ham. Raw or cooked frozen food thawed in a refrigerator is safe to eat if refrozen.

Cold Tap Water: Faster than refrigerator thawing; must cook immediately after thawing. Submerge food in leakproof bags in a bowl of cold tap water. Allow about 1 hour per pound for small packages of food, 30 minutes per pound for whole poultry. Frozen food thawed by the cold-water method but not cooked is not safe to refreeze. You can refreeze it after cooking.

Microwave: Rotate and break up individual items to even the thawing process. For ground meats, scrape off thawed meat and return frozen portion to microwave. Follow manufacturer’s directions for setting your microwave. Cook immediately after thawing; it cannot be refrozen until after cooking.

Oven: Must unwrap the food and cook it as if it were fresh, only allow more time for it to be cooked. This method works best with fish, vegetables, prepared foods and hamburger patties. Use it for poultry, steaks and roasts only in a pinch — flouring and breading won’t stick to a frozen surface and the meat won’t sear properly.

When in Doubt, Throw it Out!

One of the most overlooked food safety issues is how to properly store leftovers.  Whether it’s a holiday event or simply packing up leftovers from dinner, there are important practices you should follow to protect your family from food-borne illnesses.  Keep these tips in mind when cleaning up after a meal:

• Use a refrigerator thermometer to make sure your fridge stays between 35 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

• Wash your hands well with soap and warm water before and after handling leftovers.

• Refrigerate leftovers within two hours of the time they were prepared (this includes those restaurant doggy bags).

• Cool food in the refrigerator instead of on the counter. It is fine to put hot food in the fridge, as long as you vent it slightly. For safety’s sake, consider using an ice bath or shallow pans to cool food rather than risk heating the fridge and other items with hot food.

• Small portions of leftovers cool down faster. Divide large amounts of leftovers between several clean, shallow storage containers.

• Make sure storage container lids seal tightly, or cover them with aluminum foil or plastic wrap.

• Place storage containers at least 2 inches apart in the refrigerator – this allows cold air to circulate.

• Use leftovers containing meat within three days, other foods within five days.

• Foods generally should not be reheated more than twice due to bacteria growth. Never store cooked or ready-made food below raw meats as blood could contaminate other items.

• Food should never stay in the danger zone (40 degrees to 140 degrees Fahrenheit) for more than four hours total time. When in doubt, throw it out!

When it’s time for you to defrost your food in another home, I hope you will call me to assist you.

Thanks,
Joanne
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