Freezing is a good way to preserve fruit and vegetables. Freezing delays the spoilage of products, and by reducing the activity of certain enzymes, it prevents the multiplication of harmful microorganisms. In addition, frozen foods are he althy, because freezing does not take away the nutritional value of the products.
Research proves thatfreezingdelays food spoilage and prevents the multiplication of microorganisms by reducing the activity of certain enzymes.
Water contained in the products, freezing, becomes unattainable for bacteria that need it in their metabolic processes. Due to the low temperature, the processes of rancidity of fats, occurring at temperatures higher than -180 ° C, are inhibited. However, most microorganisms (except parasites) survivefreezing . Therefore, care should be taken both before freezing and after defrosting the product. Freezing is convenient, and at the same time it allows, to a greater extent than, for example, sugar, s alting or pickling, to maintain the nutritional value similar to that of fresh products and enables the elimination of preservatives.
Worth knowingFreezing food at -30 ° C instead of -18 ° C extends the shelf life of products such as pork by 50% and butter by up to 128%!
Freezing - how to freeze?
Freezing can really make your life easier. It works especially well when planning meals for the whole week. Thanks to this, after preparing a few dishes and freezing them, we can enjoy fresh dishes literally ready in 5 minutes from frostbite. Freezing also allows you to avoid wasting food, especially after holidays or larger celebrations.
What should be remembered, however, so that frozen products and dishes do not lose their taste, nutritional value and, above all, freshness?
- Do not put hot food in the freezer. Food should be chilled before placing it in the freezer, otherwise it will defrost frozen food.
- Do not freeze food that has already been frozen before! This way, bacteria will grow and your food can deteriorate quickly. The exception to the rule is freezing previously frozen products after cooking.
- When you freeze foods or whole foodsdishes, it is worth dividing them into smaller portions before freezing. This way you will avoid defrosting a 4 person dish in case you are going to eat it yourself… It is a simple way to waste food. In addition, dividing an already frozen product can be quite a challenge. Therefore, always divide one dish into portions and freeze in several packages to avoid the hassle of excess food after defrosting.
- When freezing soups or sauces in jars, never pour them full! Due to freezing, liquids increase their volume, which can burst the vessel in which they were placed in the freezer. Therefore, when pouring liquids into jars or other containers, always leave a few centimeters free.
- Also keep an eye on the date when you put the products in the freezer! Remember that freezing does not kill bacteria, so keep in mind that keeping food in the freezer for too long will not prevent it from spoiling. Therefore, always describe the items to be frozen to make sure that they did not stay in the freezer for too long.
- Also, do not freeze food that is stale.
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Freezing - how to defrost?
It is not difficult to properly freeze food. You should also remember to defrost it properly. First of all, you cannot put frozen food in warm water right away. Allow the food to thaw completely at room temperature first. Only after this time is it fully ready for further thermal processing, i.e. heating or cooking. The exception in this situation are vegetables - these can be cooked right out of the freezer.
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Freezing - how does it freeze industrially?
- First, the vegetables and fruits are sorted and selected in terms of quality.
- Then they are washed, cut.
- The next stage is blanching (it is a process preceding freezing, consisting in a short-term, several-minute-long, heating of vegetables at a temperature of 85-100 ° C). Blanching stops the action of tissue enzymes, preventing changes in color and flavor of frozen vegetables. Additionally, microorganisms are destroyed. Leafy vegetables, peas, beans, asparagus, corn are blanched.cauliflower and broccoli. It is not necessary for e.g. carrots, peppers, fruits, onions, garlic and parsley. In addition, blanching means that after defrosting, the dishes are prepared in a shorter time, and the vegetables are slightly hard, as if they were steamed.
- Finally, the vegetables are frozen very quickly. This takes place in a special freezing tunnel in a stream of very cold air. Due to the fact that they are frozen almost in flight, they do not stick together and retain their natural appearance, and above all, many nutritional properties.
- The shelf life of frozen foods is obtained using temperatures below -18 ° C, most of which are aimed at freezing even at -30 ° C.
Freezing - history
Convenient, easy-to-prepare, nutritious and tasty frozen foods perfectly match the modern lifestyle. Their history, however, is much longer than we might suppose. The use of cold for the storage of food products goes back to prehistoric times, when people used snow and ice to store their prey.
Ice for food storage was already used by the Chinese 1000 years BC in insulated cellars, and the Egyptians discovered a way to produce ice in pots of water. The history of frozen foods as we know them today began in the 1930s in the United States, when Clarence Birdseye invented the technology to do so. Well, when in 1912 he was fishing on the Labrador Peninsula, he discovered that the fish, frozen right out of the water, did not lose their taste even when they were thawed a few months later. This experience has taught him that the freezing process must be quick so that the food does not lose its value. In 1930, after years of trials, he introduced frozen foods to the market. However, there was a long way from this invention to their true popularity. The costs of investing in freezers turned out to be a big obstacle.
For help, history came. Unexpectedly for everyone, the Second World War and the fact that the Japanese cut off access to tin sources meant that American producers had to switch from canned food to one that uses other, less strategic for the country, packaging. This opened the door to frozen foods packed in cardboard boxes, waxed paper and cellophane.
Worth knowingWhat is better not to freeze?
Natural yogurt or cream will become watery when thawed. It is also not worth putting eggs in the freezer. Raw eggs can crack and hard-boiled eggs become rubbery when thawed. Better not to put fish in the freezer that is not fresh. These,left in the refrigerator for a few days will not be good after defrosting. It is worth knowing that herbs, especially parsley or basil, will still be aromatic after defrosting, but will lose their original shape. As a result, they will no longer be suitable as a form of decoration.