In this fast-paced world of 21st century where fourth industrial revolution is the be all and end all in everyone’s life, people are walking fast (literally) to catch as much time they could to earn a living. While the Earth is rotating somehow faster than it was back in the good old days, it’s hard for someone who is married to working life to actually be there at the kitchen for hours preparing proper meal for himself. In relation to the said issue, frozen food has been introduced to cater to the time and needs of these industrious people. Now, it can be found in almost every country in this world, be it the frozen food supplier malaysia, frozen food Singapore as well as frozen food New Zealand. However, what if you wish to freeze the food on your own? Should you just stack your meat, poultry and fish together in one compartment of your fridge? Well, hey, for your information, there are a few guidelines you need to follow to ensure your protein is being well frozen and safe to consume.
First and foremost, for meat in general, it is important that you store it in the freezer as soon as possible in order to avoid large formation of ice crystals being formed on the meat during the process. Be sure to set the temperature to 0 Fahrenheit or perhaps lower as microorganisms cannot live at said temperature. Apart from that, it is best to keep your meat at meal-sized while labelling the portion with the exact storage date. Say if you wish to store a smaller portion meat, make sure to wrap it carefully, double wrap it if possible, to avoid the exposure of air onto the meat. Next, be sure to lay them in single layer the first time you freeze it so that they could evenly be froze. As for poultry, it is vital to store chicken breast as soon as you bought it from the supermarket, well, that only if you don’t want to get salmonella. Bear in mind that this kind of meat cannot be kept in the fridge for more than 2 days. If you want to freeze it after the initial freezing process, be sure to pack it in plastic airtight bags. Say if the poultry looks grey or somehow dried out, be warned that it has undergone freezer burn.
When it comes to fish, be sure to pick the freshest one. If it’s in its whole size, it must be cut down to pieces before freezing. Be attentive on what types of fish are you trying to freeze. Freshwater fish should be pre-treated in two different methods for the best result. Lean fish should be soaked in a brine while the fattier ones should be dipped in cold water and ascorbic acid. This method should be taken into consideration in order to avoid the flavour from changing. Also, make sure to separate the fish if you are to store multiples ones in a same packaging. For each of them, separate it using freezer paper.
All in all, there are guidelines for you to follow in order to freeze your own meat, poultry and fish for them to stay fresh and safe to eat. Do take note of every little step for in it lies a load of health benefits, not just for you but also the ones around you.
