How to prevent frozen food from freeze-drying?
I have one of those no-frost freezers and while it's awesome that I do not have to defrost it every once in a while, it has a nasty habit of freeze-drying everything I put inside it. This includes things like sealed trays of meat which I'd expect to remain stable since the water cannot escape the container.
I found this somewhat related question: Freezing meat in Tupperware vs freezer bag, but the advice does not really work for me. I've tried packing the food tightly in plastic bags, but even then ice crystals begin to appear within the bag after a while and if I do not consume the food for a long time, the bag ends up being full of ice and the food within rather dryer than before.
The only thing that seems to work is when I buy some vacuum-sealed piece of meat which has absolutely no air inside - then there is no space for the ice crystals to form and the meat can be stored for extended periods of time. This would not work for things like bread and similar items though.
How do I prevent my food from freeze-drying without having the equipment to vacuum-seal it completely?
Best Answer
The way to prevent freezer burn, or at least delay it as long as possible, is to remove air. Even fairly low-end vacuum sealers will help you here. However, if you don't want to get one, or can't, the next best thing is to use freezer zip bags and employ Archimedes principle. It's commonly used in sous vide cooking, but can certainly help to remove air for freezing. Another option is to seal a zip bag most of the way, with a straw inserted. Suck the air out, then, in one swift motion, remove the straw and seal the bag. By the way, both of these suggestions would work for more delicate items, like bread.
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How do you keep ice crystals from forming on frozen food?
Food placed inside the freezer is usually warmer than the appliance's internal temperature. As the food cools, it is normal to see some condensation turning into frost or ice crystals on it. To avoid this, make sure to store food in sealed, freezer-safe and moisture-proof containers or wraps.How do you keep frozen food quality?
Storage, Packaging, and ThawingStorage and distribution temperatures need to be kept at 0\xb0F or lower to maintain quality. Every 9\xb0F increase over 0\xb0F increases the rate of quality loss by about 200 to 250%. The amount of food in a storage unit can affect temperature fluctuation.Can freeze drying be reversed?
Freeze-dried food has a long shelf life, without the need to be kept in the refrigerator. Freeze-dried food is lighter in weight, so less energy is needed for transport. The freeze-drying process can easily be reversed by adding water to the freeze-dried product.Why does food dry out in the freezer?
What is freezer burn? Freezer burn happens when frozen foods are exposed to cold, dry air, which causes them to dehydrate as the outer layers lose moisture.FREEZE DRYING tips for BEGINNERS: plus What's the DIFFERENCE between DEHYDRATING \u0026 FREEZE DRYING?
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Answer 2
@moscafj gave a great answer
for completeness, but not for bread ...
Some foods can't structurally survive having the air sucked out of their packaging, but can survive being immersed in water, so another method is to fill all the air gaps with water. This also greatly slows down rancidification.
There's a half-way between the two, seen in grocery frozen food sections where, say chicken parts are frozen, then sprayed with water to give them a coating of ice, then packaged for retail sale. This delays freezer burn and rancidity.
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