Common Food Refrigeration Myths Debunked

Common Food Refrigeration Myths Debunked

With life getting busier by the day, refrigerating foods can help get through a busy day as you can cook food beforehand and store it. Alternatively, you can simply store fresh produce and use it whenever you want. At times, we need to cook a considerable amount of food and keep it in the freezer to last for a longer period of time, but there are several misconceptions around the idea of refrigerating foods. This article debunks some of the most common myths and lists out some effective safety and storage tips for refrigerating food:

  • All foods can be frozen
    This is the most common and widely prevalent myth out there. If you tend to put any leftover food or drink into the freezer, you need to stop as some foods should never see the insides of your freezer. Delicate green vegetables like lettuce disintegrate when they are thawed after being frozen. A basic safety and storage tip for refrigerating food is to never put creamy sauces or coffee into the freezer, as the former splits when thawed, and the latter readily absorbs the flavors when frozen.
  • Freezing kills bacteria and prevents cross-contamination
    This is another wrong idea that people have. Refrigerating foods keeps them fresh by making the bacteria inactive, but it does not kill the bacteria. Similarly, cross-contamination can occur in the food if it went into the freezer with the bacteria. Even when you thaw frozen food, it will continue to harbor the same harmful bacteria. It is only the process of cooking the food at a certain temperature that will ensure safety.
  • Frozen foods are less nutritious than fresh foods
    You might have been given the advice to eat your foods fresh because frozen foods have fewer nutrients. Well, that is certainly not the case, but a safety and storage tip for refrigerating food is that you should, in fact, eat fruits right after they are frozen. This is because they have the maximum amount of nutrients then. Also, try to steam or microwave the produce instead of boiling them to retain the water-soluble vitamins as well.
  • Once thawed, food cannot be refrozen
    Sometimes, you take out food from the freezer and thaw it, but are unable to decide what to do with it or how much to eat. You are then unsure as to whether you should put it back into the freezer. Well, there is no harm in refreezing any type of raw or cooked food. However, a safety and storage tip for refrigerating food to keep in mind in this regard is to not put anything into the freezer that has been out for more than 2 hours. Refreezing meat, at most, can reduce the moisture content and affect the taste of the dish cooked, but there is no compromise of safety whatsoever.

So, keep these tips for refrigerating food in mind to make things much easier and more convenient for you on a busy day.

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