Tips for freezing and defrosting food in the healthiest way

Preserving food by freezing it in the freezer is a common practice in many Brazilian homes, to avoid waste or even cook in advance, increasing the practicality of meals. Despite this, not all foods can be frozen, as the cold causes some of them to change their texture, flavor, or even nutritional value.

Commonly frozen foods that should not undergo this treatment are raw vegetables, fried foods, cooked pasta and fresh cheeses that have a lot of water in their composition, such as the Minas frescal type. In addition to these, mayonnaise, gelatin and eggs react badly to freezing. The list was published by Uol.

Other types of food do not tend to lose nutrients or change taste when frozen. What actually happens is the loss of heat, which causes the microorganisms that spoil the food to slow down, proliferating less and keeping the food preserved for longer.

But it’s not just any freezing that prevents food from losing its nutritional value – there is the right way to freeze, to preserve the food with quality.

First of all, it is necessary to properly clean your hands and food, to avoid the action of microbes and contamination of the food. Once clean, the food must be placed in packaging designed for freezing, which blocks contact between it and the dry air in the freezer.

Insulating the food prevents its smell from being damaged, as well as making it easier to remove the food for defrosting. Packaging must be well sealed and closed.

If it is not possible to store the food in packaging suitable for freezing, it is worth using glass containers with lids. There are also bags made for freezing, but these require all the air to be removed from the inside, generally done using a vacuum system.

Another strategy that improves freezing quality is space. Placing small amounts of food in large containers leads to the accumulation of ice, making it difficult to defrost. Ideally, the quantity should be proportional to the size of the packaging used.

Furthermore, the freezer should not be full of packaging, because the lack of space hinders the circulation of cold air, taking away the power of freezing.

It’s also a good idea to label packaging with the name of the food stored there, as well as the date it was frozen. This way, it will be easier to know which one has been stored for the longest time, and should be prioritized when choosing what to eat.

To defrost, the ideal is not to let the food reach its natural temperature outdoors when removed from the freezer. To reduce the risk of contamination, it is best to place the food in the refrigerator, so that it defrosts little by little.

Once defrosted, the food cannot be frozen again, as when it comes into contact with the air, it receives a new range of microorganisms.