Freezing is a dependable method to preserve food essentially by retarding the proliferation of food- damaging micro-organisms and enzymes. It is indispensable for making once-in-a-month as well as make-ahead dishes which require proper storage of frozen recipes for longer periods like month or weeks. In this method, the frozen dishes are ideally packed in special freezing wraps or air tight containers, to allow minimal contact with the environmental air and the stocked in the freezer with the temperature of 0 degrees Fahrenheit. This method is highly used in almost every cuisine for preparing and storing frozen recipes of soups, stews, casseroles, burgers, pies, sausages, patties and more.
Origin of Freezing
The process of freezing for augmenting the longevity of the food was invented by an American expert, Clarence Birdseye. He initially conducted an experiment to check out the sustainability of food under low temperature by with the help of buckets of brine, ice cakes and an electric fan. He later perfected over the system by freezing fresh food in cardboard boxes with freezing temperature.
The Process of Freezing
The concept of frozen recipes has proven to be an essential time saver for modern families with both the partners working. The process of freezing not only allows them to cook food in abundance, but, also ensure their longevity for a considerable period. To practice the method, it is important to learn the below mentioned guidelines.
1. The food intended for freezing must be carefully wrapped in an effective freezing wrapper to keep away the moisture.
2. Solid frozen dishes like meat dishes or baked items must be quickly wrapped in foil paper first to avoid the contact of food with moisture and then wrapped in the freezing wraps.
3. Else, wrap the food in the foil paper and place it into the air tight containers in a way to leave minimum air inside
4. Freeze the food as quickly as possible to minimize the formation of ice crystals.
5. Secure the wrapped food with a freezer tape with date and time of preparation mentioned
Popular Frozen Dishes
Some of the most popular frozen dishes are soups, stews, casseroles, sausages, pies chicken dishes, meet dishes, fish dishes and more. Freezing can be used to store lunch, breakfast as well as dinner frozen recipes for a long time. One of the most common practices adopted by people with busy schedules is the preparation and freeze of base sauces like pasta sauce and curries so as to use them as and when required for preparing dishes.
Advantages and disadvantages of Frozen Recipes
Freezing is advantageous for food preservation as the method nearly kills all the pathogens that spoil the food. However, the method is not highly encouraged by the experts as it reduces the nutrients content, especially, Vitamin C, by ten per cent in the food. Moreover, the efficacy of freezing for preserving food is much less than other preservation methods like boiling. This is essentially because as per the experts some species of pathogens manage to survive in lower temperatures than high temperature. Tips on freezing Always use small sized containers for frozen dishes to ensure speedy freezing.