Freezer Burn Turns Premium Lasagna Into Cardboard
You know that fancy organic lasagna you splurged on at the grocery store? The dulling of color in frozen vegetables and cooked foods is usually the result of excessive drying due to improper packaging or over-lengthy storage. The bright red color of meat as purchased usually turns dark or pale brown depending on its variety. This may be due to lack of oxygen, freezer burn or abnormally long storage. Even if the packaging looks intact, freezer burn happens when food isn’t stored properly in the freezer, causing moisture to escape and turn into ice crystals. Although the food is still edible, this coating of ice “burns” the food, causing it to have a drier texture and less flavor. After a month, those beautiful layers of pasta and cheese develop a grayish cast that screams “I’ve been forgotten.” Air is the enemy of frozen food, causing dehydration and “freezer burn.” The once-rich tomato sauce becomes bland, and the cheese turns rubbery—it’s like eating a cardboard replica of what you paid good money for. Frozen foods can be kept in your freezer indefinitely and still be safe to eat … assuming they stayed frozen solid the whole time. However, they might not taste very good or have a strange texture that makes them unappealing.
Cream-Based Frozen Dinners Separate Into Disappointment
Freezing breaks membranes, so if you value crunch or similar properties, it is not the way to go. Cheese structure, and emulsions are also degraded. Those creamy chicken Alfredo or stroganoff meals look tempting in the freezer aisle, but they’re basically ticking time bombs of texture destruction. Some foods quickly lose flavor when stored in the freezer. Examples include cream-based sauces that separate during freezing, as well as coffee that rapidly loses flavor when frozen. After sitting in your freezer for weeks, what once was a smooth, velvety sauce becomes a grainy, watery mess with chunks of congealed cream floating around. While you can freeze milk and cheese, “they may have some changes in their texture,” said Stack. The proteins in dairy products don’t handle extended freezing well, and when you reheat these meals, you’ll find yourself stirring desperately to try to bring back that creamy consistency. Sour cream, yogurt and buttermilk lose their smooth texture when frozen. It’s like trying to fix a broken relationship—the damage is already done.
Vegetable-Heavy Meals Turn Into Mushy Disasters
Those healthy frozen meals packed with broccoli, carrots, and green beans? Freezing foods “improperly” (i.e. not flash-frozen, not vacuum-sealed) causes ice crystals to form within the food, damaging the molecular structures. This is what causes many frozen leftovers to become “mushy” or change in texture. While vegetables might seem like they’d freeze well, the reality is much more disappointing. In terms of the worst frozen food, I am not a fan of any frozen vegetable. I think they’re bland and the texture when they’re frozen is not my favorite. After a month in the freezer, those crisp vegetables turn into limp, waterlogged shadows of their former selves. Fruits and vegetables that have a high water content, such as watermelon and lettuce, also don’t freeze well and will often thaw out much soggier than they were before they were frozen. The water inside the vegetables forms ice crystals that puncture cell walls, leaving you with a mushy, flavorless meal that’s more like baby food than dinner. Many foods change color when frozen for a long time. A piece of uncooked beef may turn from red to brown, or raw chicken might turn white. Vegetables may pale in color. This doesn’t mean that the food is unsafe to eat, but it’s a sign that it might not be as flavorful as you’d like.
Seafood Frozen Meals Develop Fishy Off-Flavors
Fish and seafood frozen meals are particularly vulnerable to flavor degradation over time. The fat will eventually go rancid and taste bad. The water will evaporate out of the ingredients and cause freezer burn. What starts as a promising shrimp scampi or salmon teriyaki quickly develops that unmistakable “fishy” smell that makes your kitchen reek when you open the package. Some foods will develop a rancid or off odor when frozen too long and should be discarded. Some may not look picture perfect or be of high enough quality to serve alone but may be edible; use them to make soups or stews. Frozen fish ranging from fatty fish such as salmon and tuna to leaner, flakier fish such as flounder and cod should taste fine for up to three months. Some shellfish, such as shrimp and king crab, can last longer than three months, but lobster tail meat lasts just two to four weeks. After a month, even premium seafood meals taste like they’ve been sitting on a dock for days. Due to the formation of ice and the movement of water when the food is reheated, tiny particles such as spices can be lost in steam and/or runoff water. Extreme temperatures (both hot and cold) can denature enzymes in the food, changing their flavor, texture, etc. The delicate proteins break down, leaving you with a meal that tastes more like low-tide than the ocean-fresh experience you were hoping for.
Breaded Items Lose Their Crunch and Become Soggy
Frozen meals featuring breaded chicken, fish sticks, or anything with a crispy coating are basically setting you up for disappointment after extended freezer storage. Freezing and reheating often softens the food. The effect is that each food piece has less time in the mouth before swallowing and therefore has less time to be tasted. That satisfying crunch you’re craving from those chicken tenders or fish fillets? The ice cream will likely have a dry texture and may have even absorbed some of the odors from your freezer—not exactly delicious. A small layer of ice crystals on ice cream or other foods is normal, and probably won’t affect the flavor. Large ice crystals or a thick layer of ice are a sign that the food will not taste fresh. Forget about it after a month in the freezer. It may change in taste because of the moisture loss from thawing, but it won’t make you sick. It may change in taste because of the moisture loss from thawing, but it won’t make you sick. The breading absorbs moisture from the air and turns into a soggy, chewy mess that sticks to your teeth like wet newspaper. Frozen foods can be kept in your freezer indefinitely and still be safe to eat … assuming they stayed frozen solid the whole time. However, they might not taste very good or have a strange texture that makes them unappealing. Instead of that golden, crispy exterior you see on the package, you’ll bite into something that feels like it was left out in the rain—technically edible, but about as appetizing as cardboard.
