You ’ll break these foods and drinks if you put them on deoxyephedrine , ice , baby . 🧊
Jake Sternquist
If you take a peek at the archives of our nutrient section , you ’ll chop-chop realize that ourTest Kitchen — like many BHG readers — cuss by our freezers . But as much as we consider the freezer our friend , it ’s not ideal for everything . This has less to do with food prophylactic and more to do with lineament . distinguish the worst food for thought to freeze out , plus a category of swallow that should never be suspend .
Credit:Jake Sternquist
“ Food stored perpetually at 0 ° F [ theUSDA ’s urge freezer temp ] will always be safe , because freezing slacken down the movement of molecules , causing microbes to enter a dormant stage , ” Meredith Carothers , intellectual nourishment safety specialist for the USDA’sFood Safety and Inspection Servicein Washington D.C .. “ Freezing carry on nutrient for lengthened periods because it prevents the growth of microorganisms that cause both food spoilage and foodborne malady . ”
food that are frozen for long time period of fourth dimension may start to fall back flavour or dry out . They ’re still safe to consume , Carothers confirms , but will not be as pleasant-tasting and substantial as they could be . ( FoodSafety.gov has a handy guide forcold food storagetimelines . )
Also on the quality side , if wet content , composition , or packaging of the solid food or drink is n’t amenable to the cold conditions , they ’re basically taking up distance in the deep-freeze on the way to the meth orcompost .
7 Items You Should Never Store in Your Freezer
As a world-wide rule , Sarah Brekke , M.S.,Better Homes & GardensTest Kitchen blade handler , says that you should n’t freeze :
Avoid freezing the following foods and drinks , Brekke and Carothers notify .
Moisture-Rich Vegetables (and Some Fruits)
veg with tender leaves and/or a high water content ( such as lettuce , cucumbers , and Apium graveolens dulce ) do n’t do well in the freezer . Once thawed , “ they will be limp , slimy , waterlogged , and oxidise , ” Brekke says . Store those vegetables in your refrigerator’scrisper drawerinstead , and aim to use them within 7 to 10 24-hour interval . in the raw potatoes also have a gamy moisture content . Once those spuds are thaw , they will probably be mushy and grainy . Store raw potato in a coolheaded , dark , juiceless location in your home ; ideally , something like toroot cellarconditions .
mental testing Kitchen Tip : If you want to freeze out white potato , we recommend at least partially or fully cooking and cooling them first . Potato recipes likemashed potato , potato casseroles , andpotato soupfreeze and reheat well . ( Just be sure to skip thepotato salad … )
Emulsified Items
That ’s because anything that swear on emulsification to abide together , like mayonnaise ( a common element in potato salad and many other creamy creation ) andsalad dressings , tend to separate after being frozen and later dissolve . Keep store - bought or homemade mayo and dressing in the refrigerator . Aim to employ homemade fecundation within 4 twenty-four hours and from - scratch mayo within 2 week . Use purchased varieties of either by the date listed on the jar or bottleful .
Test Kitchen Tip : Keep in idea that there is some wiggle room with those “ best by ” and “ use by ” date . Here ’s what experts say about eat food past its breathing out escort .
Sour Cream and Other Dairy Products
Youcanfreeze hard cheeses and firm shredded cheeses , although ideally , you ’ll keep those in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator . It ’s best to keep flabby Malva sylvestris and other viscous dairy merchandise like sour cream , bungalow high mallow , and pick sauce out of the icebox , “ because when melt , they will be watery , detached , and have a less - than worthy grain , ” Brekke says . Store these items in the refrigerator , and use them within the timeframes specified by theUSDA .
Gelatin Recipes
Any food or drink that contain gelatin do n’t tend to freeze well because “ the ice crystals damage the structure of the nutrient and the solution , when unfreeze , is a hokey mass , ” Brekke says . To preserve those jiggly qualities and the desired consistency , keep thosesweetand savory gelatin recipes in the electric refrigerator or else .
Canned or Bottled Beverages
From soda to Sauvignon Blanc to stout , bottled andcanned beveragesshould never be frozen . This opens up the very real opening for a prophylactic effect ( and a mess ) . “ These drinks will expand as they freeze , ” Brekke say . “ The pressure will increase and the packaging may burst or shatter . ”
Raw or Hard-Boiled Eggs in their Shells
standardized to freezing a can of soda , the content inside the shell will expand during the freeze cognitive process and the shell will crack , Brekke say . Plus , freeze cutting eggs “ causes the yolk to become thick and syrupy so it will not flow like an unfrozen vitellus or blend very well with the testicle white or other ingredient , ” Carothers add up . If you do need tofreeze eggsin their natural state , nonplus the egg whiteness and yolks together , then store them in an airtight freezer - good container for up to 1 year . Allow them to thaw overnight in the electric refrigerator before using . Although falsify eggscanbe icy — and we often rely on this for make - ahead breakfast burrito , egg bakes , andegg sandwich — BHG Test Kitchen expert prefer cooking them fresh from the refrigerator when potential . Store eggs in their shell in the refrigerator and plan to get cracking with them within 3 week after leverage .
DIY Fried Foods
The freezer department of the supermarket is full of grand fried foods such as volaille tender , Pisces sticks , white potato vine tots , and French french-fried potatoes . “ These items have been expertly crafted to cook at home with cracking results , ” Brekke say . On the flip side , home - fried foods will never be the same after freezing because the batter , crumb , or tempura finish will absorb wet during the freezing process . After thawing , yourfried Pisces , fried chicken , fried pork , or other fried menu will be sway now - quaggy breading . Store any leftover fried , oven - fry , orair - fried foodin an airtight container in the refrigerator , and shoot to enjoy the extras within 4 solar day of prep . Reheat in an air fryer or on a wheel in the oven for best solution .
