Avoid Freezer Burn: Top Tips

Avoid freezer burn through proper packaging

Ice crystals form when it freezes. This ensures that food partially dries out and loses its taste. Meat also usually smells unpleasant. Basically, products with freezer burn are hardly edible. For example, a freezer burn on meat causes it to become tough.

• To avoid food alteration, it is important to pack the products properly. The less air in the container, the less chance there is of freezer burn.
• Use strong and thick plastic bags, sturdy plastic, or glass containers specially designed for freezing.
• Squeeze as much air out of plastic packaging as possible. If you freeze frequently, it may be worth buying a vacuum sealer.
• Remember that liquid food, like soups, expands when they freeze. Leave enough space in the containers. Otherwise, they can break and cause freezer burn.

The right temperature in the freezer

In order to keep your food as long as possible, the temperature in the freezer is also important.

• Make sure the temperature is constant. Only open the freezer if you are actually taking something in or out. Close the door again as soon as possible.
• If there are temperature fluctuations, water forms, which in turn can lead to ice crystals and, in the next step, to freezer burn.
• Only ever put completely cooled food in the freezer.
• A temperature below -18 °C is ideal. Check this with a thermometer. In hot summers, in particular, it may be necessary to readjust the temperature.