Freshness is an unbeatable quality when it comes to ingredients, but one thing comes close: the convenience of cold storage.
After a century of dependable service, our refrigerators have become our go-to device for preserving the freshness of our food. Saving us from a daily routine of going to the market, we’ve relied on fridges to greatly extend the usefulness of our ingredients.
Unfortunately, there is a limit to this effectiveness. Cold storage has a limit for preserving food, and one of those limits is the formation of ice crystals on frozen food. As common as this is, it makes you wonder: Is it safe to eat? What do ice crystals in frozen food indicate? What can I do to prevent this?
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Why do ice crystals form on frozen food?
After being left in the freezer for an extended time, food may develop ice crystals on its surface.
These ice crystals mean the food has become dehydrated and lost its moisture. The crystals form because the air in the freezer has combined with the water molecules in the food, by which the resulting contact causes freezing to occur.
What is freezer burn?
The appearance of ice crystals on frozen food is essentially the same as “freezer burn”. This term in particular refers to the dehydration of frozen food that will often cause it to change appearance and texture.
This decline in quality may also affect the taste and flavor of the affected food, something which may lead people to suspect that the food itself has gone bad as a result.
Do ice crystals on frozen food signify contamination? Is it safe to eat this kind of food?
Ice crystals forming on frozen food are not an indicator that food has gone bad. Ice crystals do not signify contamination, nor do they cause food-borne illnesses.
Look for further signs to determine if this food is safe to eat. If there are small ice crystals, this shows that the food has lost its moisture. If the ice crystals are very large, this may indicate that the meat has thawed and refrozen, meaning that it is likely to spoil.
Use your best judgment to determine whether you want to eat something. Even after removing parts of the food affected by freezer burn, you may find it still to be unpalpable to eat. When it doubt, throw it out.
Tips for preventing freezer burn
The good news about freezer burn is that it is mostly a preventable occurrence. Follow these steps to avoid getting ice crystals on frozen food in your freezer.
- Set your freezer temperature to 0°F (-18°°C): This temperature will keep your food properly frozen with little chance of thawing out
- Freeze in smaller portions: Prepare your ingredients in smaller batches in order to avoid temperature fluctuations in your freezer.
- Keep your freezer door shut: Your freezer can only stay cold if it can maintain a sealed environment. Refrain from unnecessarily opening the freezer door, and if required, only do so for short periods of time.
- Keep your freezer 75% full: Refrain from packing too many items into your freezer. Overstocking your freezer may lead to poor air circulation, which may cause the temperature to rise.
- Don’t put warm/hot food in the freezer: Not only will it take longer to chill, but it may also affect the cold storage of other food.
- Always repackage store-bought food: The packaging that makes it convenient to take home from the supermarket is not freezer-friendly, and will most likely lead to the formation of ice crystals on your food.
- Extract excess air from food before freezing: Because air is a main component of freezer burn, it is a good idea to compress as much air as you can from your food before freezing. Wrap up food in freezer paper, aluminum foil, and cellophane. As well, consider investing in a vacuum sealer.
- Check your equipment: Your freezer won’t work well if it is broken. Regularly check the gasket (seal) on the door freezer door, and replace it if damaged.
- Know your cold zones: For food that needs to be frozen well, remember that the coldest parts of your freezer are at the back or the bottom, away from the door.
- Frozen food has an expiry date: When kept properly, food can be frozen for up to a year in a freezer. However, whether frozen or not, it is a best practice to consume food as soon as possible. Whatever precautions you take, freezer burn will always become an inevitability if food is left indefinitely in your freezer. Use labels to keep tabs on your items, and use them sooner rather than later.
Final Thoughts
Freezer burn is a nuisance that can affect your ingredients before you get a chance to use them. Although the formation of ice crystals on frozen food is not in itself a sign that your food has gone bad, you need to remain vigilant to protect your health when eating food that has been frozen.
To make sure that your frozen ingredients have been properly cooked, get a cooking thermometer like the ThermoPro Twin TempSpike 500-ft Truly Wireless Meat Thermometer. These affordable devices can measure the internal temperature of your food and inform you when they are done cooking. Check out ThermoPro’s wide lineup of meat thermometers on Amazon to find out more!
