Frozen food shelf life

So for people in the north, frozen food is very uncommon. In winter, these frozen foods are called frozen goods. Many people think that the shelf life of frozen foods is very long, and they even put them in the refrigerator and forget about them. Sometimes they are frozen for several years. This practice is very wrong. Frozen foods also have a shelf life. If they exceed the shelf life, first of all, the nutritional value will drop sharply, the taste will also deteriorate, and it will even have a negative impact on health.

Frozen Food Shelf Life

The freezing time of pork, beef and mutton is about 10 months. The properties of beef are more stable than pork and mutton, and lean meat can be preserved longer than fat meat. The freezing period for poultry meat such as chicken, duck, goose, and pigeon is 8 months. The freezing time for seafood such as fish, shrimp, turtle, and shellfish is 6 months, and it is best to keep it within 4 months. Some elderly people like to freeze some vegetables that have been blanched in boiling water. In fact, vegetables also have a time limit. For example, beans, corn, chestnuts, etc. generally have a time limit of 5 months. The freezing period for frozen steamed buns, dumplings, glutinous rice balls, wontons, etc. is two months.

If the food is beyond its shelf life, it will go bad. When it is thawed, the temperature will rise and a lot of bacteria will be produced, which will decompose the ingredients in the food. It causes uncomfortable symptoms such as nausea and vomiting.

How to Freeze and Thaw

First of all, when freezing, you should wash the frozen items thoroughly to remove dust and bacteria on the surface to prevent their growth. After washing, divide it into portions in a fresh-keeping bag to avoid refreezing and prevent moisture loss. With a good freezing method, it will be much more convenient to thaw the food. The most recommended thing is to think about what you want to eat one day in advance, put the frozen food in the refrigerator, wait for it to thaw overnight and then use it to cook. Another method is to take out the packaged food and put it in a cool place to thaw naturally. If you feel that you don’t have enough time, the microwave oven can also help us thaw quickly. However, if you don’t mind using the microwave oven to thaw, the meat will be harder and the taste will not be very good.