subject: What Not To Put In Freezers [print this page] The freezer is a wonderful invention that everyone appreciates having on hand. It is an excellent way to keep a large variety of foods fresh for longer than they could be when merely refrigerated. However, not all foods are created equal and, for this reason, there are a significant number of exceptions in terms of what may be frozen.
Some items simply do not keep their shape, consistency or flavour after they are frozen. For example, many fresh fruits cannot be placed in freezers for long periods of time and still arguably be edible when they come out. A perfect example of this is the banana. While some people enjoy frozen bananas, try thawing one after it has been frozen for a while. It will become clear why they make the don't freeze it list. The consistency will be very mushy, the colour brownishand the flavour? Well, let it just be said that it won't taste fresh - that's for sure.
It's usually a bad idea to freeze lunch meat. Although there are often sales on this item, it's not really advisable to stock up. Simply purchase whatever quantity of lunch meat may be used by the expiration date on the package. Although it may not make you sick to eat frozen and re-thawed lunch meat, it does tend to lose its consistency because it is so thin. It will also stick together terribly as a result of being in freezers for too long.
A good rule of thumb is if you cannot purchase a product frozen, it should not be left in freezers for long. Most things that can be properly frozen are sold in that section of the store. For instance, there are frozen meats (that is, thick conventional meat, not lunch meat) available at most stores in their freezers. Thus, it is acceptable to purchase fresh (thawed or unfrozen) meat in bulk when it is on sale and put it in your freezers (provided you have the freezer space to accommodate it).
There are very few restaurant dishes which can be frozen, and attempting to do so can spell disaster - even if you place it in a zip lock or vacuum sealed baggie. While restaurant food can sometimes be overpriced, the proper procedure is to take it home and if the leftovers haven't been eaten within a day or so (give or take, depending on the food in question) throw it in the garbage.
