Storing food in the freezer
Knowing how to get the best out your freezer helps with meal planning and avoiding food waste.
Freezing is a great way to store food. It will help you save money by planning ahead. And it will help you to cut the amount of food you waste if you get it in the freezer before it goes off.
If food is properly frozen it will stay safe to eat indefinitely, although after a time the taste and texture may suffer.
Whether you have a chest freezer or upright freezer, the principles of good freezing are the same.
What is the correct storage time and temperature for foods in my freezer?
Storage times for frozen foods differs depending on the type of food and type of freezer you have. Freezers have a star rating to let you know how long the food can safely be stored. You should check the star rating, as well as the instructions on packaged frozen food. This will allow you to work out how long you can store the packaged frozen food in your freezer. Also, be aware that freezers should ideally run at -18°C.
| * Frozen food compartment | Runs at - 6° C and should only store food for up to one week |
| ** Frozen food compartment | Runs at -12° C and should only store food for up to one month |
| *** Frozen food compartment | Runs at -18° C and should only store food for up to three months |
| **** Freezer | Runs at -18° C and is suitable for long-term storage (three months or longer) |
Food you can freeze
Please note freezer storage times are for quality only. Frozen food will remain safe indefinitely if frozen properly.
|
Food type |
Recommended freezing time frames (if your freezer runs at -18oC) |
|---|---|
|
Uncooked meat (roasts, steaks, chops etc) |
4-12 months |
|
Uncooked mince meat |
3-4 months |
|
Cooked meat |
2-3 months |
|
Cured meats (ham & bacon ) |
1-2 months |
|
Uncooked poultry (chicken, turkey etc) |
9-12 months |
|
Cooked poultry |
4 months |
|
Fish-raw & cooked |
2-4 months |
|
Frozen dinners ( e.g. lasagne, pizza, shepherd’s pie) |
3-4 months |
|
Soups, stews and casseroles |
2-3 months |
|
Milk |
Up to 1 month |
|
Butter |
Up to 3 months |
|
Grated cheese |
Up to 4 months |
|
Vegetables |
Up to 12 months |
|
Fruit |
Up to 6 months |
|
Eggs – either separate the yolk and white, or beat the eggs before freezing |
Up to 6 months |
|
Cakes and baked goods without icing |
6-8 months |
|
Bread |
Up to 3 months |
|
Raw pastry |
6 months |
Food you can't freeze
Some foods simply are not freezer friendly.
|
Foods with a crumb base |
These can go soggy when defrosted and reheated |
|
Vegetables and fruits with a high water content, like lettuce, cucumber, bean sprouts, radishes and watermelons |
These go limp and mushy |
|
Soft herbs, like parsley, basil and chives |
These will go brown |
|
Egg-based sauces, such as mayonnaise |
They will separate and curdle |
|
Milk based sauces |
They will separate |
|
Plain yogurt, low-fat cream cheese, single cream and cottage cheese |
These will go watery |
|
Raw eggs in their shells |
These will expand and crack |
|
Hard-boiled eggs |
These go rubbery |
|
Canned foods |
|
Top tips for using your freezer
1. Cool the food before you freeze it
Freezing food when hot will raise the temperature of the freezer and could cause other foods to start defrosting. Dividing the food into smaller parts can speed up the cooling process.
2. Wrap the food properly or put it in sealed containers
If you do not seal your food it can get “freezer-burn”. This means that water escapes from the food and moves to the coldest part of the freezer – leaving your food dehydrated. While this affects the quality of the food, it will still be safe to eat.
3. Freeze food in realistically sized portions
You don't want to have to defrost a stew big enough to feed eight when you're only feeding a family of three.
4. Label everything you freeze
If you don’t label foods or ingredients clearly, you might not remember what they are, let alone when you froze them. Buy a blue marker for raw foods and a red marker for cooked foods. Always add the date it was frozen.
5. Check the use-by date
Do not freeze any foods after their "use-by-date", because they will not be safe to eat.
6. Don’t let ice build up
An icy freezer is an inefficient one, so make sure you defrost your freezer if ice builds up. Don't worry about the food; most things will remain frozen in the fridge for a couple of hours while the freezer defrosts.
7. If in doubt, throw it out
Freezing does not kill bacteria. If you are not sure how long something has been frozen or are a bit wary of something once defrosted, don't take any chances.
8. Follow these steps to freeze fresh vegetables
- Boil a handful of vegetables at a time for 30 sec in a pot of boiling water - this will stop them going brown when frozen.
- Scoop them out into a bowl of heavily iced water - this is called blanching.
- Once chilled, drain the veg and scatter them onto a tray lined with kitchen paper.
- Freeze them on the tray and then transfer them to a freezer bag.
- Cook the vegetables from frozen in a large pan of boiling water. Do not steam them, as they tend to go soggy.
