How to Prevent Freezer Burn

I don’t know of anyone who likes to pull meat out of the freezer only to find it covered in whitish-grey, dried-out patches of freezer burn. So here’s a few tips on how to prevent freezer burn.

First of all, you should know that freezer-burn won’t make you sick. You can still use your meat. But once it’s been freezer burned, it’s tough and tasteless.

So how does food become freezer burned anyway? Freezer burn happens when the cold air from the freezer hits the surface of the food. Following the below tips will lessen the chances that your food may become freezer burned.

Preventing Freezer Burn Tips:

• 1. Tightly wrap items you want to freeze in plastic wrap and then place inside a freezer bag.
• 2. Date each item you place in the freezer by writing it on the freezer bag with a marker. When it’s time to use an item in the freezer, use older items first.
• 3. Place newer items to be frozen in the back of the freezer. This way, you will use the oldest items first.
• 4. If by chance, your meat does become freezer burned on a few spots, you can still use it. Just cut off the spots that have freezer burn and cook the rest.

Hopefully this information helps so that there will be a few less freezer burned meals out there.

*All of this information has been taken from the USDA Food & Safety Inspection Services website.