Open the door of any home freezer and you’ll no doubt find quite a variety of items. If you’re like most of us on the Peacock Poultry Farms team there will be a selection of meats, poultry and seafood stored amongst the ice cream, prepackaged vegetables and factory-prepared dinners.
Here are some helpful guidelines for maintaining quality of your frozen foods, as found on the Food Market Institute’s website (www.fightbac.org):
– Because foods frozen at peak quality will taste better than foods frozen near the end of their useful life, quickly freeze items you don’t plan to use in the next day or two after purchase.
– Keep the unit’s temperature at 0-degrees F or below. Remember, freezing that that temperature inactivates but does not destroy microbes such as bacteria, yeasts and molds that can be present in any food.
– Be sure not to over-pack the freezer. Be sure the air inlet is not blocked. Air needs to circulate freely in order to maintain a constant temperature throughout. This will also extend the life of the blower motor of the unit.
– As with any refrigerated foods, it’s best to rotate the inventory in the freezer unit. That is, use the older products first and the newer foods later to ensure maximum freshness and flavor.
– Always keep an eye out for any torn or punctured packaging that can cause leaks or promote ‘freezer burn.’
– Keep meats, poultry and seafood in their original shrink-wrapped store packaging. However, add an extra measure of protection by placing the products in airtight bags or containers.
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This month’s “Facts from the Farm” …
- At one time, the turkey and the bald eagle were each considered as the national symbol of America. It’s said that Benjamin Franklin was one of those who argued passionately on behalf of the turkey.
- Due to the small heart of the quail, the average home range covers a relatively small 40 acres.
- Cattle have an acute sense of smell and can sense something up to six miles away.
- Pigs have four toes on each foot, but walk using only the middle two.