3 Simple Hacks to Keep Food Fresher for Longer

If you want the food you freeze to keep fresh longer, the trick lies in before the freezing, with these 3 simple hacks

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If you want the food you freeze to keep fresh longer, the trick lies in before the freezing. 3 ways, from pre-cooking it, giving it an icy cold dip and seasoning them with your favourite rubs, are so easy to do and I’ll show you how.

1. Cook before freezing

Steaming sweet potatoes before storing in the fridge.

By heating foods, whether boiling, steaming or frying before freezing, the foods will be pasteurised and discoloration is slowed. Vegetables are particularly suitable, such as spinach, potatoes, pumpkin, eggplant and broccoli. Another way to keep food fresh for extended periods in the freezer is to flash-fry. When cooking, flash-frying is immediately added to preserve the taste. I do this for some of my dishes including those that use eggplant, pumpkin and mushroom.

Try a recipe of mine using this technique: Broccoli and Mushroom Spaghetti

2. Season before freezing

Seasoning diced chicken before freezing; salt and liquid enhances preservation.

This is a method of freezing food for preservation by adding seasonings to raw meat, fish and vegetables, etc, then storing in a freezer bag. This is a useful method when purchasing fresh food in bulk. By seasoning food before freezing, oxidation can be prevented and meats and fish will remain soft and delicious for about one month. You also reduce sodium intake because even a small amount of seasoning will properly flavor foods while it is frozen.

Try a tasty recipe of mine using this technique: Stir-Fried Chicken with Spring Onion Sauce

Cutting brocoli into small florets results in rapid freezing, preserving freshness longer

Another way to enhance the preservation effects of seasoned foods, i.e. to keep them fresher for longer, is to cut them up into smaller pieces. These include carrots, onions, sweet potatoes, daikon, green peppers and mushrooms. That's because a smaller surface area will result in rapid freezing, so the time needed for food to freeze is reduced. Essentially, after seasoning, when putting into a ziplock bag, remember to divide the food into small portions and spread them out. Last golden rule, when storing in the freezer, remember- don't stack!

3. Dip in cold water before freezing

Dipping small mackerel parts into ice water before freezing them

By lightly dipping in cold water, a coating of water forms on the surface preserving freshness. This is particularly useful for raw produce. Your chicken parts, whole fish, etc.

Try a recipe of mine using this technique: Oily Mackerel and Vegetables

And some final steps

Push out all air from the ziplock bag to prolong freshness, and write down when you froze the bag so keeping track of all your frozen foods is easy

Now for some important tricks to preserve foods in a delicious way. The first, always be sure to press out all air (as much as you can) from the freezer bag before freezing. That’s because exposure to air will cause food to oxidize, lose flavor, and easily spoil. The second and usually forgotten one, is to write the freezing date on the freezer bag, to ensure you do not miss the proper timing to consume the food. In all these ways, you can reduce time and effort when cooking, and consume food purchased in bulk without it going bad. Also, you will have more refrigerator space and be able to use this space more efficiently.