People are resorting to freezing as a technique to preserve their food. While freezing is a good way to save your leftover meals from going waste and being dumped into the bin, not all foods can be preserved by popping them into the freezer. Some of them might turn stale, degrade in quality or even become poisonous. In case you are wondering whether you can put that leftover meal into the freezer and consume it later, Please think twice Here are some foods that you should avoid putting in the freezer:
Whole Eggs
To freeze whole eggs (both whites and yolks), blend the eggs together first. Store in a freezer container with the date and number of eggs. Once thawed they’ll be great for scrambled eggs, quiches and any other recipe that call for an entire egg. To freeze egg whites, separate them from the yolk making sure there’s no crossover. For faster thawing and easier use, freeze individual egg whites in ice cube trays before storing. 3 tablespoons of egg mixture are the equivalent of one whole egg. Whole eggs tend to burst when kept frozen. It is best to keep eggs at room temperature and consume them before they hit the expiry date.
Lettuce
Freezing is a relatively easy and convenient way to preserve many vegetables because it slows down or destroys the bacteria and enzymes that cause spoilage. But, the freezing process itself can cause changes in food that can spoil the appetite. Lettuce is best eaten when it is fresh and crunchy. On being put in the freezer, the leafy green vegetable loses its crispness, and all you are left with is a soggy leaf.
Mayonnaise
Mayonnaise is emulsification of eggs, oil and an acidic ingredient such as vinegar or lemon juice that generally lasts only a few days in the refrigerator when made fresh or several weeks when you purchase packaged mayonnaise. Freezer storage can keep mayonnaise from going bad. While the mayonnaise is safe to eat after freezing, it might separate and lose some texture. Frozen and re-thawed mayo is safe to eat, but it might separate and become unpalatable. Take steps to reduce separation or add water to re-emulsify after freezing. Freezing mayo is never a good idea as it makes the texture of the mayo very clumpy.
Rice and Pasta
Turns out eating cold rice or pasta can actually be quite dangerous — and this is because of food poisoning-causing bacteria. The reason why cold cooked rice and pasta can cause food poisoning is all to do with the potential bacteria content which grows after the grains have been cooked. In terms of food safety, uncooked pasta and rice are perfectly safe because they are dry, and bacteria don’t like to grow in dry foods. Freezing rice makes it dry, flaky and strips it of moisture, flavor, and taste. It is best to make fresh rice and eat it hot. While most brands promote freezing and reheating dinners, putting pasta in the freezer is never a good idea. Freezing has a bad effect on pasta and turns it into a soggy lump.
Herbs
Herbs turn into a gooey sludge whenever they are frozen. If you want to freeze herbs, take an ice tray, pour a flavorless oil like olive oil or sesame oil, and put your herbs in it. You can then freeze them and just take a cube and reheat it whenever you want to use it. Chop the herbs into small pieces as it will make them easier to use later on. Sprinkle the cut herbs on a metal baking tray and place this in the freezer. Doing this will speed up the freezing time and prevent the herbs from sticking together. Another way to store chopped herbs in the freezer is in ice cube tray
