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niagara_jim

Freezing life

niagara_jim
18 years ago

We regularly keep frozen vegetables and fruit for six months, sometimes for a year, and we've never had much spoil until the time period grew really excessive. Recently, however, while trying to prepare some baby food for our new grandson, my wife read an admonition to keep it frozen for no more than a month. Howzzzat?

Comments (6)

  • Linda_Lou
    18 years ago

    This is what I found:
    How Long will baby food cubes keep in the freezer and refrigerator?

    Many authoritative guidelines will say that most fruits and veggies will keep from 8 to 12 months in the freezer. This is mostly true of foods that are frozen in their natural state. This is also assuming that the freezer remains at a constant sub-zero temperature. Storing foods in a deep freezer is best should you wish to keep frozen foods for that time frame.

    You have to remember that when certain books give freezer time guidelines, they rely on the typical guidelines for fruits/veggies that have NOT been cooked and turned into purees!

    Due to the amount of water crystals that tend to build up with baby food purees, and due to the fact that nutrients may leach/evarporate upon thawing because of the water crystals, it is more prudent to use your frozen baby foods cubes as soon as possible - 3 months of storage tops. I always recommend using within 1 month if at all possible!

    Baby food cubes are safe to remain in the freezer from 3 to 6 months. Using baby food cubes within 1 month to 3 months is really more prudent. Don't be alarmed if you see ice crystals forming on your baby food cubes. As mentioned earlier, this is NOT freezer burn rather it is the excess liquid used to make the puree that rises and freezes at the top of the cubes.


    So, if you wrap them well, I think 3-6 months frozen is more reasonable. Besides, after that time babies can start eating more chunky foods. My grandbaby is almost 11 months old and eats all kinds of foods. He likes peas and carrots, green beans, pork and beans, diced pears, diced cooked apples, things he can pick up himself and eat. What a mess, but he sure love food !

  • gran2
    18 years ago

    Depends a lot on what freezer you put them in, too. A chest freezer keeps a bit longer/better than an upright because you lose most of the cold air every time you open the door of an upright. Self-defrosting freezers keep less (20%? or so) time than non self-defrosting because of the up and down temps of the cycles. Your freezer in your fridge keeps least time of all because the temp is 20-30 instead of the zero degrees of a stand-alone. Confused? Yeah, I know -- too many choices.

  • rappstar
    17 years ago

    I am researching "deep freezers" and wondered if you can recommend any sites or branchs.

  • malonanddonna
    17 years ago

    I think a "deep freezer" is just any stand alone freezer. They ususally will maintain a lower temperature than the freezer space on a typical top mount or side by side refrigerator. As far as brands, I prefer Whirlpool and ususally shop at Lowe's for appliances. My freezer is a Whirlpool and my fridge is a Roper, made by Whirlpool. As Carol mentioned above, there are pros and cons between chest style and upright freezers as well as manual vs. auto defrost freezers.

  • ksrogers
    17 years ago

    I find that a chest freezer is a bit hard to manage if the things you want are down at the bottom. I lived with this for many years, but now prefer an upright type. I keep mine just slightly above zero degrees F. Its a 30+ year old model that self defrosts, which is a lot easier to manage compared to a regular non- frost freee type. Usually mine is loaded and not having to defrost it all the time is a real help. Obviously everything inside needs to be packed well to avoid dehydration and freezer burn. 'Deep freezer' refers to its temperature, which is usually kept at zero degrees.

  • Linda_Lou
    17 years ago

    This is what I have on buying a freezer.
    Selecting the Right Size Freezer for Your Family

    With many food stores offering discounts for purchasing products in bulk, in can be easy to fill your freezer to the edge in no time. How do you know which size is right for your family?

    A cubic foot of freezer space holds about 35 pounds of food. As a suggestion, calculate 1.5 cubic feet of space for each person eating at home. For energy efficiency, a freezer should be kept at least two-thirds full.

    Chest Freezers range in size from 10 to 25 cubic feet. You can store more food per cubic foot because there are no shelves or partitions. But getting the food out once you've put it in, can be more difficult.

    Upright Freezers offer a size range of 10 to 21 cubic feet. Most upright models offer fixed or adjustable shelves providing shelf space big enough for a large turkey with room to spare. If you store a lot of boxed foods, look for models with pull-out baskets and retainer shelves in the doors.

    Some models offer a retainer door shelf specifically for cans, with ridges to stop the cans from rolling around or falling loose.

    Compact Freezers
    Compact Freezers are smaller versions of the full size Chest and Upright Freezers, with less than 10 cubic feet of space.

    Keeping Your Freezer Running Efficiently

    Your selected freezer's defrosting option can affect your annual energy costs, the quality of your food, and where you decide to place your freezer.

    Manual Defrost

    Chest Freezers come with manual defrost only, which means that foods are frozen with more moisture in the freezer. This is actually better for preserving foods and preventing freezer burn.

    With manual defrost you have to empty the contents from time to time to remove the interior frost. The freezer must be placed closed to a drain to handle the run-off. Some models offer a front-draining system, allowing you to connect a hose.

    Manual defrost uses about 40% less electricity and is better at holding the temperature steady with large amounts of food.

    Frost-Free

    Upright Freezer models offer a choice of manual or frost-free. With a frost-free your food is frozen in a drier environment. These models consume more energy but they also mean less hands-on maintenance for you.

    Energy Efficiency

    When choosing your freezer, look for the energy-saving label. The energy label displays the model's annual operating cost. For a true comparison, look at freezers of similar size with similar defrosting systems.

    The actual energy cost of running your freezer depends on how much food you store in it, the amount of frost build-up, where it is kept in your home, and how long you keep the door open while searching for food.