In This ArticleView AllIn This ArticleRefrozen FoodsForgotten LeftoversFreezer-Burned ItemsSmelly Ice CubesOld Ice CreamPastries with Cream or Cheese Fillings
In This ArticleView All
View All
In This Article
Refrozen Foods
Forgotten Leftovers
Freezer-Burned Items
Smelly Ice Cubes
Old Ice Cream
Pastries with Cream or Cheese Fillings
A freezer is something we could never live without. We store everything in there, fromcrunchy celeryandcreamy hummusto last night’s leftovers. But we have to admit, sometimes we treat our freezer like a junk drawer—anything that doesn’t have a place in our fridge or pantry may get haphazardly thrown in there. This leads to a lot of disorganization and foods that are forgotten (sometimes for years). If your relationship to the freezer is anything like this, it’s probably time to do a little clean-out. Here are six types of items in your freezer that probably need to be thrown out.
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1. Refrozen Foods
Have you ever defrosted a package of frozen meat or vegetables only to decide last-minute to go out for dinner instead? If you threw those packagesback into the freezer, you may want to find them and toss them. Each time you thaw, then refreeze food, you increase the chances for bacteria to grow. The best way to prevent bacterial growth when thawing is to always thaw frozen items in the refrigerator when time permits. If you find yourself refreezing food, make sure you are doing it as soon as possible. Do not refreeze food that has been left out for more than two hours.You may also consider portioning your food item before freezing it so that you only remove from the freezer exactly what you need. And remember to wrap tightly, removing as much air as possible from the packaging to preventfreezer burn.
2. Forgotten Leftovers and Meals
3. Some Freezer-Burned Items
Instant Pot White Chicken Chili Freezer Pack
4. Smelly Ice Cubes
You may be thinking, “Huh? Ice cubes don’t smell.” Normally, freshly frozen ice doesn’t have any particular smell or taste. However, over time ice will absorb scents and flavors from the foods around it. That means if you have a frozen pizza, a bag of shrimp and a pie shell next to your ice tray, you could potentially get an ice cube that smells and tastes like a mashup of all three. Once your ice has absorbed those scents, there’s no way to get rid of them. It’s best to just throw it out and refreeze a fresh batch. To avoid this problem altogether, investing in ice trays with lids helps.
5. Old Ice Cream
6. Pastries with Cream or Cheese Fillings
When the weather starts to get cooler and the holidays begin to roll in, all we want to do is turn on the oven andstart baking. This inevitably leads to the “problem” of having too many baked goods in the house at one time. When there are any extras, we like to freeze them. Most baked goods will keep for a good three to six months, butgoodies with cheeseor cream in them need to be eaten within a month. Cheese and cream don’t do well when frozen for long periods of time (they will separate and change in texture). So, if you don’t want all your hard work to go to waste, eat those goodies right away or within a month of freezing.
How Long Can You Freeze Chicken?
The Bottom Line
The freezer is such a great way to preserve all kinds of food for extended periods of time, but it won’t keep the quality of your food at its best for eternity—which is why it’s important to regularly organize its contents. If organizing your freezer has gotten you into a cleaning kick, may we suggest you also look at yourpantryandfridge? We’ve found there was a lot that needed to be thrown out in those areas too.
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SourcesEatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.U.S. Department of Agriculture. Food Safety and Inspection Service.“Danger Zone” (40°F - 140°F).U.S. Department of Agriculture. Food Safety and Inspection Service.Freezing and food safety.
Sources
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.U.S. Department of Agriculture. Food Safety and Inspection Service.“Danger Zone” (40°F - 140°F).U.S. Department of Agriculture. Food Safety and Inspection Service.Freezing and food safety.
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.
U.S. Department of Agriculture. Food Safety and Inspection Service.“Danger Zone” (40°F - 140°F).U.S. Department of Agriculture. Food Safety and Inspection Service.Freezing and food safety.
U.S. Department of Agriculture. Food Safety and Inspection Service.“Danger Zone” (40°F - 140°F).
U.S. Department of Agriculture. Food Safety and Inspection Service.Freezing and food safety.
