1. I put some cloves of garlic in the freezer but when I took them out, I noticed that they turned a different color. Is it ok to put garlic in the freezer?
2. I put a plastic container of meatballs with pasta sauce in the freezer and I noticed that there was a layer of ice on the meatballs. Someone said that I should throw it away because it means that it has gone bad. Is that true?
3. General rule of thumb, how long can I put cooked and uncooked food in the freezer for without it getting freezer burns?
2006-08-12 10:34:45 · 4 answers · asked by Ms Dunno-it-all 1 in Food & Drink ➔ Other - Food & Drink
1. No, do not freeze fresh garlic.
2. The ice on the meatballs will not affect them at all. Eat them without fear. They are NOT bad. I make my sauce and meatballs and freeze at least six meals when I do. Ice forms. No problem at all. Doesn't even alter the taste.
3. Package it as air tight as possible, and you will not get freezer burn. Frozen foods will last for well over a year. At least mine do. No problems. If you wish, you can label and date what you freeze so you can be the judge of how long to keep it in the freezer before you eat it.
Good luck!!!
2006-08-12 10:52:25 · answer #1 · answered by No one 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Toss the garlic, it has gone bad, it should not be frozen unless cooked first. Toss the meatballs, they most likely have freezer burn, and you could get sick from them. As for freezing food, you can usually freeze for extended periods using the proper containers and methods. Air tight plastic should be filled to about 1/2 " from the top of container, and get as much air as you can out. Freezer bags should be used if you want to bag your food, but you must get all of the air out of them a well, so that you don't get that layer of ice on your food.
2006-08-12 12:23:00 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
the change of color and the layer of ice on your food is due to freezer burn. you can keep food in your freezer for quite a long time if you get proper containers....instead of using regular sandwich bags or plastic, try buying the freezer bags which are meant to protect your food from freezer burn.
http://www.ziploc.com/?p=b1
2006-08-12 10:44:18 · answer #3 · answered by Lola P 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not sure really, I'd probably risk the meatballs, but ive got a cast iron stomach so the worst i'll get from dodgy meat is the shits.
2006-08-12 10:39:17 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋