Sometimes you only want one hot dog or a handful of berries and by flash freezing you can freeze small or individual portions of food. Flash freezing or blast freezing, is quickly freezing foods at low temperatures with cold air. It keeps ice crystals small and prevents moisture loss in the food when it thaws. With flash freezing, you can use just the amount of food you need, instead of thawing all of it out at once. Here’s your two-step guide to flash freezing foods.
Step 1:
You’ll need a baking sheet or tray that will fit into your freezer and freezer-safe containers or reusable bags. You may also need plastic freezer wrap or heavy-duty aluminum foil, depending on what you’re freezing.
For fresh produce, gently wash and pat dry them. If desired, divide the food into individual portions. This can include chicken breasts, meatballs, dinner rolls, etc. Place the food on a baking sheet or tray and make sure the edges of the food don’t touch, as this will cause them to freeze together.
Step 2: Seal or Wrap, Label, Freeze
Remove the food from the baking sheet and wrap it in plastic freezer wrap or heavy-duty aluminum foil or transfer it to reusable freezer bags or freezer-safe food storage containers. Make sure you label the package with a permanent marker with the name of the item, the size, and the date it was frozen and return the food to the freezer.
