How can I Avoid Freezer Burn?

Some people think that if frozen food comes in a cardboard box with a plastic bag inside, simply shutting the box is enough to protect the food from freezer burn. I used to believe this, until my fish sticks and french fries developed freezer burn after only a couple of weeks.

So, I started pulling the plastic bag of food out of the box and stuffing it down inside a big ziplock freezer bag. If there were any cooking instructions on the box, I would cut that portion off and tape it to the outside of the bag. I haven't gotten any freezer burn on my foods since.

I have a freezer and fridge in one, but I was having a hard time fitting all my frozen food into the freezer atop the fridge. Since my husband and I both worked full-time jobs, we tended to eat more precooked frozen foods than fresh foods, and our freezer was starting to overflow.

We decided to buy a separate standalone freezer. Now, we can store weeks worth of food in there without worrying about lack of air circulation or freezer burn.

@SarahSon – I know what you mean. I have resorted to using sandwich bags when I ran out of freezer bags, and they didn't protect the food very well at all.

I like to buy the kind of freezer bags that have zip locks on them. That takes the guesswork out of shutting the bag.

When I use the kind that you just press shut, I have a hard time telling whether or not they have sealed all the way. So, I only buy the zippered kind now, because it protects very well against freezer burn.

I have eaten frozen foods that tasted like the frost on the inside of the freezer before, but I never knew it was called “freezer burn.” I didn't know that I needed to keep things covered up in the freezer.

I had eaten half of an ice cream sundae that came in a foam cup from a fast food restaurant. I didn't want to waste it, so I put it in the freezer with only the plastic top to cover it, and this had a giant hole in the top for a spoon.

The next day, it was frozen solid, rock hard, and covered in what looked like ice mold. I scraped the fuzzy ice off, but the flavor and the texture had already been ruined.

One of the best things you can do to avoid freezer burn is make sure you store your food in products that are specifically for the freezer.

Sometimes when I am out of freezer bags, I will use whatever I have on hand, and have noticed these never work as well.

The food doesn't stay fresh as long and freezer burn happens quickly. All food that is kept in the freezer for too long will probably get freezer burn eventually, but it helps to avoid it as long as you can.

It doesn't seem to matter what kind of meat it is, I get freezer burn with chicken just as quickly as I do with beef or pork.

My husband likes to hunt so we usually have a freezer full of meat. I always make sure we write a date on everything we put in the freezer.

While eating meat with freezer burn may not hurt you, it sure doesn't taste as good. If that was all there was to eat, I would eat what was there and be happy to have some meat.

It is hard to eat old meat that has some freezer burn on it when there is meat that is fresh and tastes much better.

When I clean out my freezer and see meat that has been in there for a few years, I don't even look to see if it has any freezer burn, and toss it out no matter what.

@fify-- Your freezer should be at zero for best freezing. And are you leaving enough room for circulation?

I'm not saying that this is what you do but my neighbor was complaining about freezer burn all the time. I saw her freezer and it was jam packed! You couldn't remove anything without the rest falling out! You can't expect good circulation if you don't leave plenty of space.

The other thing I discovered randomly is if you freeze in glass, it works a lot better. Even if you get freezer burn, you don't get the freezer burn taste when food is packed in glass.

@turkay1-- I agree! My sister-in-law bought a vacuum sealing kit and she loves it! She said she hasn't had any freezer burn since she started using it. It's kind of pricey apparently, but it's worth the cost when you think about all the food you throw away because of freezer burn. I'm considering getting one too.

I understand that not everyone would want to invest in one though. Maybe the real problem is that the temperature needed to freeze foods is too high? I usually don't have problems with frozen vegetables but freezer burn on chicken seems inevitable.

I tried turning down my freezer temperature but the ice started melting so that didn't work. I don't understand why they can't make freezers that work properly so we wouldn't have to keep spending money like this.

I used to have a freezer burn problem before I bought a vacuum sealer for my freezer bags. I think freezer burn happens when there is room left in the container or bag with the food. So if you pack it without air, which is kind of hard to do without a vacuum sealer, you can avoid freezer burn.

I also feel that time is of importance. I notice that even if I don't use a vacuum sealer, if I use up something I put in the freezer in a couple of weeks, it's absolutely fine. But if I thaw it after keeping it in the freezer for months and months, it's usually freeze burned.

Following these two things, I've been able to prevent freezer burn with my frozen pre-packed meals. I live by myself and freeze left over food for later all the time. So it's great to be able to grab a meal from my freezer without the freezer burn taste.