Just like certain animals saving food for the Winter, people also sometimes need to store food in the freezer to use later. Although this is the best way to keep it fresh for a longer amount of time rather than refrigerating them, everyone should take caution when leaving food for too long. Just because a freezer keeps it fresh, it doesn’t mean the food should stay in there for a long period of time. It is still prone to rotting or going bad after some time. Food changes in texture while it freezes, so the longer it is left to freeze it will lose its quality.
How long to leave food in the freezer
Meat is one of the most common products we freeze, either because there are leftovers, or it is quicker to have a variety in stock for easy dinner solutions. Meat is capable of lasting a long time in the freezer without going bad, especially if it is raw and whole instead of sliced. Food of these mentioned qualities may be kept frozen up to a year. Cold cuts, sausages, and other processed meat should not be left over two months in the freezer.
Fruit and vegetables are also commonly frozen to be used later throughout the year to avoid higher prices during the off-season. Overall, any of these fresh produce may be kept as the best practices up to a year in the freezer without worry. Certain fruit and vegetables are not differentiated in freeze duration, they all have the same lifespan while frozen.
Dairy products in general have the shortest lifespan when they are fresh, and do not last much longer frozen. Only eggs and butter may be kept up to 6 months frozen. Any other dairy product should be kept until 3-4 months at maximum to avoid health issues.
If food goes bad in the freezer, it may cause unfortunate odors to arise when opening the door. If you have concerns with your appliance, and its ability to work properly, don’t hesitate to be informed on our freezer repair services.