Bush
BECF142L
Test score
We use cookies to allow us and selected partners to improve your experience and our advertising. By continuing to browse you consent to our use of cookies. You can understand more and change your cookies preferences here.
Frozen food can help you cut back on unnecessary waste, saving you time and money. But it's important to store food correctly in the freezer to get the most out of it.
From preparing your food for hassle-free freezing to defrosting it properly ahead of cooking, we run through some key tips to keeping your food safely stored in the freezer.
See our pick of the best freezers
If you want to get the most out of your food, the temperature in your freezer needs to be between -18°C and -20°C.
At that temperature range your food will be safely stored, as the cold prevents most bacteria from growing or producing toxins and the chemical reactions that lead to spoilage are slowed down.
In effect everything is placed into a dormant state.
If you want the food you're freezing to be at its best when you defrost it, following these simple guidelines will help:
The faster food freezes the more likely it is to maintain its quality when defrosted.
Food that freezes too slowly will develop ice crystals, and during thawing these can cause damage to foods. For example, you might find slowly-frozen meat dripping and losing moistness as you defrost it.
Check out our expert freezer reviews to find the super-fast freezers that score a maximum 5* for freezing power.
Making room inside a freezer drawer for leftovers or a tub of ice cream can often require puzzle-solving skills that would see you ace games on the Krypton Factor or the Crystal Maze.
But these quick tips can make it easier to find a bit more room when needed:
For more tips and information check out our full story on how to fit more in the freezer.
Knowing the foods you can and can't freeze will help you save on space and prevent waste. Below are just a few of them.
For more suggestions, as well as how to prepare certain foods for freezing, read our full story on the surprising foods you can and can't freeze.
Once your freezer is neatly packed with freezer-friendly foods in labelled bags, the next thing is to consider how to defrost it ready for cooking.
It's worth keeping in mind that although freezing puts a pause on the growth of bacteria, it doesn't kill it off. As frozen food thaws and emerges from its dormant state, bacteria can once again begin to develop.
This is why defrosting frozen food correctly is an essential aspect of maintaining food safety.
When you take your food out of the freezer, it's important to defrost it safely before cooking or eating it.
The safest way to defrost food is in the fridge. It's best to plan ahead for this and allow enough time for food to fully defrost. Small items can defrost overnight, but others can take a day or two. Large items like turkeys can take up to four days to fully defrost in a fridge.
Alternatively you can thaw food in a microwave using the defrost setting. If you opt for this method, make sure you are ready to cook it immediately after as the microwave could raise the temperature of the food to a level where bacteria can start to flourish.
Avoid defrosting food at room temperature, as most bacteria on your food will grow at temperatures of above 8°C, putting you at increased risk of food poisoning.
Make sure your food is fully defrosted before cooking. Partially defrosted food may not cook evenly, meaning that harmful bacteria could survive the cooking process. It could look cooked on the outside, but remain frozen inside.
Defrosted food should be reheated only once, because the more times you cool and reheat food, the higher the risk of food poisoning. You should also aim to eat it within 24 hours.