Let’s not beat about the bush – we know that you can get
some, excuse the term “crap” in frozen foods, potato waffles and crispy
pancakes spring to mind and by healthy frozen food I don’t mean those so called
“health ready meals” with no fat and all sugar. This week we look at the
components of or meals that we can freeze, the meat fish fruit and vegetables, now frozen herbs, char
grilled vegetables, berries and scallops can be found next to the ice-cream
Freezing can actually the best way to preserve vitamins and minerals in
our food. In terms of nutritional content, freezing doesn’t damage food.
Within three days of vegetables being pulled from the ground, 80 per
cent of vitamin C is naturally lost from them and most ‘fresh’ food has a
useful nutritional lifespan of up to five days.’
Freezing food stops this nutritional depletion, and improvements in
fast-freezing technology have made it more appetising, too, as the speed at
which food is frozen has a direct impact on its taste.
As food freezes, moisture inside and outside it forms ice crystals. The
slower something freezes, the bigger the ice crystals become — and the more
damage they do to the structure of food, and therefore its flavour.
Products including fish and meat can now be fast-frozen using liquid
nitrogen to chill them to -23c in less than a minute.
Here, are a pros and cons of freezing a variety of foods.
Meat
Meat
freezes beautifully and contains nutrients including protein, minerals and
vitamins A and D that are unaffected by the process. Fatty, red meat has a relatively
low water content, so fewer ice crystals form which alter cell membranes,
ruining texture and taste.
White meat
such as poultry (including pork) lacks fat and can have high water content, so
it fares less well frozen. Water inside the meat freezes into crystals,
eventually affecting the internal structure and taste.
Use frozen
white meat within six months, before it deteriorates. Although its nutrients
will remain largely unaffected, after this time the meat becomes increasingly
watery, limp and tasteless.
Large cuts and joints of all types of meat last better than smaller
ones. Small cuts have a larger surface area compared to their volume, so more
air reaches the meat, making them more prone to ‘freezer burn’. This happens
when water evaporates from food, causing it to dry out and leaving discoloured,
bruised-looking patches. Food with freezer burn, although entirely safe, tastes
bland and pretty horrible.
Prawns &
fish
Prawns, shrimp and other crustaceans are especially good from frozen as
they have a high fat content. As soon as they are pulled from the ocean, fish
begin to decay. Surprisingly, fish on ‘fresh’ counters can be three weeks old
(fillets and whole fish are chilled instead of frozen to stop them going off),
so buying frozen means it’s effectively fresher, with more nutrients intact.
On-board freezers and fast-freezing technology mean fish can be frozen
within hours of being caught, so nutrients are well preserved. Frozen fish also
tends to be cheaper — by about 25 per cent — as it’s easier to transport.
Basil, mint, coriander, parsley, chives and sage — every herb can be
found in the frozen aisle now, chopped and ready to go. But to be honest most frozen
herbs are a disaster.Freezing then defrosting leaves destroys their delicate
flavour, turns them to mush and makes them hopeless to garnish with, as they
cling together in soggy clumps. Woody, tougher herbs such as rosemary and thyme
fare slightly better if mixed with oil and kept as a freezable marinade to use
on meat such as a leg of lamb.
Frozen aromatic spices such as ginger, chilli and garlic are fantastic
frozen, however. They taste stronger than their fresh versions and work better
in cooked dishes such as curries, stews or fragrant fishcakes. This is because
freezing then defrosting makes the raw foods take on moisture and soften, so
their juices are more ready to seep out and flavour food. Frozen ginger may
never mimic the fresh taste of just-grated but it packs a more aggressive punch
— and makes better ginger tea.
Vegetables
Peas, sweetcorn and broad beans last well frozen. As soon as peas are
picked their natural sugar begins to turn to starch and they lose their sweet
taste, so freezing them quickly is essential. Modern freezing methods developed
by the UK mean peas can be frozen in an hour in countries that have bumper pea
harvests such as India and China. Sugar and nutrients are locked in, and each
pea stays deliciously fresh.
Fruit
When it comes to frozen fruit, consumers are spoilt for choice. Mangos,
pineapples, cherries, bananas, grapes, berries, melons and peaches come conveniently
peeled and sliced, and survive for months in the freezer. They can be blitzed
in seconds into a delicious smoothie or ice-cream milkshake that tastes just as
good as fresh.
Research has shown that delicate anthocyanins flavonoids — the compounds
in fruit that gives them their bright colour and have antioxidant health
benefits — are well preserved by freezing. Studies have found that in two out
of three cases, frozen fruit scored better for antioxidants than fresh fruit,
and retained more vitamin C and other nutrients.
5 of the best freezer standbys
1 -Pepper slices – no mess or fuss an easy way to throw into any recipe
that calls for peppers
2 -Soffritto – make this yourself a mixture of finely diced carrot,
onion and celery - great for the base of many sauces or risottos
3 – Summer berries- blitz frozen for smoothies or add to Greek yoghurt
for breakfast and sprinkle with seeds
4- Spinach – just remember to squeeze the excess water out, mix with
cream cheese for a great filling for pancakes
5 – Raw Prawns – they best way to buy prawns, they are at their
freshest, defrost and pop into stir fries.
Comments
Post a Comment