Has it ever happened to you that you took a bite from your freezer-stored food, and it tasted bland? If yes, then you are not alone in this journey. Freezer-burn can be a real struggle to deal with and mess up the dish you crave.
You might want to salvage the cold-affected meal and make it consumption-worthy. So, how to get rid of freezer burn taste?
You can get rid of the freezer burn taste by adding seasoning and spices to your dish. For fruits, turn them into smoothies or use them as a topping. Vegetables can get away with the altered taste if you combine them with soups and sauces. For meat, cut off the discolored portion and utilize whatever is left behind with you. You can use these pieces for broths.
Most food types can develop freezer burn taste if you keep them for long inside the freezer. Incorporating some steps into your daily routine can make your cooking process much more satisfactory. Let’s have a look at them!
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Bring Back Freezer-Burned Food To Life
When you buy the whole grocery in bulk, you may rush towards the freezer for storage. As much as freezing your food can make it last longer, it can also spoil it in many ways.
Freezer burn is the most commonly occurring trouble that we all face. It happens when exposure to cold air dehydrates the food, turning it dry and stale. Although freezer-burned food has no harmful effect on health, it might not taste pleasant.
Freezer burned food usually has no taste and feels dry and flavorless. It might absorb the flavors of other nearby food items. In both cases, it degrades the quality of the food significantly.
Once your favorite meal gets freezer burn, it is almost impossible to revive it back to its former deliciousness. However, some techniques can let you get rid of the freezer burn taste up to some extent.
Tips To Getting Rid Of Freezer Burn Taste
Freezer burn is a minor problem, and you can easily prevent your food from getting wasted. The following tips and tricks will help you use your food that you think is no longer edible.
- Remove the freezer-burned portion from the food and utilize the remaining in dishes. The spoiled part will have slight discoloration or a spotty appearance.
- You can enhance the lost fresh flavors by adding herbs, sauces, or sugar. Once you sprinkle them in your food, it will taste good, and you cannot tell it was freezer-burned.
- You can also rehydrate certain types of food to get rid of the unpleasant freezer burn taste.
- Thaw your food in a refrigerator to take away freezer burn taste. If you defrost in a microwave, it will intensify the off-odors and stimulate the spread of bacteria.
- Another way is to use ice water to unfreeze your food. Place the Ziploc bag in the water and change it after thirty-minute intervals to maintain a cool temperature.
- You can also lay the food on a tray and shift it to the fridge. It can stay there for about four to six hours.
- These methods will help in decreasing the freezer burn taste and let you enjoy the original flavors.
How To Get Rid Of Freezer Burn Taste In Meat?
Meat is often an easy target for the formation of freezer burn. You might have come across a situation where you pull out a chunk of your meat, finding it discolored and splotchy. However, instead of tossing it in the garbage, you can often salvage some portion.
Firstly, defrost your meat slowly in the refrigerator or a bowl of ice-cold water. Then, just cut off the highly discolored portions and use the leftovers in your cooking. You can create varieties of soups and sauces without noticing any taste differences.
This trick works well for all kinds of meat, such as beef, chicken, and turkey. Go for gentle cooking methods that allow the meat to tenderize at low temperatures, keeping the moisture locked.
If the meat is slightly freezer burned, you can marinate them with fresh herbs and spices for additional flavors. It will help disguise the taste changes, and you can still enjoy them to the fullest.
How To Get Rid Of Freezer Burn Taste In Fruits?
Fruits are generally tricky to revive from freezer burn. Most of the fruit varieties have higher water content, and thus, they are prone to freezer burns. If you store them in the freezer for longer durations, it can be challenging to handle them.
One of the most effective methods to repair the fruits is, dehydrating them. It helps in eliminating the not-so-liked freezer burn flavor to some degree. All you have to do is rinse them thoroughly until you remove all the ice crystals. Afterward, slice them into bite-sized pieces and dehydrate them.
If your fruits have become too soggy, you can turn them into a puree. Combine your favorite ones and blend them to create mouth-watering smoothies. You can also step further and make sauces or syrups with them. Add a decent amount of sugar or other sweetening flavors, and they will have no traces of freezer burn.
How To Get Rid Of Freezer Burn Taste In Vegetables?
Vegetables usually survive well in the freezer for an extended period. But, sometimes, the safety packaging is not durable enough and might expose them directly to low temperatures.
So, if you have plenty of freezer-burned veggies at hand, do not throw them away. Instead, you can utilize them as a central ingredient for pureed soups or stew. As everything is mixed up and blended, you can hardly notice the color and taste changes. The more you simmer them, the tastier the outcome will be.
The addition of fresh flavors like herbs and lots of garlic and onions is a great option to turn the attention away from the freezer burn taste.
Another alternative is to make healthy snacks with these burned veggies. You can create smoothies that are very beneficial to health as they are full of nutritional value.
How To Get Rid Of Freezer Burn Taste In Ice Cream?
You might think ice cream can’t get freezer burns, but it is the other way around. Ice cream is prone to ice crystals on its surface, resulting in moisture loss. It happens when it comes in contact with the air, causing the cream to become hardened.
To fix the freezer burns in ice cream, scoop off the affected portion, and enjoy the leftover. Unfortunately, the freezer-burned part is no longer suitable for use. Just scrape off as many ice crystals as you can and use the remaining quantity.
If your ice cream is badly freezer burnt, you can experiment with it a bit. Shift it to a blender and add chunks of fresh fruits to create a creamy milkshake. The added sweetness from the fruits will improve the overall flavor.
How To Get Rid Of Freezer Burn Taste In Bread?
Bread is a must in breakfast across the globe. You might have a bundle lying in the corner of the freezer. The frequent piling up of food items over it can squish it, deforming the shape. Similarly, freezer burn is yet another enemy that can alter the texture of the bread. It turns the bread stiff and dry, making it difficult to chew.
On top of that, the unpleasant aftertaste of freezer burn is very apparent in the bread. Thus, you might not be able to use it for toast. However, it can be great for desserts and puddings.
As bread is already hard, you can crumble it and change them into bread crumbs. You can use them to coat plenty of things without the need to buy a packet from the market. You can create crispy fried chicken, nuggets, and even baked goods from these bread crumbs.
Conclusion
Freezing your food items can be a life-saver for storing them and increasing their shelf life. You might have to deal with some after-effects of freezing, one of them being freezer burns. They can leave the meal very bland and flavorless.
You can salvage the freezer-burned food by following a few easy and basic steps. They all are highlighted in this article to help you avoid unnecessary food wastage. These techniques work for all kinds of edibles like fruits, vegetables, meat, bread, etc.
By adding a few additional ingredients, you can completely change the quality of your freezer-burned food. Be a little creative and go for bold flavorings to cover up the unpleasant taste of freezer burn. It is a great way to save your meal from wastage and cut down food expenses.
