How to Prevent Freezer Burn: 6 Tips for Proper Food Storage

Freezer burn refers to dry spots of discoloration on the surface of food left in a freezer. It’s most common on foods with a high amount of water content—from fruits and vegetables to cuts of meat. Freezer burn is not a food safety concern, and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirms you can eat freezer-burned food without any concerns about your health. Regardless, the quality of the food will go down. If you make freezer-burned food, it’s likely to be dryer and tougher than it would have been otherwise.

Freezer burn happens because of a process known as sublimation. Frozen foods suffer moisture loss due to increased airflow and lack of humidity. As water molecules rise to the surface of the food, the food becomes dehydrated, leading to both the ice crystals and dry discoloration that you will recognize as freezer burn.

While sublimation might sound similar to evaporation, the former bypasses a key step involved in the latter process. The ice doesn’t defrost and change into water at any point—rather, it transitions straight from a solid to a gas as it endures air exposure.

You can prevent freezer burn by practicing good food storage habits. Here are six tips for keeping freezer-burned food at a minimum:

1. 1. Avoid long-term storage. Over extended periods of time, the best-protected food can still get freezer burnt. If you don’t think you’ll use a food item in your freezer for more than six months, think twice about purchasing and storing it in the first place. Freezer storage preserves food well for a long time, but nothing can keep food safe from freezer burn forever.
2. 2. Keep the freezer door closed. The more times you open your freezer door, the more the cold airflow inside will fluctuate. As that air warms up, frozen food starts to lose moisture and begins drying and discoloring.
3. 3. Refrigerate before freezing. Hot foods and even foods at room temperature can heat up a freezer once you place them inside. As this hotter food warms the cooler foods in your freezer, all of them can veer toward losing moisture. Cooling your foods in a refrigerator first can ensure they’re at the right temperature for freezer storage.
4. 4. Set a low temperature. Food freezes at thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit, but keeping your freezer much colder will help you prevent freezer burn in the first place. Not only is freezing food at zero degrees Fahrenheit or lower easier, but it also stunts the sublimation process—the loss of moisture responsible for freezer burn.
5. 5. Use airtight containers. Keep food in freezer-safe containers to prevent too much exposure to dehydrating air. You can use specially designed, vacuum-sealed freezer bags or storage containers. Alternatively, you could suck out all the air with a straw.
6. 6. Wrap food. Home cooks can wrap their food in wax paper, aluminum foil, or a layer of plastic wrap for an added amount of protection from moisture loss. Pick up a form of freezer paper or plastic at the grocery store, but don’t forget that you should still place wrapped food in an airtight container of some kind for maximum protection from freezer burn.

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