Ideal for extending the life of a food or preparation, freezing is an everyday ally. But not everything on our plate supports it. What foods should you avoid freezing?
Freezing lowers the temperature of a foodstuff so that the water it contains changes to a solid state. “This crystallization of the water contained in the food makes it possible to reduce the water available for biological reactions and therefore to slow down or stop microbial and enzymatic activity”, is it noted on the site of the General Directorate of Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Prevention (DGCCRF).
Even if we use this technique almost daily, it should be noted that some common foods do not support this method of preservation. This is particularly the case for eggs, whether raw or hard-boiled. In the first case, the shell would break under pressure. And in the second, the thawed texture is not very appetizing. On the other hand, it is quite possible for you to freeze egg whites.
Eggs, cheeses, some fresh vegetables…
Two large families of cheeses should not be placed in the freezer either. These are the soft dough ones like brie, camembert, roquefort or maroilles. Or fresh cheeses such as mozzarella, mascarpone or ricotta. In question, their water content, and once again, a concern for dry texture, which tends to crumble on thawing.
For the same reasons, vegetables – fresh – particularly rich in water have no place in the freezer. This is the case of lettuce, cabbage, cucumbers and other radishes. Finally, when defrosting, foods such as bean sprouts and raw potatoes will lose all their crunch. So their interest. A final point as a reminder: frozen or deep-frozen products should never be refrozen after defrosting.
