Preventing Freezer Burn

[beejayw1]

The thread on freezer burn as it pertains to squirrel meat made me thing of this trick. Someone passed this on to me years ago, and it really works. (Actually, I suspect it's a standard cooking 'trick' , but I didn't know it, so post it here for those who might find it helpful.)

If you are going to freeze something fairly delicate - like fish, shrimp, some types of lean meat - put it in a container as close to the size of the item to be frozen as you can get, then fill the container full of water and put the container, water and all, in the freezer. Having water all around the meat keeps it from developing freezer burn, and I've had a lot of success with fish and shrimp. I haven't tried it with red meat, but if the meat and water is quickly frozen, I don't see how it would hurt it.

Hope this is helpful!

Beej

[JulieM]

I have also heard of this trick, at least for seafood. My DH worked for a photographer about 35 years ago in Manteo, NC whose wife was from Nova Scotia where her father ran a 3 masted fishing vessel. My DH would often go fishing with his employer and his wife would put the extra fish in water and freeze them. He swears that the fish tasted like they were just caught. He said she also used the water in soups.

[Andrew]

We are on our second Food Saver. (Our Son stole our last one )

We've kept all sorts of food in the freezer for over a year and they come out just as nice as when they were put in!

[beejayw1]

...and what is a Food Saver? One of those vacuum things?

[JulieM]

Originally posted by beejayw1:
...and what is a Food Saver? One of those vacuum things?

Yes, it's really neat. It seals your meat (or whatever) in plastic and sucks all the air out. There was a thread a week or two ago about them, maybe you can find it. I don't have one yet but am planning to get one soon.