What foods should never be frozen under any circumstances: memorize this list

Freezing is a great way to reduce food waste. Storing food in the freezer for at least a few months can extend the shelf life of fresh food in the refrigerator.

However, not all foods can be consumed after freezing. Some may change the texture and become unfit for consumption. Here are nine foods that are better not to freeze if you don't like separated mayonnaise and dairy products with grains, Lifehacker reports.

Frozen milk

It may appear grainy after defrosting. This also applies to semi-finished products and cream, although the graininess decreases with higher fat content. Nevertheless, frozen milk and cream can be used for cooking and baking without any noticeable harm to the final product.

Meat and seafood that have already been frozen once

Although thawing previously frozen and thawed meat or seafood does not pose any food safety concerns, there may be texture issues. During freezing, water expands, breaking cell walls and softening muscle tissue. This is not as noticeable after one freeze-thaw cycle, but if steaks, chops, or shrimp are re-frozen, they may become soft. Foods that have been thawed and kept at room temperature for two or more hours should never be re-frozen because of germ growth.

Vegetables

Blanching vegetables can help preserve their texture and flavor after they have been stored in the freezer. However, this trick won't save all vegetables after freezing. Cucumbers, zucchini, tomatoes, and celery will lose some of their firmness and structure during freezing.

If you plan to throw a tomato in a sauce or some celery in a soup, it will become softer. If you freeze tomatoes, they are extremely easy to peel. Just never add frozen cucumber slices to a salad, save them for spa treatments. Never freeze lettuce or cabbage leaves, unless you plan to puree them into a soup.

Leafy herbs

Similar to tender vegetables, leafy herbs such as cilantro, basil, and parsley will suffer if thrown into the freezer whole. However, you can chop them, mix them with oil, and then freeze them in plastic bags to preserve their flavor. Hardier woody herbs such as rosemary can be frozen in bags without any other preparation.

Sour cream, yogurt, and cream cheese

Similar to their source materials, these dairy products can become grainy when frozen, but can still be used for cooking and baking. Refrain from freezing any dairy-based sauces, but feel free to use frozen and thawed sour cream in a cake, sauce, or any other recipe that calls for it, except for those where dairy is the main ingredient. Frozen and thawed cream cheese will become a grainy cheesecake, which is unlikely to please anyone.

Mayonnaise

After defrosting, mayonnaise disintegrates into an oily mass and becomes completely unusable.

Food that has already been fried

Pre-fried foods, such as French fries and chicken nuggets, are often cooked and quickly cooled to achieve the desired texture. At home, when you reheat them in the kitchen, few have the option of quick cooling. In frozen food that has been pre-fried, the water and oil slowly come out. This means that the fried chicken will be soggy, not crispy.

Eggs in the shell

The water inside the egg expands, causing the shell to crack. If you need to freeze eggs, break them into a silicone ice cube tray with a little cooking spray. They don't fry very well afterward, but they can be used for baking and scrambling.

Canned foods

Because canned foods have a long shelf life, it's not a good idea to put closed cans of food in the freezer. Just like eggs in a shell, any water in the can expands, which can cause it to burst and (potentially) rust. If you simply freeze canned beans, make sure you first move them to a container that can be used in the freezer.

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