How Do I Prevent Freezer Burn??

I hear that. I used to have a 1950s one that literally had a shoebox size shelf they called a freezer. I learned this from my mom...once you get home from the store, open the packages of meat. Wrap portions (usually half of a family pack of chicken or one quarter of a ground meat package) wrap in cling wrap (I love the press and seal freezer!), and then put in lablled freezer ziplocs. I now have a regular freezer so I have them in two large Tupperwares labelled meat and chicken. I even divide hot doge packages using half (one meal) in the fridge and wrapping the other half in the freezer. They seem to keep well this way (three layers of defense. Also, don't use foil...or if you do, wrap in plastic wrap first if a bread. Or if a foil pasta dish (one you can thaw and put in the oven, then bag it in a gallon freezer bag. Oh, and I was told not to keep a lot in there because if it is stuffed, the air doesn't circulate causing the ice to form. but that is hard when it isn't very big.

Try wrapping you meat in Freezer Paper. Wrap it like they do a subway sandwich. I use Freezer Paper all the time. We butcher our own meat, cut, wrap ect. Anyways, I dont have a problem wit freezer burn except for at the very end of the year when everything is a year old. Make sure you write the type, weight, and Date it.

If you will put your meat in a ziploc removing as much air as you can and then place the meat bag in another ziploc - filling that ziploc with water. The water seems to act as a buffer. I have been able to keep most meats for upto 8 or 9 months without any issue. Fish a little different - doesn't seem to last as long. Good Luck!

freezer burn is actually caused by air. So those little packs of ground turkey are begging for ice to form.
The only way around it is to seal. Buy a food saver, I know they are around $150 at costco but they are so worth it. You repackage all your meats when you get them home and as long as the bag stays sealed, you should be good for about a year. (I have some meats that were commercially prepared this way and they are about 5 years old!) You can also save money an your cheeses and vegs by buying in bulk and repackaging, cheeses will keep indefinitely as long as it is sealed properly (however will become sharper with age) and you can prolong the life of veggies by about a week.

PS..the bags are reusable!

All great suggestions. About the freezer unit- we had the same problem in an apartment and lost $350 worth of meat that was wrapped properly. It was because the freezer unit was not cold enough. Our landlord reimbursed us and got a new fridge for the next tenants. Try turning the temperature colder.

Hi T.,
We use the machine that sucks the air out of the bags and seals them. No freezer burn at all. The initial cost is a bit but you don't need a fancy machine, walmart, samsclub, costco...., the wholesale clubs cary the bags that you can make into any size and it is well worth it. I reuse the bags if they are big enough, great for cheese in the fridge also, keeps it from drying out.
Good luck,
SarahMM

Short of getting a vacuum sealer:
1. Take it out of the store's container.
2. Wrap meat in sarin wrap.
3. Wrap in tin foil.
For extra protection you can use a ziploc but those three steps are what I was told from a chef.
Hope it works! Good luck.

The previous tip mentioned plastic wrap and then aluminum foil, but I always heard plastic wrap and then freezer paper. But I bet both would work.

Also, zip-loc has a new product called the Handi-Vac. It's about $10 and the special bags about $2 for 14 qt size (they also have gallon size), but it vacuum seals just like the $100+ countertop models. Consumer Reports has a blurb about it in their latest magazine and they tested it and said it worked just as well as pricier models and was a really good buy. I have it and it seems to work for me.

If you can afford it, try investing a food saver( the are under $50). What a food saver does is vacuum pack your food and helps decrease freezer burn. I buy most of my meat at Costco( we are a family of 5) and the food saver allows me to break up the meat into meals and take it out when needed. I have had meat in my freezer for as long as three months without freezer burn.

My mom tells me to wrap it it aluminum foil before putting it into the freezer bags. I havent tried it, but she swears by the "old school" way. Good luck!

I have always had this problem too, until I bought the Handi-vac. It is awesome and very reasonably priced. Give it a try!

This is what I always do. I use a good plastic wrap and cover the meat with that, then use tin foil and wrapped it up. I make sure both wraps are double and tight. I've been able to keep meat good for up to three months that way. Bags just by themselves just don't work. Good luck!