"Will keep in freezer for X amount of time"???

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Callisto in NC

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Maybe I'm dense but why would something frozen have a short life span? There is a recipe I was looking at that says "freezes for a month." Now, when I make chili I freeze it for up to a year. My mom used to do spaghetti sauce (which is what this recipe is for) and keep it for many months. Why would a sauce, or anything have such a short frozen life? I thought frozen food survived just about anything.
 
Frozen food still degrades over time, through oxydation, for example. But at a much, much slower rate when kept so cold. So overall quality (texture, flavor and nutritiousness) deteriorates even though it's still safe to eat.

Physics. Half Life. Some law of thermodymanics?
 
If it is stored in vacuum sealed bags and then frozen, then no evaporation should occur; at least not as much. The seal is more important than the vacuum.
 
Hi Callisto,
This is my first posting to this site as I live in the UK, no, not England, in Scotland - so I do hope this effort of mine works. Re. your question: freezing often intensifies flavours, especially salt, pepper and any spices. Might I suggest that your Mum was clearlya clever cook who knew to taste any previously frozen and then reheated sauce before adding to pasta and then moderated the flavour if it did not meet her standards by adding some of the water in which the pasta was cooked, or maybe a little water or een some milk. Did you watch your mum cook like I did?
regards,
Archiduc
 
Freezer burn is caused by cold air around the product, sucking the moisture out of the food. Using a vacuum sealer device such as the foodsaver products, will greatly increase the time that food can be frozen since the food is not only sealed from the air in the freezer, but also, must of the air around the food is removed. Therefore, the food will retain its moisture and not burn.
 
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Maybe I'm dense but why would something frozen have a short life span? There is a recipe I was looking at that says "freezes for a month." Now, when I make chili I freeze it for up to a year. My mom used to do spaghetti sauce (which is what this recipe is for) and keep it for many months. Why would a sauce, or anything have such a short frozen life? I thought frozen food survived just about anything.

Food goes bad when oxidized. Various things can be done to slow down the rate of oxidation, such as freezing. Better yet, vaccum sealed and frozen to reduce rate of oxidation even more. It would depend (I think) on what you have frozen, how well it is wrapped, temperature of freezer, etc... would help determine how long something can be in a freezer and not go bad.

After a while in the freezer, the food can lose its texture and taste. If something is homemade, such as a sauce, it would last shorter than a sauce made with various preservatives.

Even if something is vaccum sealed, oxygen still can enter, thus it cannot stay frozen forever. It will go bad eventually.
 
Freezing doesn't stop biological degration - it just signaficantly retards it. Vacuum sealing food extends it's life over foods not vacuum sealed ... but it does not preserve it forever, either. Even under the best of conditions - foods begin to lose quality of texture and nutrition as soon as they are picked.

So, back to Callisto's original question - the shorter the time the food is frozen the more it will taste like it did when fresh. And, as archiduc mentioned, herbs and seasonings can be significantly altered through prolonged freezing and may need to be adjusted when thawed and heated - some intensify and some go flat ... you just have to taste and make the appropriate adjustments.
 
Maybe I'm dense but why would something frozen have a short life span? There is a recipe I was looking at that says "freezes for a month." Now, when I make chili I freeze it for up to a year. My mom used to do spaghetti sauce (which is what this recipe is for) and keep it for many months. Why would a sauce, or anything have such a short frozen life? I thought frozen food survived just about anything.

I think a lot of it has to do with the freezers a lot of people use. frost free refridgerator freezers will not hold food for very long. They cycle in and out of cold and most aren't really a deep freeze. My cabinet freezer is very cold. you put something in it and it remains like a rock for a long time. Meat takes a couple of days in the refrigerator to start thawing. A good seal is also important. I have used meats well sealed and frozen for 6 months or more with no problems at all.
 
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