Many people habitually wrap fresh meat in plastic wrap before placing it in the freezer – but this is a big mistake! An expert points out that using one specific item to wrap food not only prevents spoilage but also enables rapid freezing and thawing.
According to the Japanese website “grape”, many people wrap fresh meat or other ingredients in plastic wrap and then freeze them for later use. In fact, wrapping meat in plastic wrap degrades its texture. Experts strongly recommend using aluminum foil (tin foil) to freeze meat for two major advantages:
- Rapid Freezing and Thawing: Aluminum foil has excellent thermal conductivity. Compared to plastic wrap, food wrapped in aluminum foil freezes faster when placed in the freezer, and when you need to cook it, the thawing speed is also significantly accelerated.
- Effective Prevention of Freezer Burn: Aluminum foil has excellent gas barrier properties, effectively preventing meat from developing freezer burn or spoiling during long-term frozen storage.
The grape website explains that freezer burn refers to the phenomenon where the surface of frozen food becomes discolored and its texture changes due to drying out. The three main causes of freezer burn are:
- Moisture Evaporation: In the extremely low temperature environment of the freezer, moisture on the food's surface can change directly from solid to gas (sublimation), causing the surface to dry out, making it look like it has been singed. As moisture continues to be lost, the meat becomes dry and brittle, and white spots may even appear on the surface.
- Continuous Oxidation: When the food's surface is exposed to the air inside the freezer, even at low temperatures, chemical reactions with oxygen (oxidation) can still occur. For meat and fish in particular, oxidation directly causes fat spoilage, loss of fresh flavor, and discoloration.
- Insufficient Sealing: If the packaging is not airtight enough, air can easily infiltrate the bag, making the food prone to freezer burn.
One Wrapping Method to Increase Airtightness: Avoid Thawing in One Location
Many people mistakenly believe that aluminum foil cannot cling to food as tightly as plastic wrap. However, the grape website points out that by changing your wrapping technique, the airtightness of aluminum foil is surprisingly effective:
Place the meat in the center of the foil, fold the foil over to tightly wrap the entire piece of meat, then tightly fold and press down the edges of the remaining three sides (left, right, top). This wrapping method, shaped like a "コ" (Japanese katakana 'ko'), is called the "コ-shaped wrap" and achieves excellent sealing.
The grape website also reminds users of two critical safety precautions when using aluminum foil for freezing and thawing food:
- Aluminum foil must never be used in a microwave oven. Before using the microwave to thaw food, be sure to completely remove the aluminum foil.
- Avoid thawing at room temperature, as this increases the risk of food poisoning bacteria multiplying.
