Packaging and Heating Instructions Tips

Posted on April 28, 2008

Packaging and Heating Instructions Tips

A New Twist On “Frozen Drinks”
Believe it or not, milk can be frozen for up to three months, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, but remember that if your milk has spoiled, putting it in the freezer won’t save it, and milk only keeps reliably in the refrigerator for one week.

Juices in cartons, including fruit juice, fruit drinks, and punches have a longer life, similar to prepared foods. They will keep in the refrigerator for seven to 10 days once opened, three weeks unopened, and you can keep them frozen for eight to 12 months in cardboard or plastic containers. But don’t freeze beverages in glass containers because the glass will expand and break.
Can I Freeze The Cheese?
Certain types of foods simply don’t freeze well. A few items that should not be frozen are fresh eggs, sour cream, cream cheese, cottage cheese and ricotta cheese.

But fresh eggs will keep safely in the refrigerator for three to five weeks.

As for cheese, cream cheese keeps well for up to two weeks, while cottage cheese and ricotta cheese will keep for one week.

Soft cheeses, such as Brie, will keep in the refrigerator for week and hard cheeses, such as cheddar and Swiss will keep for three to four weeks if opened and up to six months in the refrigerator if the package is unopened.

Both soft and hard cheeses can be frozen for up to six months, and the same goes for butter. Bonus: when butter goes on sale, stock up and toss it in the freezer, and place it in the refrigerator one box at a time as needed. And what about nacho cheese? Well, it isn’t yours, so don’t worry about it! (Cheesy, we know).
Check Your Refrigerator And Freezer Temps To Ensure Food Safety
You can use a food appliance thermometer (available at most supermarkets) to check the temperatures of your refrigerator and freezer to be sure that they fall within the guidelines recommended by food safety experts. This is especially important if you order home delivery meals and other prepared foods that require storage for more than a day or so.

To ensure food safety and prevent the growth and spread of bacteria, keep your refrigerator temperature at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius). Your freezer temperature should be at or below 0 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 18 degrees Celsius).

If you allow your refrigerator or freezer to get too warm, you’ll reduce the shelf life of the food and increase the risk of unhealthy bacterial growth on your food.
Discreet, Quality Shipping Promotes SatisfactionYou can order home delivered meals, whether for weight loss or good health, and you may worry about the condition in which they are shipped and whether the food will be well packaged and safe. With Chefs Diet™, meals are delivered in discreet packaging. Daily deliveries are packaged in discreet, insulated, black cooler bags and are left at your door by 5 a.m. Weekly deliveries are shipped via FedEx in insulated coolers with dried ice. Most weekly shipments are sent on Mondays, Tuesdays, or Wednesdays, for arrival within two days (on Wednesdays, Thursdays, or Fridays). If you live in an apartment building that does not have a doorman or other attendant, daily delivery clients can send a spare key to the outside of their building and Chefs Diet™ will leave the daily cooler bag outside of your apartment door by 5 a.m. Weekly deliveries will be delivered in the same way you receive other FedEx packages at your apartment building. Alternatively, you can arrange to have weekly deliveries shipped to your business address. To promote your satisfaction and avoid refunds, be sure to call your meal delivery service to suspend deliveries if you will be away.
Food Storage Safety: Choose The Right Container
Practice proper food storage and your food will stay fresher longer. You’ll also reduce your risk of foodborne illness. If you are storing prepared foods for an extended period of time, use a shallow container less than two inches deep for rapid, even cooling. Larger, deeper containers take longer to cool. If you have a large amount of food in a large container, divide it into smaller containers prior to storage. Not only does this promote rapid cooling, but you can take out smaller amounts at a time and you don’t need to re-expose the food to room temperature more than necessary.

Be sure that prepared foods are tightly sealed. If you are using a container, be sure that the lid fits tightly and securely and use the smallest container that will hold the amount of food that you are storing. If you are storing prepared foods in plastic bags, try to squeeze out as much extra air as possible to conserve space and help prevent freezer burn.
Handy Hints For Home Food Storage
Plan ahead and use stored foods before purchasing or opening other packages. If you order home delivered meals that you intend to eat according to a specific menu plan, this is even easier because you know what packages to reheat each day.

But if you don’t eat all of a home delivered meal or prepared foods and you want to save some, keep these guidelines from the U.S. Department of Agriculture in mind:

-Cooked meat and meat casseroles: These keep safely for three to four days in the refrigerator and two to three months in the freezer.

-Soups and stews with vegetables or meat: These keep safely for three to four days in the refrigerator and two to three months in the freezer

-Cooked poultry: Poultry pieces keep safely for three to four days in the refrigerator and up to four months in the freezer.

-Cooked fish: Cooked fish keeps safely for three to four days in the refrigerator and four to six months in the freezer.

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Help Your Food Survive A Power Failure
If your power goes out, food that you have kept in your freezer or in the refrigerator should be safe to eat for one to two days, depending on the foods. Keep the refrigerator door closed as much as possible until the power is restored. Refrigerators that are full will keep food fresher longer if the power goes out because there is less air circulation.

But remember the old adage: When it doubt, throw it out. There’s no reason to risk your health by eating food that may be spoiled. In particular, foods that only keep well for about a week, such as milk or fresh produce, should be thrown out if you have had a power failure that lasts for more than a day or so. But foods less susceptible to spoilage, such as butter and leftover prepared foods are more likely to survive up to two days.

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Refreezing Food Won’t Stop Spoilage
It’s fine to refreeze partly thawed foods from a food safety standpoint, but all food is best when it is fresh. Keep these points in mind if you want to refreeze food after it has been thawed:

-Refreezing may cause some foods to become soft and watery, and you may need to drain off some excess water.

-Freezing will prevent the growth of microbes, but it won’t eliminate bacteria that already exist in the food, so if your food is spoiled, freezing won’t save it—throw it out!

Remember that any food, whether fresh or leftover from a home delivered meal, should be refrigerated or frozen within 2 hours of cooking to prevent bacterial growth. Now, repeat after us—when in doubt, throw it out! Get it? Good!
Reheating Frozen Meals Is A Snap In The Microwave
How did we survive before microwave ovens? The microwave makes reheating quick, safe, and simple, whether you order meals delivered or reheat other prepared foods.

Companies, such as Chefs Diet™, package each meal in its own microwavable container. To reheat fresh meals, microwave the containers on HIGH for one to three minutes, depending on your microwave and on how hot you want the food to be. To reheat frozen meals, microwave the container on HIGH for five to seven minutes.

No microwave? No problem. You can simply transfer a Chefs Diet™ meal from its shipping container to an oven-safe dish. For most meals, reheat at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until the food reaches the desired temperature.

If you’re uncertain about how to reheat prepared foods, don’t worry. Detailed instructions for how to reheat each meal will be printed on the meal label or on a separate instruction sheet that will accompany your meal delivery.
Three C’s: Tips For Basic Food Safety
Whether your meals consist of prepared foods, home delivered meals, or meals made from scratch, keep these food safety points in mind to protect yourself from foodborne illness:

-Clean: Always wash your hands before handling food, whether it is fresh or frozen.

-Cook: Cook foods to the proper temperature to kill harmful bacteria. If you use a microwave, make sure that it is in good shape and not cracked or damaged. If you use a conventional oven, buy an oven thermometer (available at most grocery stores) and check the accuracy of the temperature. If your oven says 350 degrees, but the thermometer shows 300 degrees, there is a discrepancy.

-Chill: Refrigerate leftover food within two hours, and don’t thaw foods at room temperature. Instead, thaw frozen food by placing it in the refrigerator, running it under cold water, or thawing it in the microwave.