Techniquebeginnerdraft
Freezing and thawing properly
Also searched as: freezing, deep-freezing, thawing, flash freezing, freezing for later
In short: Freeze fast, flat and airtight; thaw slowly in the fridge. That keeps structure and flavour intact.
Picture it
Like a photo with a short exposure: the faster the moment is captured, the sharper the picture.
How it’s done
Sequence · Step 1 of 5
Let cooked food cool first; do not put it in the freezer warm.
All steps as a list
- Let cooked food cool first; do not put it in the freezer warm.
- Fill bags flat, press out the air, label.
- Pre-freeze berries and pieces of dough separately on a tray.
- Thaw in the fridge, meat on a plate.
- Use thawed food quickly and do not refreeze it raw.
Rules of thumb
- Flat freezes faster than a block.
- Wrap airtight against freezer burn.
- vegetables briefly first; that stops .
Related entries
Sources
- Kantonales Laboratorium Basel-Stadt: Merkblatt Erhitzen, Warmhalten, Abkühlen, Auftauen (2026)
- Harold McGee: On Food and Cooking (2004)