Spring clean your freezer
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EmailJust like spring cleaning your house, it is important to spring clean your freezer.
Spring is the time of year when everything is becoming fresh and new again. So, when spring arrives, we know it is time to deep clean for the coming preservation season. Usually, we think of spring cleaning as cleaning the house and yard. It is also a time when we should clean refrigerators and freezers.
To keep food safe in a freezer, it is important to keep the freezer clean of frost and food particles. Michigan State University Extension recommends defrosting the freezer at least once a year to maintain a clean freezer environment. Defrosting your freezer enables you to wipe out all the food particles that seem to find their way on the shelf. A buildup of frost can also decrease your amount of freezer space, and make your freezer work harder to maintain a constant temperature of 0 degrees Fahrenheit.
To manually defrost the freezer, remove all frozen food items, check dates as well as check for freezer burn on items. If freezer burn is present that doesn’t mean it is not food safe; freezer burn is a quality issue. Throw out expired food and any items that appear old and dried out.
If there are signs of crystals on the inside of packages, this may mean that the food item has thawed at one time and may need to be thrown out. If food thawed and refrozen, it may contain bacteria. Bacteria is not killed by freezing, so it is always safer to throw suspicious food out. Pack the rest of the items you will keep in another freezer or a cooler until they can return to the freezer. Unplug the freezer and clean as quickly as possible. Read the manufacturer’s instructions on how to further clean the defrosting freezer.
After the frost weakens, place towels in the bottom of the freezer and loosen pieces of the frost. Collect in the towels and discard in a sink to melt. Wipe down the freezer with one tablespoon of baking soda in one quart of water. After it has been cleaned, wipe with clean water and dry before turning the freezer back on. Let the freezer cool for about 30 minutes before placing the frozen food back into the freezer.
Strong or foul odors in your freezer may mean foods have thawed. Throw out any food that is questionable. If it has frost on the inside of a package, that is a good indication that it had previously thawed. After initially wiping down the freezer to clean it, wipe it down with one tablespoon of bleach per gallon of water. Then wipe the interior with clear water and let it air dry, leaving the door open.
When placing frozen items back in the freezer, create an inventory list of food that is in your freezer. This way you can easily refer to the list to know what you have. Also take note as to what you and your family eat. If you have an abundant amount of corn, then you may not want to freeze as much next season. Cleaning your freezer in the spring gives you safe food that is easily accessed and provides room for the upcoming preservation season.
