How to thaw various ingredients in the refrigerator? Sometimes due to a busy work schedule, there is little time for shopping, so every time you go shopping, you buy a lot of things and store them in the refrigerator. Eating fast food regularly is not good for your health, so you also need to cook healthy meals yourself. This article will tell you how to thaw various ingredients in the refrigerator.
Frozen fish and meat, first put in the refrigerator
For thawing meat, it's best to have a "relay," which means taking the ingredients to be thawed out of the freezer a day in advance, placing them in a fresh-keeping box or bag, and putting them in the refrigerator's fresh-keeping compartment to thaw before cooking. This method of thawing takes a long time; generally, large pieces of meat need to be placed in the fresh-keeping compartment at least 12 hours in advance, while smaller pieces take half the time.
Therefore, to shorten the thawing time, it is recommended not to put a whole piece of meat directly into the refrigerator. Instead, before freezing the food, cut it into small pieces, or directly into shreds or slices. According to the amount for one meal, use a fresh-keeping bag or plastic wrap to package it thinly and freeze it in portions. This can also avoid repeated freezing and makes it easier to thaw.
This method of placing food in the refrigerator to thaw is relatively safe and convenient, solving the problems of microbial growth or excessive nutrient loss that often occur with natural thawing in the air or thawing by soaking in water. Moreover, other faster thawing methods can cause ice crystals in the food to puncture cell walls during thawing, causing the fat in the food to be released prematurely, affecting the food's nutrition and texture. Therefore, it is not recommended.
Steamed buns and dumplings, heat in a steamer
If you can't finish staple foods like steamed buns or dumplings right away, storing them in the freezer can extend their shelf life. Before eating, many people choose to heat them in a microwave oven, but this rapid heating can quickly dehydrate the food, making the middle of the buns hard and tough to chew.
Furthermore, microwaves can lead to uneven heating, with some parts becoming dry while others remain cold. It is recommended to directly place frozen flour-based foods into a steamer to heat.
Frozen vegetables, blanch in boiling water
In the frozen section of the supermarket, there are various packaged frozen vegetables, such as green beans, corn kernels, and carrot slices. These frozen vegetables are generally picked at their peak nutritional value and immediately quick-frozen. Because the low temperature locks in the nutrients, their nutritional value remains high after freezing. When cooking, these vegetables can be quickly blanched in boiling water and then directly cooked, which is very convenient.
Shrimp and spring rolls, no need to thaw
Quick-frozen small shrimp (without ice coating) can be cooked directly without thawing, because shrimp are small in size and can heat up quickly. Direct heating can also ensure that the shrimp meat remains crispy and tender. Moreover, quick-frozen foods like dumplings and hot pot balls can also be cooked directly.
In addition, quick-frozen foods like spring rolls do not need to be thawed and can be heated and cooked directly. Most of the fillings in spring rolls are already cooked.
How to thaw various ingredients in the refrigerator? Foods like fish and meat are more troublesome to thaw because they need to be placed in the refrigerator 12 hours in advance to thaw on their own. Foods like dumplings and shrimp are the simplest; they can be taken out and cooked directly for a healthy meal.