Common Food Preservation Methods
May 25, 2021
How Long Can You Store Your IQF Fruits?
June 11, 2021
What if there was a way to have your frozen fruits, veggies, and meats last longer and taste better when they defrosted? There’s a technique that’s been around for a while but that you might not know a lot about called IQF that does just that!
IQF, or individually quick frozen foods, ensure that your recipes come out tasting great. You never have to wait for an ingredient to be in season because it’s always in your fridge.
Wondering about the other benefits of IQF foods? Let’s look at why you should always have IQF frozen ingredients in your freezer.
What Makes IQF Foods Different?
IQF foods are preserved in a different way from traditional frozen foods. Each piece of produce or meat is frozen individually so that they don’t freeze in a hard to manage block of ice.
They’re kept at low temperatures for less time than traditional freezing methods. The less time they spend at the temps the smaller the ice crystals are that form within the food.
Larger ice crystals can puncture cell walls and destroy the fiber that gives food structure. With smaller ice crystals, the food thaws faster and retains better taste and texture.
These aren’t the only reason you should have IQF foods in your freezer. There are plenty of other reasons why you should use quick frozen foods in every recipe.
Nutritional Powerhouse
Fresh foods are always best, but what if you can’t always have them on hand? Whether you need to have long-term storage or like to buy in bulk, fresh foods spoil quickly.
IQF foods are just as nutritious as fresh foods. They’ve got all of their vitamins and minerals intact and because they’re often frozen at peak ripeness, taste great too.
Convenient
Having your favorite fruits and vegetables and even certain meats or seafood isn’t always possible. They each have their season and when it ends, they’re hard to come by and prices skyrocket.
Having a bag of frozen IQF foods on hand helps you have your favorite flavors on hand no matter what time of year it is. As a bonus, many of these foods are already washed, cut, and ready to go.
How to Cook with Frozen Ingredients
We mentioned convenience and taste when talking about the benefits of cooking with frozen ingredients. Now let’s talk about some tips and tricks to make sure every meal is a winner.
Frozen foods aren’t always exactly the same as their fresh counterparts. You won’t always get crispy veggies when you roast them but they have their own unique pros.
Try roasting your veggies or even breading and frying them after they thaw. Frozen vegetables are great additions to soups and stews too.
With frozen fruits, smoothies are the ways to go. They also go great on top of ice cream or can even go into jams and jellies.
More Benefits of IQF Foods
There are many reasons that you and your customers are going to love IQF foods. If you want to learn more about what you can do with them as a retailer or as a consumer, reach out to us today!
