Everything in my freezer gets ice in it

[horse123]

Within a month of putting food in my freezer, no matter how it's sealed, it gets big ice crystals all over it. It's a couple year old frigidaire, one of the cheapest models but probably not the absolute cheapest.

Temperature control seems to make no difference, any ideas?

 

[3800Series]

It really depends on the prep you used to seal it. I have 4-5 year old shrimp I caught de-headed and shelled. I refrigerated them for a day before I seal in a air tight bag. I could open that bag and eat it right now if I wanted to.

Best bet would try to reduce excess moister.

 

[Alfred_B]

Consumer grade freezers may not keep a constant temperature. The temperature will steadily fall until it reaches a threshold when the motor engages and pushes the cold to the other end of the spectrum.

So the food is constantly getting warmer and colder which is what's causing the ice crystals to form. It will have nothing to do how the food is sealed.

 

[horse123]

Like I said it doesn't matter if it's sealed in plastic from the factory or sitting out in the open, it gets ice inside of whatever container it might be in, on the food.

 

[Bluestream]

Originally Posted By: 3800Series
It really depends on the prep you used to seal it. I have 4-5 year old shrimp I caught de-headed and shelled. I refrigerated them for a day before I seal in a air tight bag. I could open that bag and eat it right now if I wanted to.

Best bet would try to reduce excess moister.

 

[JTK]

Happens all the time with our newer bottom freezer refrigerator with the pull/roll out freezer door the darling bride wanted. If things are not stowed just right, things jamb up and the door doesn't close and seal properly. Air leaks in and everything ices up. The kids do this constantly... and I 'calmly explain' this constantly it seems..

To me, if you're getting stringy ice build-up on the outside of items in the freezer, your door isn't sealing properly.

 

[Turk]

I have a Frig/Freezer in the garage from "1956" and it works fantastic.
Super quiet too.

 

[DBMaster]

I basically double seal everything and it seems to stop the frost formation. also, aluminum foil is the best vapor barrier. If you wrap meat in foil before freezing I'd be really surprise to see ice, or freezer burn. The factory recloseable bags (tater tots) aren't very good. I put those bags inside a zipper freezer bag and that takes care of that.

 

[Pop_Rivit]

Water in the food will migrate and form ice crystals on the coldest spot, which forms ice crystals and causes other parts of the food to become dehydrated. If there is fat in the food the dry spots can oxidize, which will alter the flavor and smell.

Keeping your freezer at 0 or below, and keeping it full of frozen items will help keep the temperature constant. If you can't keep it full of food, fill a few milk jugs with water and place them inside to help maintain the temperature. Don't put hot food directly into the freezer-let it cool in the refrigerator first.

Keeping food tightly packaged will reduce the amount of water that migrates to the surface during freezing. For example, if you buy a steak at the store and it's in one of those plastic wrapped foam trays, take it out and wrap it tightly. Or better yet, buy from a real meat counter that wraps the meat in butchers paper.

 

[rshaw125]

Remember all recent models have auto defrost. Which is basically a heating element in the freezer that periodically warms the compartment to evaporate/thaw frost and moisture. The frost develops on the coil/food and the defrost melts it maybe twice a day depending on how much humidity is present. The moisture drips into a pan under the refrigerator. Tends to ruin the food after several months.

 

[DBMaster]

My freezer is 1991 vintage and it is frost free. I keep it at 0. I also keep a good number of "blue ice" type blocks in it. I got several of them years ago. They were used in refrigerated drug shipments when I managed dialysis clinics. It seemed like a waste to toss them and they work way better than ice in a cooler. I think they do tend to keep the temperature more stable in my freezer.

 

[Kawiguy454]

along with the defroster/heater ...I have found that getting all the air out of anything you freeze works better. Those vacuum bags or just plastic wrap if tightly wrapped around meat and such squeezing the air out while wrapping keeps frost from forming.

 

[Bud]

I use a food saver and vacuum pack stuff for the freezer. Eliminates freezer burn and ice crystals.