Handle with the same care you give fresh, raw ingredients.
Most loss of quality in convenience foods comes from assuming they are damageproof and can be treated haphazardly.
Examine as soon as received.
Particularly, check frozen foods—with a thermometer—to make sure they did not thaw in transit. Put away at once.
Store properly.
Frozen foods must be held at 0°F (−18°C) or lower. Check your freezer with a thermometer regularly. Refrigerated foods must stay chilled, below 41°F (5°C), to slow spoilage. Shelf-stable foods (dry products, canned goods, etc.) are shelf-stable only when stored properly in a cool, dry place, tightly sealed.
Know the shelf life of each product.
Nothing keeps forever, not even convenience foods. (Some, like peeled potatoes, are even more perishable than unprocessed ingredients.) Rotate stock according to the first in, first out principle. Don’t stock more than necessary.
Defrost frozen foods properly.
Ideally, defrost in a tempering box set at 28° to 30°F (−2° to −1°C) or, lacking that, in the refrigerator at 41°F (5°C) or lower. This takes planning and timing, because large items take several days to thaw.
- If you are short of time, the second-best way to defrost foods is under cold running water, in the original wrapper.
- Never defrost at room temperature or in warm water. The high temperatures encourage bacterial growth and spoilage.
- Do not refreeze thawed foods. Quality will greatly deteriorate.
- Certain foods, like frozen French fries and some individual-portion prepared entrées, are designed to be cooked without thawing.
Know how and to what extent the product has been prepared.
Partially cooked foods need less heating in final preparation than do raw foods. Some cooks prepare frozen, cooked crab legs, for example, as though they were raw, but by the time the customer receives them, they are overcooked, dry, and tasteless. Frozen vegetables, for a second example, have been blanched and often need only to be heated briefly.
Manufacturers are happy to give full directions and serving suggestions for their products. At least you should read the package directions.
Use proper cooking methods.
Be flexible. Much modern equipment is designed especially for convenience foods. Don’t restrict yourself to conventional ranges and ovens if compartment steamers, convection ovens, or microwave ovens might do a better job more efficiently.
Treat convenience foods as though you, not the manufacturer, did the pre-preparation.
Make the most of your opportunity to use creativity and to serve the best quality you can. Your final preparation, plating, and garnish should be as careful as though you made the dish from scratch.
