SerpApi.Org
When it comes time to plan a cookout, it's better to have too much rather than not enough, but that often means you're left with an excess of leftovers. If your gathering is over and you have more hot dogs than your refrigerator can contain (or no immediate use for them), freezing is a great option — so long as you do it right. To ensure that your hot dogs are stored safely to maintain freshness, Tasting Table spoke to Sila Cansever, director of research and development at Kayem, which topped our ranking of grocery store hot dog brands.
"Freezing is one of the easiest ways to reduce food waste while keeping hot dogs fresh until you're ready to enjoy them," Cansever explains. If your package has not yet been opened, pop it into the freezer as is, but be sure to do so before its "use by" date. "If you plan to keep it frozen for a while, placing the unopened package inside a freezer-safe bag or wrapping it in an extra layer of foil or freezer paper can provide added protection against freezer burn and help preserve its quality," Cansever reveals.
If your hot dogs have already been opened, she adds that "the goal is to keep as much air away from the product as possible." To do so, transfer the leftover hot dogs to a freezer-safe, airtight bag or container and remove as much air as you can from the package before sealing it. To keep track of freshness, label your package with the date you freeze it. Once frozen, the hot dogs will be at their best for up to three months.
Read more: 12 Little-Known Facts About Duke's Mayonnaise
How to thaw your frozen hot dogs
When it comes time to thaw, Cansever recommends doing so with your hot dogs in the original packaging, so long as it has not yet been opened, or in the airtight packaging you froze them in. She also advises against placing the hot dogs on the countertop. Leaving hot dogs on the counter puts them in what is known as the "danger zone," where temperatures range from 40 degrees to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. There, bacteria can grow at a rapid pace, leading to foodborne illnesses like Listeria, E. coli, and Salmonella.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends discarding hot dogs that have been in the "danger zone" for over two hours, or after one hour at temperatures over 90 degrees. According to Cansever, the "safest and easiest method" for thawing hot dogs is to put them in the refrigerator overnight. "If you're short on time, you can also thaw them in cold water," she notes, adding that you should "[change] the water every 30 minutes."
Once the package is open and thawed, be sure to store your unused hot dogs in a sealed bag or airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy them within seven days. Whether you prefer to pair them with kimchi or slaw, make pigs-in-a-blanket, or pickle them, there are plenty of ways to enjoy your hot dogs. When you're ready to chow down, check out these eight hot dog recipes, or give any of these unique hot dog topping combos a try.
Want more food knowledge? Sign up to our free newsletter where we're helping thousands of foodies, like you, become culinary masters, one email at a time. You can also add us as a preferred search source or follow us on Google.
Read the original article on Tasting Table.
