During the fall and winter, many fresh ingredients tend to become scarce or the quality of these ingredients begins to decline. Replacing fresh product with frozen product keeps these ingredients on hand, and may offer the opportunity to reduce waste through better product inventory control. This week, we’d like to examine some items that ServSafe food managers may want to considering ordering in frozen product rather than fresh during the offseason.
ServSafe Food Managers Can Reduce Waste and Improving Quality with Frozen Ingredients
Spring and summer bring a bounty of fresh ingredients, but besides ingredients used in traditional fall cuisine the quality and availability of these summertime ingredients becomes scarce or subpar. Some common ingredients that begin to disappear in the fall include:
- Fresh Ocean Fish
- Seasonal Vegetables
- Berries
While there are many species of fish that are available fresh all year round, several popular types become uncommon or begin to deteriorate in quality. Fresh salmon, halibut and other cold water fish become scarce at the end of the season. Not only will the quality of many ocean fish be subpar, the fresh prices will skyrocket as demand outpaces supply. If you want to avoid potentially mushy, flavorless ocean fish, buying fish that was flash frozen at harvest could save on food costs and provide a better experience for your guests. You’ll also have better control over your product as you can thaw the amount of fish you need for daily service without the risk that comes from spoilage from larger quantities of fresh product. Using flash frozen ocean fish can save on food cost, improve quality and help ServSafe food managers reduce waste.
If you’ve ordered vegetables traditionally only available in the spring out of season, you’ve probably noticed a decline in quality from months earlier. This is due to produce coming from farther away or being grown in conditions that may not be optimal. While many ServSafe food managers opt to rotate to locally available vegetables, many chefs can be stubborn and tied down to ingredients on their signature dishes. If you’re not serving these items fresh, most seasonal vegetables will be available blanched and frozen.
If you use berries or other fruit for baking or desserts, bringing in frozen ingredients will help with waste control as prices rise in the offseason. However, frozen berries and fruit are best suited for cooking, dressings or compotes rather than to be served on their own.
Do the ServSafe Food Managers in your establishment switch to frozen product in the offseason?