With the holidays comes lots of delicious food that may be frozen for future use. But experts warn that not all foods can be frozen successfully, and those that can be frozen should be monitored for freshness.

Here are some common myths ─ and helpful hints ─ about storing frozen food:

• All foods can be frozen. Not so, says EatingWell. Lettuce, coffee, and creamy sauces don’t do well in the freezer. Canned goods should be removed from their packaging before freezing, and eggs should not be frozen in their shells.

• You can keep foods frozen indefinitely. While the USDA says that, theoretically, food can be frozen for years from a safety standpoint, the quality of food will suffer. Check this handy chart from FoodSafety.gov for the recommend freezer times of many food items. If a food is not listed on the chart, you may determine its quality after thawing. First check the odor. Some foods will develop a rancid or off odor when frozen too long and should be discarded. Some may not look picture perfect or be of high enough quality to serve alone but may be edible; use them to make soups or stews.

• Freezing kills bacteria. This myth obviously can be dangerous to your health. If your food went into the freezer contaminated with bacteria, it will still have the same pathogens when thawed. Cooking it for the recommended period is the only way to destroy bacteria.

• Frozen food is nutritionally inferior to fresh food. Just the opposite, says EatingWell. Frozen fruits and vegetables can be even more healthy than fresh because the vitamins and minerals have been frozen intact upon harvesting and processing. Steam or microwave your products rather than boil them to maintain the nutrients.

• Once thawed, food cannot be refrozen. This surprising myth is contrary to what we’ve been told for decades. According to the  University of Minnesota Extension, you can safely refreeze frozen food that has thawed — raw or cooked, although there may be a loss of quality due to the moisture lost through thawing. To safely refreeze, the thawed product must have been kept cold at 40 degrees or below for no more than 3 to 4 days. If food is completely thawed, warmed to room temperature or left out of the refrigerator for more than 2 hours, throw the food out for safety's sake. These principles apply to meat, poultry, shellfish, some vegetables and cooked foods.

• You can store food anywhere in the freezer. The freezer door is the worst place to store food for the long term. The temperature near and on the door fluctuates every time its opened. It’s best to store foods towards the back of the freezer. The USDA advises that if the power goes out, keep the freezer door shut and the food should remain frozen for two days.