Q & A: What Freezes Well?

Q:  I had a question about what kind of foods will freeze well to use for multiple meals? Chicken? - jpb77

A: Good question! Many items freeze well, such as meats, chicken, fish, vegetables, casserole dishes, chili, stews, soup, bread, pastries, cookies, and even milk to name a few. Some things like whole fresh eggs, sour cream, mayonnaise, gelatin, and spices don't freeze well.

Here are some tips for freezing foods:

• Freeze foods at 0° F or lower for best quality.

• Always freeze food as quickly as possible to maintain quality and freshness.

• Package well, using freezer bags or containers, foil or freezer wrap. Try to prevent air coming into the package or moisture from escaping, as these dry out food and affect quality.

• Repackage - If you want to freeze something packaged at the store like ground meat, I suggest repackaging it in freezer wrap or bags to insure secure wrapping.

• Label your packages so you know when you froze it --- rotate frozen food, following the rule "first in, first out". You can also label it "Use before.....".

• Package in "meal-sized" portions for convenience. If more than one piece in a portion, you may want to place a sheet of freezer paper between them to prevent them from sticking together.

• If freezing fresh vegetables, it is best to clean them, blanch, allow to dry, and cut into bite size or serving size portions. Blanch them 2-4 minutes depending on the vegetable (blanching is simply dunking the vegetables in boiling water and then immediately into ice water to stop the cooking process -- blanching stops enzyme actions which cause loss of flavor, color, texture, and nutrients -- worth the few minutes to blanch.

Timing: Below are recommendations for freezing to maintain flavor and appearance.
However, as far as food safety is concerned, freezing food for any length of time is safe to eat ---- still, you're probably concerned about flavor as well, so:

• Large cuts of meat and steak - 6-12 months

• Ground meat or sausage - 3-4 months

• Cooked meats or dishes - 1-3 months

• Hot dogs, lunch meats -1-2 weeks

• Most fresh fish -3-4 months

• Baked pastry & breads -2-3 months

• Fresh vegetables -6-8 months

The above are simply guidelines that should give you a little "confidence in freezing" to insure your foods maintain their flavor and appearance.

Which foods to use for multiple meals depends on your personal taste; however, packaging these foods in meal size portions is the key -- defrosting is quicker and no waste! If you are utilizing your planner, you can remove the items you need the night before to defrost in your refrigerator during the day --- ready when you are!

If you have friends who also like to cook, plan a "cooking day" where you all cook together, sharing recipes, fun, and food. Package your recipes in meal sized portions and freeze! What could be easier or more fun and economical!!

Thanks so much for participating in our cooking segment. I hope to hear from you again soon.

Happy Cookin'!
 -- Margie Potts