
Stop, don’t throw out that food!
Many of the foods that we eat regularly can be frozen and saved for later consumption. A large part of preparing food for freezing is having a plan for how the food will be consumed in the future. Often, preparation such as chopping, blanching, peeling, portioning, separating or slicing may be required before freezing. Additionally, many foods once thawed need to be consumed within a certain timeframe, and to be prepared a certain way. These steps will only make things easier when it’s time for consumption, and will preserve the quality and taste of the food. Here are a few tips to get started:
Basic Food Freezing Tips
- Store food in air-tight containers
- Leave room for liquids to expand
- Store meals in serving sizes
- Allow hot foods to cool to room temperature before freezing
- Store produce after it has been cleaned
- If an item can be found in the frozen foods section, it can be frozen at home
- Fruits like bananas and mangos should be peeled and chopped
- Foods like pasta and rice are good if they are slightly undercooked when frozen
- Many foods can be frozen when they are raw or cooked depending upon
- Thawed leafy vegetables (spinach, lettuce, herbs, kale, cabbage) are best cooked or in smoothies, not salads
- Lingering leftovers like cooked pasta sauce or ground meats can be frozen after a couple of days and added to future meals
- Organization is key, so label and date items
This list is by no means exhaustive. However, if you are new to cooking and food preservation, this list is a great foundation. After a little research, you will find many details on how to freeze and prepare the foods most commonly used by your family. Whether you have a standalone freezer, or just the freezer compartment of your refrigerator, you can use either to save thousands of dollars per year and to serve healthy food.
What are YOUR favorite foods to freeze?
- Bacon
- Bagels
- Bananas
- Beans
- Beef
- Biscuits
- Blackberries
- Blueberries
- Bread
- Bread Crumbs
- Breakfast Bars
- Breakfast Sandwiches
- Broccoli
- Broth
- Brownies
- Buns
- Burgers
- Burritos
- Butter/Margarine
- Buttermilk
- Cabbage
- Cake Frosting
- Candy
- Cantaloupe
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Cereal
- Chicken
- Chicken Noodle Soup
- Chicken Nuggets
- Chili
- Cocoa Powder
- Coconut Milk
- Casseroles
- Cookie Dough
- Cookies
- Corn
- Cranberries
- Cream Cheese
- Cream of Wheat
- Croutons
- Dried Fruits
- Dry Milk
- Eggs
- Fish
- Flax Seed
- Flour
- French Toast
- Grapes
- Ground Meats
- Heavy Cream
- Hemp Seed
- Herbs
- Honeydew Melon
- Hot Dogs
- Kale
- Lasagna
- Greens for Blending or Cooking
- Lunch Meat
- Milk
- Nuts
- Oatmeal
- Onions
- Pancakes
- Pasta (al dente)
- Peaches
- Peas
- Peppers
- Pie
- Pie Dough
- Pineapple
- Pizza
- Pizza Dough
- Pureed Vegetables (Baby Food)
- Quesadillas
- Quiche
- Rice
- Sausage
- Seeds
- Shredded Cheese
- Shrimp
- Sliced Cheese
- Smoothie Mixes
- Snack foods
- Spices
- Spinach
- Squash
- Stews
- Strawberries
- Sugar
- Tomato Puree
- Tomato Sauce
- Turkey
- Vegetable scraps for stock
- Waffles
- Whipped Cream (in tub)
- Yeast
- Yogurt
- Zucchini
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