Comments on: Here’s how I freeze foods

By: Deborah

Deborah — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 21:21:07 +0000

when ever I make from scratch soups stews lasanga chili sloppy joes broth..any kind of dried beans i freeze half I often on purpose make extra and freeze in pint and quart containers and in flat containers for other things like stuffed cabbage or peppers i make an extra lasange in a smaller foil 8×10 pan
eventually youll have a bank of your own pre made foods to choose from to quickly heat or bake or nuke up.
why pay for frozen dinners or take out that taste like junk and dont look anything like the photos and full of god knows what
then you can truly have it your way

By: Deborah

Deborah — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 21:16:32 +0000

you can reuse oil if its not been burned or darkly colored from use and remeber what you cooked in it will flavor the oil Cool oil TOTALLY to room temp.
strain through a filter or a piece of muslium cloth or thin clean cotton in a strainer over a bowl
funnel into a VERY VERY clean glass jar lable the oil vegetable canola olive etc what you you cooked in it and the date Seal tightly in glass jar that your hopefully recycling PUT IN FRIDGE where YOULL SEE IT AND NOT FORGET IT in the FROUNT
USE GLASS ONLY! Its
best to use it quickly and with the same or compatable food ONE MORE TIME you might like to add some fresh oil to it
then discard
twice is tops of using it please even if you used some fresh oil
or its going to burn and be funky and greasy

By: Deborah

Deborah — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 21:08:34 +0000

when I chop bell peppers I cut off the top and if its strips or cubes i need I cut off the bottoms
sometimes when i find bright colored ones on sale not only will i buy alot to use for dishes but allso to chop and freeze in a big zip lock bag
they do not need to be blanched AT ALL
then I always have chopped peppers to add to any soup or stew that might need something or chili or you name it,
you can do onions the same way but i dont bother since there always on the cheap side
while Ive seen crazy priced orange and yellow and red and even green bell peppers
as far as herbs my italian nieghbor takes any leafy herb and stems them packs the leaves pushing it down as she goes in to a plastic container
when she needs some parsley or basicl she heats a spoon under very hot water then dries it and scraps off what she needs and ADDS IT TO HER SAUCE SOUP WHATEVER
it works great
you can do this to cilantro too
as long as its a supple leafy herb

when I use herbs that I pick or buy fresh i add it stem and all then later I can fish it out in easier big pieces and then to the finished dish add chopped fresh herbs off the heat to rest a bit

By: Tanya

Tanya — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 04:37:03 +0000

Rach-
I yield so much zucchini in my garden. I do have a great recipe I use. But what I do is shred 2 cups of zucchini in freezer bags of mark the bags but it would last me throughout the winter to make my zucchini cake recipe. My ER crew Love the recipe and it was the only way I could get my child to eat zucchini.

By: barbara

barbara — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 16:46:50 +0000

Can someone tell me if the oil used for deep fried foods,( potatoes, donuts, etc.) can bw reused?

By: Angela

Angela — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 15:44:28 +0000

Great ideas! My tip to stave off those pesky freezer raids (eating all the cookies). Just label the goodies “Green Fish Paste” No one will even open the package/ baggy to check!!

By: Michal

Michal — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 23:05:35 +0000

Just a note on freezing lasagna/casseroles- line the pan with plastic wrap assemble freeze over night then remove the las/cass from the pan and place in a gallon zip. Also we freeze red sauce in muffin pans (silicone) pop them out and store in zip locks. DD just pops one in t microwave and they are perfect single serving size.

By: lisette

lisette — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 15:36:27 +0000

Hi. I find that when I put cookies in the freezer after I bake them, that people sneak down to the freezer and eat them! LOL. So, what I started doing was using my scooper to dole cookie dough out on a tray, and flash froze them for an hour or so. Then I put them in a freezer bag. This way no one is sneaking cookies and when we want to make a batch I can just grab as many as I need because they don’t stick together. I can even put a few in the toaster oven so we don’t gave to turn on the regular oven and heat the house up.

I find that onions and peppers are fine if I don’t blanch them. I just cut them up, throw them in baggies and just defrost when needed. Sometimes if I am making something that will be cooking for a long time like chili or soup, I don’t even defrost them, just throw them right in.

By: Connie Jo

Connie Jo — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 14:54:18 +0000

another insite to plastic bags, I too turn mine inside out , then put them in the washer with towels
have not had one melt then refold them back into the drawer they go

By: Lisa Gable

Lisa Gable — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 00:50:01 +0000

I have frozen herbs whole in canning jars with no liquid. Just put them loosely in the jar and place lid on the jar. Rosemary works great this way as well as sage and mint.