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Freezing: Freezing Prepared Foods

Source of Recipe

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Preparing food ahead of time and freezing it can save time, energy and money. Frozen cooked foods also add variety to your menu, offer quick meals for unexpected company and provide nutritious choices for busy days. When you are preparing a main dish, it takes only a little more effort and time to make enough for several meals. You can freeze all of the prepared food in meal-size packages, or serve part of the food immediately and freeze the rest. It is more economical to make your own supply of prepared dishes than to purchase commercially prepared foods. Consider freezing:


* Leftovers that cannot be used immediately.
* Foods that take a long time to prepare.
* Seasonal fruits and vegetables.
* Foods you can prepare in quantity.
* Foods that still taste good after storage.

HINTS FOR FREEZING
* Select only fresh, high-quality ingredients because freezing does not improve quality.
* Slightly undercook prepared foods. They will finish cooking when reheated.
* Cool foods quickly before packaging. Place the pan of food in a large pan of ice water, crushed ice or ice cubes. Stirring will help cool the food faster. Use a fan to cool foods that cannot be stirred.
* Freeze food promptly as soon as it is cooled to room temperature.
* Put no more unfrozen food in the freezer than will freeze within 24 hours. Usually this is 2 or 3 pounds per cubic foot of freezer capacity. Stack the food after it is frozen.
* Plan to use frozen prepared foods within a short time. Keep using foods from the freezer and replenish with fresh stock. This makes greater use of freezer space, lowers the cost per pound of food stores, and keeps your store of food fresh.
* The temperature of the freezer should not go above 0 ¡F. Fluctuating temperatures and temperatures above 0 ¡F reduce quality.
* Foods that do not freeze well include mayonnaise, cream puddings and fillings, custard, gelatin salads, cheese, the whites of hard-cooked eggs and uncooked egg yolks, and gravies made with wheat flour.
* Since spices may change flavor over long storage, add just before serving.

HINTS FOR PACKAGING
* Use freezer containers or wrappings of moisture- and vapor-resistant material.
* Pack food compactly into the container to reduce air in the package. Allow headroom for expansion as food freezes.
* In quart containers, the food may be separated into two or three layers by a double thickness of a water-resistant wrap.
* Choose containers by the number of servings you will want. Quart containers hold four to six servings; pints, two to three.
* Use only containers with wide top openings. Food can then be removed without thawing.
* Freeze the prepared foods in your favorite casserole dish. The food can be removed after freezing, wrapped and returned to the freezer for storage.
* For microwave reheating, use microwave-safe plastic wrap for wrapping small amounts of breads. Casserole containers should be approved for microwave use.
* Label and date all packages, and keep an inventory of all frozen food.

PROBLEM FOODS
* Unbaked biscuits will be smaller and less tender. Unbaked muffins are likely to have poor texture.
* Custards and cream pies soak into the crust.
* Meringue on meringue pies toughens and sticks to the wrapper.
* Milk sauces sometimes curdle and separate. Stirring while reheating helps keep them smooth. Using waxy rice flour or waxy corn flour as the thickener also helps.
* Gravy tends to separate and curdle when thawed. It is better to freeze broth and make gravy just before serving. Or use waxy rice flour or waxy corn flour as the thickener.
* Cooked, creamed vegetables tend to lose flavor rapidly and should only be stored for a few days. Cook vegetables. Cool quickly. Add sauce. Package. Leave headspace.
* Lettuce, other greens and raw tomatoes lose crispness and become soggy.
* Ham and other cured meats may lose color when frozen and become rancid more quickly than other meats.