All About OAMC
Source of Recipe
Various
Converting Recipes means making them freezer adaptable. Many of your favorites will probably require no modification. Soup can be frozen without milk or half and half and have it added later. Pasta soups can be frozen without all the liquids or pasta, and them added some time later when reheating. It might be as simple as not putting the cheese on top until the last few minutes of baking to prevent the cheese from charring before the dish is done. things like beef stroganoff can be frozen without adding the sour cream and then add the sour cream just before serving. Adapt your family favorites before making a lot of "new" recipes. Your family will be much happier!
Foods That Don't Freeze well include:
Meringues and icings that use egg whites to retain a foamy consistency.
Cooked eggs tend to become rubbery.
Raw vegetables lose their crunch, but are still good for soups, stews, and omelettes.
Gravies and sauces may separate and need to be stirred or whipped in the blender.
Cream Puffs, Custard Pies, and anything with a creamy filling may become lumpy or separate.
Soft fillings in sandwiches may bleed into the bread.
Cheese changes texture. Hard cheeses turn crumbly, which makes them okay for grating, but not for slicing.
Foods with thickened sauces may need extra liquid to thin it out again.
Mayonnaise based fillings may separate.
Fried foods, or those with a crispy coating, lose their crispness.
Pasta can change it's consistency when frozen. Under cooking is advised.
Potatoes in soups or stews become grainy and mushy.
Sour cream may separate and become watery.
Advantages of freezing prepared foods:
You cook when it is convenient for you.
It is more energy efficient to bake more than one dish at a time.
You avoid waste by freezing leftovers and using them as another meal.
Special diet foods can be prepared in quantity and frozen in single portions.
You save time by doubling or tripling recipes and freezing the extra.
Freezing is the easiest, most convenient, method of preserving foods. Freezing does not sterilize foods or destroy the organisms that cause spoilage; the extreme cold simply slows the growth of microorganisms. Enzymes are complex proteins, present in all living tissue, that help organisms ripen and mature. During freezing, enzyme action is slowed but not stopped. If not inactivated, these enzymes can cause color and flavor changes and loss of nutrients during freezer storage.
Blanching vegetables before freezing inactivates the enzymes. During blanching, the vegetable is exposed to boiling water or steam. The vegetable is then quickly cooled in cold water to prevent further cooking. Blanching also helps destroy microorganisms on the surface of the vegetables. When blanched, vegetables such as broccoli and spinach become more compact. Following the recommended times for blanching each vegetable is important. Over blanching results in a cooked product and loss of flavor, color, and nutrients. Under blanching stimulates enzyme activity and is worse than no blanching at all.
Enzymes in fruits can cause browning and loss of Vitamin C. Fruits, however, are not usually blanched. Instead, ascorbic acid is used to control enzymes in frozen fruits. Citric acid or lemon juice also may be used to prevent darkening of fruits, but they are not as effective as ascorbic acid. Packing fruit in sugar or sugar syrup also will control browning.
To maintain top quality, store frozen fruits and vegetables at 0 degrees Fahrenheit (F) or lower. Storing frozen foods at temperatures higher than 0 degrees F increases the rate of deterioration and shortens the shelf life of foods. Fluctuating freezer temperatures can cause the ice in the foods to thaw slightly and then refreeze. Every time this happens, the smaller ice crystals form larger ones, further damaging cells and creating a mushier product. Moisture loss, or ice crystals evaporating from the surface of a product, produces freezer burn--a grainy, brownish spot where the tissues become dry and tough. Freezer-burned food is likely to develop off flavors, but it will not cause illness. Packaging in heavyweight, moisture-resistant wrap will prevent freezer burn.
Frozen foods must be packaged correctly to protect their flavor, color, moisture content, and nutritive value. Proper packaging has these characteristics:
moisture and vapor resistant
durable and leakproof
resistant to oil, grease, and water
won't become brittle or crack at low temperatures
protects food from absorbing other flavors or odors
easy to seal
easy to label
Suitable packaging materials include rigid plastic containers with straight sides, glass jars made for freezing and canning, heavy-duty aluminum foil, moisture-vapor resistant bags, and paper. Containers intended for short-term storage, such as bread wrap; cottage cheese, milk, or ice cream cartons; regular aluminum foil; or waxed paper do not provide effective protection against flavor and moisture loss or freezer burn during long-term storage. Plastic containers designed for long-term freezer storage may or may not be suitable for direct use in a microwave oven.
Cool all foods and syrup before packing. Pack foods in quantities that are usable for a single meal. Pack cold foods tightly into containers. Because most foods expand on freezing, allow ample head space (space between food and closure). The amount of space needed will vary depending on the food and size of containers. When packing food in bags, press out excess air before sealing. Label and date each package. It is also helpful to list number of servings on the label. For quick freezing, spread packages among already frozen foods. Leave a small space between packages and add only the amount of unfrozen food to the freezer that will freeze within 24 hours, about 2 to 3 pounds of food to each cubic foot of freezer capacity.
Freeze foods rapidly. Set the temperature control at -10 degrees F or lower 24 hours in advance. Freeze foods when they are packaged and sealed. Do not overload your freezer with unfrozen food. Overloading slows down the freezing rate, and foods that freeze too slowly may lose quality. Place packages in contact with refrigerated surfaces in the coldest part of the freezer. Leave a little space between packages so air can circulate freely. Then, when the food is frozen, store the packages close together.
What to Do If Your Freezer Stops Keep the freezer closed. If it looks like the freezer will be stopped for more than 24 hours, use dry ice (if you can get it) or move the food to another freezer. Thawed fruits that smell and taste good can be refrozen. Thawed fruits can be used in cooking, baking, or making jams and jellies. Vegetables containing ice crystals or at 40 degrees F or below can be refrozen. Thawed vegetables in good condition can be cooked in soups, stews, or casseroles and then frozen. Examine meats and poultry for color changes or off odors. Only refreeze packages that still contain ice crystals or are cold to touch (40 degrees F or below). Repackage in moisture- and vapor-proof wrap. Discard any thawed meat or poultry. Ground meat cold to touch should be cooked before refreezing.
Resources:
Freezing Foods - Extensive guide to food storage!
Time Saving Shortcuts Using Your Home Freezer - Take advantage of sales with confidence!
Freezing Meals - A freezer full of pre-cooked or ready-to-cook food means a reduction in mealtime stress and a boost in table time.
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