Milk. I often freeze our milk (purchased on sale) because it then thaws slowly in the fridge and stays fresh longer. Most experts suggest pouring off a little of the milk first, so there's room for expansion in the container, but I've never done this. (I purchase our milk in plastic jugs.)
Butter. Just pop it in the freezer in the package it came in.
Cheese. Many people say this isn't possible, but as long as you use it for cooking, it works great. I grate it, place it in freezer bags, freeze it, then break off chunks as needed. There's no need to thaw it first.
Tomatoes. Frozen tomatoes are terrific for cooking, and freezing is a good alternative to canning excess tomatoes from your garden. Place the fruit on a baking tray in the freezer until hardened. Transfer to a freezer bag. When you're reading to cook with them, put them under warm running water and the skins will rub right off. I don't thaw them before cooking; I just break them into smaller chunks with a spoon as they thaw in the pot or pan.
Bananas. When bananas start turning too dark to eat, pop them in a freezer bag (skin and all). They'll be perfect for baking. Before using, thaw slightly so the bananas are easier to peel.
Eggs. Mix together the yolk and white (don't whip; you want as little air added to the mix as possible). Pop in a freezer bag with at least 1 1/2 in. headspace. They may be a bit grainy; to prevent this, add 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar or 1/2 teaspoon of salt per cup. OR measure 3 tablespoons of mixed yolks and whites and put in the hole of an ice cube tray. Freeze until hard, then place in a freezer bag. (1 cube equals 1 egg.) Use thawed frozen eggs for scrambled eggs, omelets, and baked goods.
Herbs. Whether you have leftover store bought herbs or an abundance of herbs from your garden, they are super easy to freeze. Just chop them up, stick them in freezer bags, and freeze. There's no need to thaw them before cooking. For more information on how to freeze various types of foods, visit the National Center for Home Food Preservation website.
A lot of that was in my Ball book of preserving... I was truly amazed at some of the things you could freeze--and have to admit, some of the items I thought "why would you want to?"
ReplyDeleteMy husband's grandparents used to freeze milk, and he said they used get some pretty BAD milk that way, so he's hesitant to let me freeze milk. You have to really watch how long stuff's been in there, or it will still go bad.
But, I've been freezing butter and cheese for a long time. It works great--as long as I remember to get it out in a reasonable amount of time to thaw for whatever I need it for. And, it's so nice to stock up when I catch a good sale. :)
All of these foods should taste great as long as you don't freeze them for more than 6 months. Like you, my biggest issue with freezing food is that I usually forget to remove it from the freezer for thawing. But some things you don't need to thaw, like the herbs, cheese, and tomatoes. A real boon!
ReplyDeleteNice!!! I did not know that for most of them. Thanks :D
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