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Is there a way to beat the rising cost of food—and reap dividends in time and energy saved as well? With a little effort on your part, food freezing could be the answer.
Consider the advantages. Meat, fish, poultry, vegetables and fruits can be bought in bulk quantities at wholesale prices to save money and time. Seasonal foods are inexpensive while they last; freezing makes them available the year round. You can cash in on the ‘specials’ at the food markets and prepare a variety of dishes to be frozen for use later on. Meals can be cooked in double or triple quantities to save both time and energy. Even leftovers can be frozen and reused with no loss of appeal.
When properly prepared, frozen food can maintain its flavor, color, texture and nutritional value for long periods of time. To achieve this is not as hard as it may seem. But understanding some of the basic principles may help.
First of all, the faster you freeze the food the better its qualities are preserved. Most freezers and some freezer compartments of refrigerators have a temperature setting for quick freeze. Put this on an hour or two before you do your freezing and leave it on until the food is frozen solid. Where there is no such control, you can compromise by using the shelf nearest to the freezing coils. Remember, too, that smaller and thinner packages freeze faster than large ones.
The cold, dry air in the freezer is moisture hungry and can rob frozen foods of their good eating qualities. So proper packaging is important. Heavy-gauge freezer foil and plastic bags can be wrapped tightly around cuts of meats. Be sure that all, or as much as possible, of the air in the package is squeezed out. For cooked foods, plastic containers, preferably rectangular ones, with tight-fitting lids are best. Glass containers require extra space inside for expansion during freezing. Labeling each package with content and date will eliminate much confusion and possible embarrassment later on.
Another time-saving feature of frozen foods is that most of them can be, and in fact should be, cooked straight out of the freezer. Poultry is perhaps the only exception. Large birds should be thoroughly thawed before they are used. Cooking meat while it is still frozen seals in the juices—along with its good taste and nutrition. Vegetables can be dropped right into boiling salted water. When the water returns to the boiling point, you will soon have a tasty dish that is little different from one freshly cooked.
Are you tempted to try your hand at food freezing? Any one of the many instruction books available at bookstores will supply you with a host of useful tips. You may soon come to agree with other freezer owners who say that they would rather be without any other appliance than their freezer.
Is there a way to beat the rising cost of food—and reap dividends in time and energy saved as well? With a little effort on your part, food freezing could be the answer.
Consider the advantages. Meat, fish, poultry, vegetables and fruits can be bought in bulk quantities at wholesale prices to save money and time. Seasonal foods are inexpensive while they last; freezing makes them available the year round. You can cash in on the ‘specials’ at the food markets and prepare a variety of dishes to be frozen for use later on. Meals can be cooked in double or triple quantities to save both time and energy. Even leftovers can be frozen and reused with no loss of appeal.
When properly prepared, frozen food can maintain its flavor, color, texture and nutritional value for long periods of time. To achieve this is not as hard as it may seem. But understanding some of the basic principles may help.
First of all, the faster you freeze the food the better its qualities are preserved. Most freezers and some freezer compartments of refrigerators have a temperature setting for quick freeze. Put this on an hour or two before you do your freezing and leave it on until the food is frozen solid. Where there is no such control, you can compromise by using the shelf nearest to the freezing coils. Remember, too, that smaller and thinner packages freeze faster than large ones.
The cold, dry air in the freezer is moisture hungry and can rob frozen foods of their good eating qualities. So proper packaging is important. Heavy-gauge freezer foil and plastic bags can be wrapped tightly around cuts of meats. Be sure that all, or as much as possible, of the air in the package is squeezed out. For cooked foods, plastic containers, preferably rectangular ones, with tight-fitting lids are best. Glass containers require extra space inside for expansion during freezing. Labeling each package with content and date will eliminate much confusion and possible embarrassment later on.
Another time-saving feature of frozen foods is that most of them can be, and in fact should be, cooked straight out of the freezer. Poultry is perhaps the only exception. Large birds should be thoroughly thawed before they are used. Cooking meat while it is still frozen seals in the juices—along with its good taste and nutrition. Vegetables can be dropped right into boiling salted water. When the water returns to the boiling point, you will soon have a tasty dish that is little different from one freshly cooked.
Are you tempted to try your hand at food freezing? Any one of the many instruction books available at bookstores will supply you with a host of useful tips. You may soon come to agree with other freezer owners who say that they would rather be without any other appliance than their freezer.
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