Let's talk freezing

[msmama]

And I'm not talking temperature.

Trying to get smarter about my grocery buying. Ususally I'm a sucker for things that look like deals, but end up tossing stuff.

So, can I freeze:

Fresh veggies? Carrots/celery? Potatoes?
Dairy products? Cheese? Sour cream? Cream cheese? Butter?

Anything that really DOESN'T freeze well?

How about already cooked things? And if I unfreeze something and eat half of it, is it okay to refreeze?

 

[elcodfish]

I am not an expert, but in my experience:
potatoes- NO they get frostbite
butter-YES
Most cooked things as long as they are well packed after can be frozen, but can only be thawed once, so if you have a large amount, split it into 2 containers
cheese-hard cheese, YES

 

[lovesmurfs]

Here's some info.

http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/freeze.html

http://www.stretcher.com/stories/980629c.cfm

http://articles.sfgate.com/2005-05-18/food/17373701_1_frozen-food-preservation-freezer

 

[RN01]

Cream cheese does not freeze well and potatoes turn black.

 

[lisajl]

funny you should post this. We have been trying to cut our food bill and I bought a bunch of strawberries at Costco today. Looked up strawberries and freezing and it told me how to handle it.

I'm glad you asked this and thanks to the PP for the links.

 

[riley2008]

Great links!

Potatoes - make soup (vegatable soup, potatoe soup, etc) it freezes well

I just tossed two bags of fresh spinach in the freezer this evening - great for a soup that I love (and only I love in my house) and mixing with cheeses for some Italian dishes.

 

[hanutedmansionmomma]

things I freeze:

shredded cheese
blueberries (in ziplock bag, take out what you need for muffins, pancakes, put on cereal)
butter sticks
homemade cookies

I've been getting better about cooking double amounts of the main dish/meat for dinner and freezing the rest for the next week (meatballs in sauce, cooked ground beef or turkey, chicken) then all I need to do is whip up an easy side dish.

 

[pixiewings71]

I freeze butter all the time, and hard cheeses, both work fine after. I tend to pre-shred and then freeze the cheese, it thaws better ime.
I freeze carrots, green beans, strawberries, peaches, pears, apples (I add cinnamon & sugar the apples & pears and then use them for apple or pear crisp). Don't freeze citrus, it gets mealy and nasty. I don't freeze potatoes, UNLESS I've pre-shredded or sliced them, then I can just pull them from the freezer and put them in the crock pot. If you let them thaw out they will be nasty and gross.

 

[Kycha]

I freeze all kinds of stuff. Most of the stuff I freeze right in the packaging it comes in.
Milk
Cheese-shredded or block-works really well for cheddar or mozzarella
Bread
raw eggs-I couldn't fit a whole egg in an ice cube tray so I used muffin tins instead.
Butter/margarine

Below is some great info I found. I had no idea you could freeze whole unpeeled apples. One frugal thing I do is freeze any veggie trimmings(carrot tops, onion skins, celery tops, etc). I just throw em all together in a bag in the freezer. When I get enough, I make a big pot of soup stock. Then I freeze the soup stock for later use. Just make sure that the trimmings are cleaned thoroughly before you freeze them.



http://frugalliving.about.com/od/foodsavings/tp/I_Can_Freeze_That.htm

Has a good sale or harvest left you with more food than you can use now? No need to let it go to waste. Here are instructions for freezing some foods you may have never thought of freezing:
Eggs
Mix the yolks and egg whites together, and pour into an ice cube tray. Two cubes are the equivalent of one large egg.
Milk
Store in its original container, but pour out enough milk to allow for expansion – approximately a cup per gallon of milk. Thaw in the refrigerator, and shake well before using.
Butter
Store in its original container. Thaw in the refrigerator to use.
Bananas
Freeze in peel. Then, simply thaw and peel to use in smoothies and breads. Note: the peel will turn black, but that won't effect the quality of the banana at all.
Celery
Wash and chop to desired size. Then, flash freeze on a tray, and transfer to a freezer bag or another air-tight container. To use: add the frozen celery directly to soups or other heated dishes.
Tomatoes
Wash thoroughly. Then, freeze whole and unpeeled on a tray. Transfer to freezer bags once fully frozen.

• More About How to Freeze Tomatoes

Fresh Herbs
Chop finely. Then, place in an ice cube tray along with a small amount of water. To use: simply drop frozen cubes directly into heated dishes.
Did You Know? Herbs aren't the only thing that you can freeze in an ice cube tray: More Clever Uses for Ice Cube Trays

Nuts
Freeze (either in shell or shelled) in a freezer bag or another air-tight container.
Zucchini and Other Squash
Wash and chop to desired size. Then, blanch for three minutes; allow to cool; and freeze in an air-tight container.
Apples
Freeze whole or chopped, peeled or unpeeled.

 

[kuhljeanie]

if you overbuy at the farmer's markets in the summer, almost all veggies can be vacuum-packed and frozen. you can use a cheapie foodsaver from pretty much anywhere. the bags can get expensive, rolls are cheaper - but if you find it really works for you you can get a chamber-style vacuum sealer and the cost of bags plummets from about .36 a bag to more like .04. I do a ton of bagging and freezing meals (month at a time cooking married bistroMD diet delivery service) and have found a good vacuum sealer invaluable. it also makes it possible to sous vide and freeze individual meals that way.

most fruits can be lightly cooked and frozen. some really benefit from this (apples and cinnamon, poaching pears).

for cookies, you definitely want to vacuum pack them, but you'll need either a) a vacuum sealer that allows you to adjust the pressure so you don't crush them, or b) to individually quick freeze (IQF) the cookies prior to freezing to avoid crushing.

just an FYI - cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower will produce a gas that will ruin your seal, so you need to blanch them prior to sealing and freezing.

ETA - just read the last question in your post - the easy answer is to portion your foods prior to freezing them, so you don't have to thaw and refreeze. i cook twelve portions of each component of a meal (protein, veggies, carb), vacuum-pack them individually, and then bag them (you can vacuum seal the whole meal together, or reuse large ziplocs) and label them so you end up with your own frozen meals. a ton healthier and cheaper than buying lean cuisines!

 

[twinkleman]

Thank you to OP. Also, today on amazon, there is a vacuum sealer as the Deal of the Day.