midjd
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Post by midjd on Nov 25, 2012 20:46:46 GMT -5
I finally broke down and bought a chest freezer (7.2 cubic ft Kenmore from Sears). Looking forward to the opportunity to do more buying in bulk, and this may be the year we take DH's dad up on his offer to "harvest" us a deer. But I've never had a freezer before so I'm not sure where to start. What are some things you like to make and freeze? What freezes well, and what doesn't? I've been looking at some soups and breads, and I remember reading on another recent thread that it's not hard to freeze mashed potatoes. I'd love to have a week or two of frozen dinners for the (frequent) nights we either don't feel like cooking or can't decide what to eat. Recipes welcome Side question - does anyone have a vacuum sealer? Would you recommend it in combination with bulk buying/freezing, or will a regular old Ziplock bag work?
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swamp
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Post by swamp on Nov 25, 2012 20:49:13 GMT -5
I use ziplock bags.
Spaghetti sauce, chili, lasagne and Shepherds pie all freeze well.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 25, 2012 20:52:36 GMT -5
Personally i find have 2 refrigerators much more useful than a big freezer. With another fridge, you get additional freezer space plus i could stock up cold items like butter, etc. Anyway, some things freeze better than others.
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milee
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Post by milee on Nov 25, 2012 20:52:39 GMT -5
Homemade lasagna is such a major production that whenever I make it, I make several batches at at time and freeze them. Just cover the container with both aluminum foil and plastic wrap.
Split pea and ham soup (made from leftover ham bone) freezes well.
I don't like the texture of breads that were previously frozen.
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milee
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Post by milee on Nov 25, 2012 20:56:06 GMT -5
Oh, and pesto freezes well. When your basil takes over in the summer, make a couple of huge batches, freeze the pesto in ice cube trays (about 2 tbl per cube) then pop the frozen cubes into one Ziploc and you've got individual pesto cubes that can be easily thawed and put on pasta or whatever else you want.
I don't have a vacuum sealer, but it might be worth looking into if you're going to store big quantities of deer or other meat. Be sure to pack it well so the last few pounds aren't freezer burned by the time you get to them.
If you have extra space in your freezer, you can keep your flour, grains and nuts in there and they'll keep indefinitely without going rancid or getting bugs.
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milee
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Post by milee on Nov 25, 2012 20:57:26 GMT -5
Oh, and when a banana gets too brown, just peel it and put it in the freezer. I always have a couple of ziplocs or tupperware containers of frozen brown bananas. They're fantastic for popping into smoothies. Makes smoothies really sweet and creamy with very few calories and no fat - just as good as adding ice cream, but healthy.
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milee
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Post by milee on Nov 25, 2012 21:03:29 GMT -5
My family really likes this Cooking Light recipe for spaghetti and meatballs. www.myrecipes.com/recipe/spaghetti-meatballs-10000001227936/I make up 3 or 4 batches of the meatballs whenever the low fat ground turkey goes on sale (but I think they'd also be good with ground deer) and freeze the meatballs right after cooking them, putting each batch into its own ziploc bag. The sauce doesn't take much time at all to make if all you have to do is add the precooked, frozen meatballs, so whenever we want the recipe it comes together very quickly and tastes good.
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Malarky
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Post by Malarky on Nov 25, 2012 21:05:16 GMT -5
A couple of months ago I made ten pounds of meatloaf mix. I knew I'd have lots of nights when I didin't have time to cook. I made them into patties and froze them individually. I just pulled them out as needed.
I also have beef stew, shredded chicken, chicken stock, and butternut squash soup all prepared and ready to thaw and serve.
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justme
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Post by justme on Nov 25, 2012 21:05:18 GMT -5
I have a foodsaver and I love it. Since I live alone and don't fancy eating the same things frequently I found I wouldn't eat things in my freezer before it went bad. I've frozen soup, meat, pasta/sauces, biscuits, and desserts. I also use their resealable stuff in my fridge for lunch meat and cheeses and a few other things.
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swamp
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Post by swamp on Nov 25, 2012 21:05:25 GMT -5
I make chicken pesto burgers and they freeze well. I also,freeze peppers and beans frome the garden.
Zucchini fritters seem to hold up well
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cronewitch
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Post by cronewitch on Nov 25, 2012 21:09:21 GMT -5
I freeze soup and ingredients for more soup. I like to make huge amounts of cooked beans and freeze them and other containers of nothing but veggies so when ready to make soup I just thaw beans and veggies then add more veggies. Today I froze soup that was chicken, beans, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, yellow squash, Mexican squash and onions. I didn't have any leafy greens like mustard greens or spinach so when I thaw it I can add some or freeze separately and combine later. I add ginger and garlic to soup when I cook the beans but add other spices when I warm it up like curry or Italian spices and pepper. I eat soup everyday and the freezer makes it better because I can get more variety in each batch.
I freeze butter and fruit too. For fruit like cherries or berries I like to freeze on cookie sheets then put in ziplock bags. We use the vacuum sealer for fish or meat when we buy family packs and want to freeze single or double servings size packages. Tonight we are smoking a salmon that was in a vacuum bag from last year.
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Apple
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Post by Apple on Nov 25, 2012 21:10:49 GMT -5
I freeze a lot of stuff. I stock up on creamer when it's really cheap, then just throw it in the freezer and use it until I find another great deal on creamer (last deal was $1.64 for the large size, in several flavors). I've made chili and broth and frozen it. I don't like sliced "regular" bread after it's been frozen, but muffins or quick breads are good (I have a dozen homemade muffins I just froze). I always have boneless, skinless chicken breast on hand. I also have beef, especially ground beef, in the freezer. I'll pre-cook the ground beef and freeze it in a large bag. Then, when I need it, it's already cooked for chili, casseroles, spaghetti, shepherd's pie, etc, and cuts the cooking time in half--great for work nights.
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Iggy aka IG
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Post by Iggy aka IG on Nov 25, 2012 21:11:45 GMT -5
Mid, I make crock pot stews and chili, casseroles, cheeseburger "pie", etc. It's just DH and me, so we tend to have a lot of leftovers. I don't vacuum seal. I use square rubbermaid containers. Most anything will freeze: Leftover corn bread, leftover refried beans, takeout rice, celery for stews and soups, leftover half cans of tomatoes, bread heels for breading, etc. (I am a cheap bastard ;D) Lately I've been buying pot roast and pork loin on sale and freezing them. I also buy BOGO bacon, Jimmy Dean sausage, and Hillshire sausage w/ coupons. It's a great way to stock the freezer.
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midjd
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Post by midjd on Nov 25, 2012 21:12:06 GMT -5
Thanks for all the suggestions! Definitely bookmarking this thread. Mmmm, pesto... I made and froze some last summer (2011) and it turned out wonderfully, but my basil didn't do so well this year. We can definitely eat a lot of lasagna. I hardly ever make it because it's such a PITA, so freezing would be good. Hoping we can get a veggie garden started next year... for Thanksgiving dinner my grandpa brought some corn and green beans he had frozen from over the summer, they were SO good. The taste of the grocery store produce is starting to depress me This is a timely one, we just had turkey meatball subs for dinner
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Apple
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Post by Apple on Nov 25, 2012 21:14:01 GMT -5
Oh, I've been making a lot of smoothies lately. I've frozen a lot of fruit lately. I just froze a big bag full of apples (peeled and cored them and dipped them in lemon juice, they'll be good for smoothies and muffins). I also have frozen strawberries, peaches, and mangoes. I had a big container of yogurt I wouldn't get used up before the expiration date, so I poured it into ice cube trays and froze it too.
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alabamagal
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Post by alabamagal on Nov 25, 2012 21:18:04 GMT -5
Since DS went away to college, we use much less milk. I buy a gallon and freeze half of it, then take it out of the freezer when the first half is nearly gone. One gallon lasts 2-3 weeks.
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milee
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Post by milee on Nov 25, 2012 21:18:16 GMT -5
Not necessary, but if you end up with extra freezer space, you can also keep the hooch in there. I like ice cold gin, rum, etc. (only person on the planet who doesn't like vodka) so keep it in the freezer so that it's cold enough you don't need to dilute it with ice.
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Malarky
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Post by Malarky on Nov 25, 2012 21:25:34 GMT -5
Regarding diluting your drink with ice...I freeze fruit such as strawberries that are getting too ripe and cubed pineapple. I generally drink rum and seltzer, the fruit makes great ice cubes without watering down the drink.
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milee
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Post by milee on Nov 25, 2012 21:26:27 GMT -5
Awesome idea on the frozen fruit cubes, thanks.
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chiver78
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Post by chiver78 on Nov 25, 2012 21:36:08 GMT -5
Regarding diluting your drink with ice...I freeze fruit such as strawberries that are getting too ripe and cubed pineapple. I generally drink rum and seltzer, the fruit makes great ice cubes without watering down the drink. I generally drink vodka and seltzer, I bet these ice cubes would work nicely for me too. thanks for the tip! Mid - I freeze a lot of pot pies, chili, soups without potatoes or pasta. neither fares well on thawing IME. I also buy meats/fish in bulk when I can, packaging in portions to freeze. if you like to marinate your meats/fish like I do, that typically freezes well too. the last time I did up a big batch of stuff, I mixed probably 8c of a black peppercorn marinade. I packed up some chicken, pork, salmon, and swordfish into portions and poured the marinade straight into the Ziploc bags. as far as what I use for packaging - I double-bag in Ziploc. the portion bag is usually a sandwich-size (I live alone...) and then the whole batch goes into a larger Ziploc freezer bag. I put dates on the portion bag, contents on the outer bag. that helps to organize the freezer and lets me reuse the outer bags. pot pies are frozen unwrapped, then wrapped in foil and a single freezer bag.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 25, 2012 21:43:31 GMT -5
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justme
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Post by justme on Nov 25, 2012 21:44:19 GMT -5
Oh, a trick I've discovered - if you're worried about the food being too soft/moist/liquid to vacuum seal, I freeze it in a container, pop it out, then freeze it in the bags. I have especially grown fond of freezing it in what I'll cook it in. Like I freeze my mac and cheese in the individual ramekins I intend to cook them in so I just pop them back in to defrost.
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lurkyloo
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Post by lurkyloo on Nov 25, 2012 22:17:14 GMT -5
Meat is hella expensive out here so I mostly use my chest freezer to stock up on it when it goes on sale. DH likes freezing individual hamburger patties because those can go right on the grill. I also stock up on other things (DH eats a lot of Marie Callendars frozen meals ) at the sale. Ziploc bags are great for freezing things, although I think the semi-disposable containers are probably better for things like lasagna. You'll also want a Sharpie so you can date and label things. Enjoy!
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Formerly SK
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Post by Formerly SK on Nov 25, 2012 22:34:23 GMT -5
I buy 8 loaves of whole wheat bread at a time (Costco) and keep them in the freezer.
Also, until you fill it with food, store gallon jugs of water inside (or laundry soap jugs, dishwasher detergent jugs, etc). A full freezer is more energy efficient. Also, sometimes it is nice to have a large container of ice to throw in a cooler in a pinch.
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ՏՇԾԵԵʅՏɧ_LԹՏՏʅҼ
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Post by ՏՇԾԵԵʅՏɧ_LԹՏՏʅҼ on Nov 25, 2012 22:52:18 GMT -5
That's what I do - I write the contents/date on a strip of masking tape with a sharpie, and stick it on the zip-loc or container that the food's going into before it goes into the freezer.
I tend to cook some things (like beef stew, lasagna, chili, etc in larger batches - then I fill up zip-loc containers (or bags depending what the food is) so I can just pull it out of the freezer to thaw, then nuke.
Hamburger I buy in larger packages and then make individual patties to wrap in plastic wrap and freeze. They can be thrown onto the BBQ or frying pan on a med-low temp to start cooking, and then turn up heat to brown. I do the same thing by using some of the hamburger for making meatballs to freeze to go with a quick pasta dinner.
I don't bake cakes often, because there's not enough people to eat it up while it's still fresh - so I make a dozen or two cupcakes instead and then place them inside a zip-loc (unfrosted) to put into the freezer. They freeze really well and then I can pull out of the bag however many I want to thaw, and then just ice with canned frosting.
I've also bought re-usable plastic plates. If I cook a dinner like a roast, etc, with all the extras (potatoes/veggies), I divvy up any leftovers onto the plates to make individual frozen dinners - seal with foil, label and freeze for a quick meal.
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tcu2003
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Post by tcu2003 on Nov 25, 2012 23:18:44 GMT -5
We bought a chest freezer last spring, and froze several meals before the baby came. As others have mentioned, lasagna freezes well, as does chili, stew and other soups. I also had luck freezing enchiladas and a turkey tetazzini recipe. The stuff I froze needed to go in the oven for reheating, so I froze it in the reusable oven gladware so it could go from freezer to fridge or oven without a problem. I also like to freeze mini meatloafs or pot pie.
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Tiny
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Post by Tiny on Nov 25, 2012 23:54:03 GMT -5
You can make different kinds of pesto - depending on what's in season... every spring I make and freeze aa boatload of Garlic Scape pesto. I also make and freeze Kale (and walnut) pesto. I'll also freeze roast garlic as I'll do 6 or 8 heads at a time. These aren't actual meals - but starters or add ins. Garlic Scape pesto is great on 'garlic bread' or on pasta or to fanc up mashed potatos. Same with roast garlic. if I had a freezer I'd have to come up with some plan to stop buying and preserving and actually using... maybe something like 6 months of no buying and then 3 months of 're-filling' or something. I'm single and newly thinner - so I don't really need to keep from going back to eating for 2 adults....
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marvholly
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Post by marvholly on Nov 26, 2012 4:42:04 GMT -5
I am a single who is generally WAAY too tired to cook every night so I make a family size batch of something around once a week. this week was a VERY thick (stew like) pot of veg/mushroom/barley soup. I also have chicken stock, lentil stew & gumbo in the freezer from previous weeks.
I ALWAYS cook at least 4 servings of chicken at a time. Eat 1/2 and freeeze the others.
My turkey burgers are 2/pkg so I always have a leftover to freeze or convert later in the week.
ETA to add: I bought a bunch of strawberries, black berries & raspberries when they were reasonable and froze them to have w/yogurt a couple times per week. I have a TON of chicken breasts, chicken leg quarters and ground beef bought on GREAT sale in my freezer.
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Regis
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Post by Regis on Nov 26, 2012 8:18:18 GMT -5
and this may be the year we take DH's dad up on his offer to "harvest" us a deer. Deer salami and jerky don't need to be frozen. I like a LOT of both of those. And I know a guy not far from you who does both really well. My son spent the better part of the weekend in a tree stand with four other guys down around your area and they came home with nothing but cold hands and feet. Hope your FIL has better luck! If not, you might want to consider a quarter beef from your local locker. And I'll send you my mom's microwave lasagna recipe sometime when I dig it out. One hour - no cooking of the lasagna noodles - made with sausage to give it more taste. I don't eat any other lasagna. And it's actually BETTER the next day or after freezing.
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dividend
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Post by dividend on Nov 26, 2012 10:52:59 GMT -5
Think about freezing useful ingredients too. I freeze : - Bagels - Corn and flour tortillas - Croissants - Sliced bread - Hoagie rolls (All of those things you can either toast directly from frozen, or, in the case of the tortillas, defrost in the microwave covered in a damp cloth) - Lemons (Zest these directly from frozen) - Lime wedges (for cocktails) - Pine nuts (Toast these directly from frozen) - Yeast for bread - Ginger, cut into thumb sized chunks (grate / chop directly from frozen) - Packages of bacon (when you catch a sale) - Cooked bacon (I cook a whole pound at once in the oven, since that's how they defrost) - Buttter - Shredded cheese (I buy the huge packs from Costco, divide into managable sizes in smaller bags for freezing. This works as long as you'll be melting or cooking with the cheese) - Chopped bell peppers (They've been stupid cheap lately. I got orange peppers 7/$1, green were 6/$1. Chop, flash freeze, scrape into gallon sized bags, and just scoop out what you need for your recipe). - Homemade stock (I seal this in either quart sized bags, or foodsaver bags, and then freeze flat on a cookie sheet, for space saving)
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