What are you Freezing Today?

[me&thegals]

I think we have one more food method not being represented here

Today, I froze 1 gallon of blackberries. I spread them on cookie sheets, froze them solid, then broke up the trays and dumped them into 1-gallon freezer pails, all the berries separate and not clumped together. Can't wait to mix them into fresh applesauce this fall!

 

[SKR8PN]

The Wife pealed, seeded, shredded and froze about 10 large Zucchini's last evening. We use a lot of it during the rest of the year, but my FAVORITE way is to just toss it in a buttered skillet and cook it like hash browned potatoes!

 

[Wifezilla]

Most of my stuff is being eaten fresh or lacto-fermented right now, but I do freeze a lot. Your freezer is more efficient when full so I try to keep it well stocked. Earlier I froze some banana squash and some zucchini.

WHat is the best way you all have found to prevent freezer burn? Do you have a favorite freezer bag or container?

 

[me&thegals]

WHat is the best way you all have found to prevent freezer burn? Do you have a favorite freezer bag or container?

Great question! I tend to use all sorts of containers--who knows why? I bet there is some experience and wisdom that went into my choices , but I can't remember--

corn: plastic freezer ziploc bags
leftover soups and chili: quart canning jars
berry sauces: canning jars
pumpkin and tomatoes: plastic quart freezer containers (from Wal-Mart--sorry!)
meat: 2-gallon freezer bags
strawberries: 2-gallon freezer bags
all other berries: 5-quart plastic pails
granola and berries: plastic 1/2-gallon freezer containers, again from Wal-Mart

I'm sure there's more, but that's all I can think of right now. We don't have a problem with freezer burn, but I really "work" the freezer all year round, making sure it gets used up. I've learned that lesson the hard way! It's too disgusting to work so hard for that food, just to see it not be used by next season or get freezer burned!

 

[Farmfresh]

Today 38 pounds of aged free range turkey is going into the freezer!

Last night 2 gallons of blackberries and 2 pints of zucchini.

Glad we finally got a freezer thread. I freeze lots of stuff!

 

[Farmfresh]

WHat is the best way you all have found to prevent freezer burn? Do you have a favorite freezer bag or container?

I am a Ziplock freezer bag affectionatto!

For veggies I measure things, like corn for example, usually 2 to 3 cup serving sizes into a quart freezer bag. Then I squeeze out all of the air and label the bags. I then press the contents out flat as possible and first freeze on a cookie sheet to keep them flat. They are then "filed", like file folders, oldest to newest in a crate or basket in the "veggie" chest freezer. They take up less room and I can keep them rotated for freshness by just using from the oldest packages first side.

For meats I package it like we eat it! For example chicken is packaged several necks and backs together in one bag because that is how I use it to make chicken stock. I wrap in a Ziplock freezer bag squeeze out all of the air and then bag it a second time for extra protection. I even bag my meat I get professionally processed a second time in a Ziplock. I find buying the bags cheaper than having damaged meats.

I buy the bags at the whole sale club. If you must save the outer bags can be reused with a dab of washing several times.

 

[patandchickens]

In the past coupla days I've frozen several quarts of yellow plums (from farmers market) and a buncha basil pureed in oil -- our garden is only just starting to really produce much freezable, since it's been such a woefully late year.

The key to preventing freezer burn is to minimize exposed surface. So, suck all free air out of bags and ziplocs so that the food is sort of vacuum-wrapped in there. Things that are so odd-shaped that parts are never *going* to be in direct contact with plastic, like whole chickens, I double-bag with the air sucked out as well as possible.

For stews etc, make sure that no chunks of anything are sticking out of the top of the liquid. Things like chili, with not too much liquid, I'll press some appropriately-cut plastic onto the top surface of the food to prevent freezerburn if it's something I expect may be in the freezer a while.

I am *hoping* I may have enough beans to freeze some today, but they've really only just started producing in the past few days so I dunno.

Pat

 

[big brown horse]

Freezing is my main way to store food right now. So it is full!

Pat, will your basil turn brown after it is frozen?

I made 6 large ham. patties stuffed with blue cheese for grilling later in the summer. I froze them individually wrapped in plastic wrap and then stacked all together and wrapped again once more in plastic wrap.

 

[patandchickens]

Pat, will your basil turn brown after it is frozen?

Pureed with olive oil (like the early stages of making pesto) it stays basically green. Depending on how quickly you deal with it, sometimes it is more of an army green than a fresh leaf green... but still basically ok. You can puree garlic and pine nuts into it before freezing too, if you want, I have stopped doing that only b/c it is marginally more versatile in its plain basil-and-oil state.

Freezing whole leaves is a different story, IME -- they blacken and get really unappetizing for me. 'Swhy I don't do that anymore

Pat

 

[Wifezilla]

For veggies I measure things, like corn for example, usually 2 to 3 cup serving sizes into a quart freezer bag.

I freeze shredded zucchini in 2 cup portions because all of my mom's recipes with zucchini call for 2 cups for some reason