What are you Freezing Today?
- Thread starter me&thegals
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #12
me&thegals
A Major Squash & Pumpkin Lover
Are you basing this on kWh for each appliance?detali said:
Also, did you know there's another whole thread for dehydrating?
Farmfresh
City Biddy
I often dehydrate and THEN freeze.
I do jerky this way as it stays even fresher. I also dehydrate spices bottle them up and freeze the extra until needed it stays fresh for several YEARS like that!
I do jerky this way as it stays even fresher. I also dehydrate spices bottle them up and freeze the extra until needed it stays fresh for several YEARS like that!
noobiechickenlady
Almost Self-Reliant
I'm not freezing anything at the moment, rather living out of the freezer cause we're broke
However, I do have some tips. For large, irregular items like whole chickens, put into a ziptop & seal about 1/2 to 3/4 of the top. Fill your sink with water & lower the freezer bag with the chicken into the water. Don't let the water get into the bag. When the water is almost to the edge of the freezer bag, seal it completely. It works almost as well as a vacuum sealer. Okay, not really, but better than sucking raw chicken juice into your mouth with a straw. GROSS!
For smaller items like corn, beans or shredded anything, I pack in usual cooking amounts in a smaller ziptop. I roll them to get the air out and pack inside a larger gallon ziptop. Keeps everything together & maximizes air protection.
Meatballs, mini-meatloaves, berries, biscuits, sliced meats & fish filets get frozen on a cookie sheet individually, then packed in 1-2 gallon ziptops.
However, I do have some tips. For large, irregular items like whole chickens, put into a ziptop & seal about 1/2 to 3/4 of the top. Fill your sink with water & lower the freezer bag with the chicken into the water. Don't let the water get into the bag. When the water is almost to the edge of the freezer bag, seal it completely. It works almost as well as a vacuum sealer. Okay, not really, but better than sucking raw chicken juice into your mouth with a straw. GROSS!
For smaller items like corn, beans or shredded anything, I pack in usual cooking amounts in a smaller ziptop. I roll them to get the air out and pack inside a larger gallon ziptop. Keeps everything together & maximizes air protection.
Meatballs, mini-meatloaves, berries, biscuits, sliced meats & fish filets get frozen on a cookie sheet individually, then packed in 1-2 gallon ziptops.
According to my dehydrating recipie book
in a freezer----keeping 500 lbs of food a year
freezer amortized over 20 years
cost of electricity at .05 per KWH costs 81.17
canned ---jars and lids and pressure canner, amortized
over 20 years costs 31.00
dehydrated --cost of dehydrator--amortized over
20 years, electricity, storage bags\
500 lbs cost 24,00
in a freezer----keeping 500 lbs of food a year
freezer amortized over 20 years
cost of electricity at .05 per KWH costs 81.17
canned ---jars and lids and pressure canner, amortized
over 20 years costs 31.00
dehydrated --cost of dehydrator--amortized over
20 years, electricity, storage bags\
500 lbs cost 24,00
FarmerDenise
Out to pasture
Good information, detali.
We use a vacuum sealer to preserve our food in the freezer and dehydrated stuff.
The bags are expensive though.
We freeze stuff and put them in ziplock bags until we have the time and bags to vacuum seal them. I freeze liquid stuff in rectangular plastic containers and then move them to the vacuum bags once they are solid.
I am making dog and catfood today, which I will put in quart jars and then freeze.
I have never tried shredding zucchini to freeze. So far any way that I have frozen zucchini, it turned out nasty. So I'll give SKR8PN's version a try.
We use a vacuum sealer to preserve our food in the freezer and dehydrated stuff.
The bags are expensive though.
We freeze stuff and put them in ziplock bags until we have the time and bags to vacuum seal them. I freeze liquid stuff in rectangular plastic containers and then move them to the vacuum bags once they are solid.
I am making dog and catfood today, which I will put in quart jars and then freeze.
I have never tried shredding zucchini to freeze. So far any way that I have frozen zucchini, it turned out nasty. So I'll give SKR8PN's version a try.
Farmfresh
City Biddy
Are you blanching you zucchini BEFORE freezing it?
Slice zucchini and immerse in boiling water for 8 minutes the plunge into cool water for a couple of minutes before freezing or blanch the whole zucchini BEFORE shredding - you may need to add a little time. I usually do mine sliced.
Slice zucchini and immerse in boiling water for 8 minutes the plunge into cool water for a couple of minutes before freezing or blanch the whole zucchini BEFORE shredding - you may need to add a little time. I usually do mine sliced.
freemotion
Food Guru
There are only a few things that I don't blanch when I freeze (veggies, that is) and shredded zucchini is one of them. But it always goes into a recipe anyways, and is never eaten on it's own here. I don't care for zucchini, even fresh, unless well-hidden in a recipe!
I also don't blanch scallions or onions or basil and other herbs when I freeze them. Or berries or any fruit that will be used in a smoothie, like grapes or cantaloupe.
I blanch pretty much all other veggies, like greens or green beans, pumpkin is roasted and puree'd.
I also don't blanch scallions or onions or basil and other herbs when I freeze them. Or berries or any fruit that will be used in a smoothie, like grapes or cantaloupe.
I blanch pretty much all other veggies, like greens or green beans, pumpkin is roasted and puree'd.
FarmerDenise
Out to pasture
I've tried blanching the zucchini and not blanching, didn't like em either way. But I am willing to try shredding them. I sure have enough to experiment with. 
I definitely blanch my green beans and asparagus. I don't blanch peppers, tomatoes or onions.
When I didn't blanch the asparagus or green beans they came out tough.
SO froze blackberries. we don't wash or blanch them. They go on a cookie sheet, til solid, then into a ziplock bag until we are ready to vacuum seal them.
Got to jar up the dogfood now. It'll go in the fridge overnight, then the freezer tomorrow. Oh how I wish I had a pressure canner. I wouldn't have to use up valuable freezer space with dogfood.
I definitely blanch my green beans and asparagus. I don't blanch peppers, tomatoes or onions.
When I didn't blanch the asparagus or green beans they came out tough.
SO froze blackberries. we don't wash or blanch them. They go on a cookie sheet, til solid, then into a ziplock bag until we are ready to vacuum seal them.
Got to jar up the dogfood now. It'll go in the fridge overnight, then the freezer tomorrow. Oh how I wish I had a pressure canner. I wouldn't have to use up valuable freezer space with dogfood.
