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Freezing Recommendations for Commonly Prepared Foods

Food Preparation Serving Storage Time

COMBINATION DISHES (Foods should be undercooked)

Baked beans and other
bean dishes
Rice or spaghetti dishes
Lasagna
Chow mein
Soups
Stuffed peppers or eggplants

Meat pies After cooking, cool these dishes by setting pan or oven-freezer tempered baking dish in a shallow pan of water or crushed ice. Stir occasionally. Freeze promptly when cool. Wrap package compactly to eliminate air space. Meat pies need not be baked. Top crust may be sufficient. Thaw and use only the serving portions you need. Reheat at medium temperature as appropriate--on top of the stove, use heavy sauce pan or double boiler; in oven at 350°F (400°F for meat pies). 2-4 months

Fish Prepare as usual, freeze raw or cook to rare stage before freezing. Meat balls can be covered with sauce. Do not stuff poultry. Remove ham bone after baking to save freezer space. Package in appropriate sized containers for later use. Reheat in skillet or 350°F oven. No need to thaw. Cooking time will be 10-20 minutes per pound. 1-3 months POTATOES

Mashed Store leftovers in a straight sided container. Or add a beaten egg and shape into patties. Shape and store with double layer of paper between them. Thaw just enough to slip potatoes into top of double boiler. Dip patties in flour and brown in fat at low heat. 2-4 weeks Stuffed (baked) Cut freshly baked potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop out potato, leaving skin unbroken. Mash scooped out potato and season. Pile into shells. Cool and wrap. Remove from package or wrap. Place on baking sheet. Reheat at 325-350°F until piping hot. Garnish; add cheese if desired. 1 month French Fries Use a high starch content potato for frying (Idaho or similar type). Fry in hot fat until a light brown. Spread on cookie sheet and place in 400°F oven until thawed and crisp. 1-2 months Sweet Potatoes Dip boiled potatoes in lemon juice or package with cooking water around them. Freeze candied or mashed potatoes in a casserole. Leave skin on baked potatoes. Reheat in 325-350°F oven until hot throughout. 3 months

Roast beef, corn and spinach

Swiss steak, french fried potatoes

Sliced turkey, dressing or stuffed baked potato and mixed vegetables

Ham slice, sweet potato and broccoli

Food packaged together should be those which retain quality for about the same period of time, and require same heating time. Most vegetables need only blanching before freezing meat and vegetables. Sauces may be added! Reheat with tray or plate covered, except for crispy foods which should be uncovered. 1 month

QUICK BREADS
Biscuits
Muffins
Coffee cake
Fruit bread
Doughnuts
Waffles

Pancakes Prepare as usual, cool. Freeze in pan and cover tightly. May be packaged in aluminum foil for reheating. Waffles and pancakes may be separated in layers in plastic containers. Heat in pan or foil in 325-350°F oven until hot. Waffles and pancakes may be heated from frozen stage in the toaster until hot and crispy. 1-2 months

YEAST BREADS
Rolls
Sweet rolls
Loaf of bread

Coffee cake Dough may be made, shaped, placed in pans and frozen; or baked before freezing. Cover uncooked bread tightly and freeze before product has raised. For baked bread, cool, then cover pan tightly or place product in foil. For unbaked bread, uncover and let bread rise before baking. Bake at 350-375°F. For baked bread, reheat in pan or foil at 300°F for 15-20 minutes. 3-6 months

CAKES

Shortened (Baked) Prepare and bake as usual in layers or loaf pan. Cool. Remove from pans and wrap tightly. Loaf cake may be cut to family size pieces before wrapping. Thaw cake in wrapping at room temperature. Ice and serve. 2-4 months

COOKIES
(Baked)

Prepare and bake as stated in recipe. Cool thoroughly. Package in foil or rigid container. Place 2 layers of waxed paper between cookies. Thaw in containers at room temperature. Remove from containers and serve. 6 months

(Unbaked) Prepare your favorite cookie dough. Pour in baking pan, or wrap more firm cookie dough in foil or moisture/vapor-resistant material. Thaw dough in refrigerator. Firm cookie dough may be sliced before completely thawed and baked. 2 weeks

(Unbaked, 2-crust) Prepare as usual. Pies may be frozen and then wrapped, or wrapped and frozen. Pies can be stacked after freezing. Unwrap. Bake at 425°F for 45 to 50 minutes. Serve hot or cold. 2 months

Custard

Pumpkin Bake until done. Cool quickly. May use fan. Wrap and freeze. Unwrap; thaw in refrigerator and serve chilled or reheat in 375°F oven. Thaw custard and pumpkin pies in refrigerator or 325°F oven

Freezing Fruits, Step By Step

Freezing Fruits, Step By Step

Harvested, fresh fruits continue to undergo chemical changes that can cause spoilage and deterioration of the product. This is why these products should be frozen as soon after harvest as possible and at their peak degree of ripeness.

Many fresh fruits, including peaches, apples, pears, plums, nectarines and sweet cherries will darken if their cut surfaces are exposed to air. This darkening will continue in the freezer if an anti-darkening treatment is not used. Because fruits are usually served raw, they are not blanched like vegetables. Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) may be added to packing liquids or sprinkled on cut fruit surfaces to prevent darkening. Ascorbic acid is available at drug stores and is the major active ingredient in commercial anti-darkening preparations such as Fruit FreshTM.

Other methods to control browning include soaking the fruit in dilute vinegar solutions or coating the fruit with sugar and lemon juice. However, these latter methods do not prevent browning as effectively as treatment with ascorbic acid. Apples and rhubarb may be cooked to prevent browning.

Rancid oxidative flavors may develop through contact of the frozen product with air. This problem can be prevented by using a wrapping material that does not permit air to pass into the product and by removing as much air as possible from the freezer bag or container before freezing.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

1. Gather Necessary Materials

Get all of the equipment you will need and be sure each piece is clean.

Sort fruit to remove damaged, overripe or underripe fruit. Wash fruit gently, lifting it out of the water to leave dirt in sink or bowl. Do not allow fruit to soak in water for a long period of time. Do not wash blueberries before freezing.

Make syrup or sugar mixture, if needed. Generally, ½ teaspoon of ascorbic acid added to each quart of packing syrup, 1 teaspoon of ascorbic acid added to each quart of unsweetened packing water, or ½ teaspoon of ascorbic acid added to each pound of sugar will prevent darkening. If you use a commercial mixture, follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Table 3 gives recipes for syrups used in packing fruits.

· If you are freezing unsweetened packs of fruits that will darken, be sure to have powdered ascorbic acid or a commercial anti-darkening agent to sprinkle on fruit before freezing.

2. Prepare fruit for one container at a time.

Follow directions for individual fruits in Table 2.

3. Pack fruit for freezer. Most fruits have better texture if they are packed in sugar or syrup, however sugar is not required for preservation. Some fruits, including blueberries, cranberries, currants, figs, gooseberries, raspberries, rhubarb and steamed apples yield high-quality packs without sugar.

Your selection of the way to pack the fruit will also depend on the intended use. Fruits packed in syrup are generally best for uncooked desserts; those packed in dry sugar or unsweetened are best for most cooking purposes because there is less liquid in the product.

Artificial sweeteners — like saccharin or aspartame — may give fruits a sweet flavor but do not furnish the beneficial effects of sugar, such as color protection and thickness of syrup. Artificial sweeteners can be added just before serving.

· Syrup Pack — See Table 3 for recommended concentrations. Pack fruit into freezer container, leaving ½- to 1-inch headspace. Cover fruit with syrup. To keep fruit under syrup, place a small piece of crumpled waxed paper on top and press fruit down into liquid.

Sugar Pack — Cut fruit into a bowl or shallow pan. Sprinkle the sugar (with ascorbic acid or other anti-darkening mixture) over the fruit. Mix gently with a large, long-handled spoon until juice is drawn out and sugar is dissolved. Put fruit and juice in containers, leaving ½- to 1-inch headspace.

Dry Pack — The dry pack is good for small whole fruits such as berries, which give a good quality product without sugar. Simply pack the fruit into a container, seal and freeze. Or freeze individual berries or melon balls on waxed paper-lined trays and package them in containers as soon as they are frozen, to prevent freezer burn.

Other Unsweetened Packs — Pack prepared fruit into containers and cover with water containing ascorbic acid. Or pack crushed or sliced fruit in its own juice, mixing in 1 teaspoon of ascorbic acid per quart of fruit, if necessary. Unsweetened packs will yield a product without the plump texture and good color of those packed with sugar.

4. Seal containers.

To remove air from plastic containers, seal container, then lift one corner of the lid pressing down the center of the lid. Reseal.

· If you use freezer bags for a liquid pack, fill them to within 3 inches of the top. Seal by twisting the top of the bag where the food ends. Double the twisted top back and close it with a rubber band or metal tie about ½ inch from the food to allow food to expand.

If you use freezer bags for dry pack, fill them to within 3 inches of the top. Lower filled bag into a container of cold water, but do not allow water to get into container; this will remove much of the air from the container. Seal as explained above for a liquid pack in freezer bags.

5. Label each container with name of product and date package. Use the fruit within eight to twelve months for best quality. Unsweetened fruits lose quality faster than fruits packed in sugar or syrups.