Freeze Foods
Do you have food going bad before you use it? Does it bother you to throw it out? Try freezing it before it goes bad and use it in different ways.
If you have produce – fruits or vegetables – that are perhaps getting too ripe, or going bad, or way too many to use, freeze them (cut off bad parts though). Freeze foods before they go bad.
Rinse and cut into useable pieces, then place them in a freezer bag or container, and try to get excess air out. You can use fruits to make smoothies, soups, sorbets, ice cream, pie fillings, fruit bars, add to your yogurt and such. Vegetables can be used for soups, casseroles, sauces, spaghetti sauce, and other things. Just identify and date the freezer bags, then use within a few months. Make a list of what you have in the freezer, so you don’t forget about them.
I freeze berries, rhubarb, apples, pineapple, melons, grapes, bananas, cherries, pears, peaches, plums and many other fruits.
I freeze mashed avocado, sliced onions, sliced celery, sliced fennel, pureed or sliced tomatoes, spices, greens, broccoli, mushrooms, beet greens and stems, and such. I freeze broth from pheasant and turkey that I make. I freeze milk, cream, cream cheese and buttermilk for later use (sauces, pancakes). The liquids freeze well in ice trays and then into freezer bags as blocks. I freeze cheese and butter for cooking with later. Many are great for making soups.
Many frozen foods tend to go completely limp or get a funky texture – but if you use them in other foods you prepare, it won’t matter. Some foods are great to eat straight from the freezer – pomegranate seeds, blueberries, sliced bananas, and grapes, for example. They can be nice and crunchy if you eat them right away, but they will get limp if you let them thaw.
Don’t throw out food when going on vacation – prep and freeze it. You can pull healthy freezer meals out for a quick warm up dinner, if you freeze a casserole or such.
If you buy produce when on sale, keep what you’d use and freeze the extra – you’ll keep the nutrients intact by freezing. Frozen fruits and vegetables at the store are more nutritious than canned or other. The nutrients are frozen in with the produce.
Left-over meals – place it into a freezer bag or container and warm it up for another day. OR – do as my friend and at the end of the week, toss all left-overs into a pot, add water and simmer for a left-over stew. Her family loves this! A new, different surprise meal at the end of every week.
P.R.
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Don’t Rinse Produce Until Ready to Eat