Much like the North Pole, the refrigerator freezer is a wintry outpost that few people spend time exploring.
Door open, door shut.
If we know what’s in there, like a bag of corn or a frozen dinner, we grab it and go. Other foods make their way into the deepest recesses of the freezer and aren’t seen for years. Eventually, a plastic-wrapped parcel, thickly covered with hard frost, is discovered by accident; after some scientific deduction (“What is this? Chicken?”), it heads straight for the trash can.
What an unfair assignment for the freezer: holding pen for TV dinners and black hole for leftovers.
It’s not too much to ask that cooks make friends with their freezer, particularly this time of year when so much of the best summer produce is going, going, almost gone. Here’s an opportunity to save what’s good from the garden or farm market, from herbs to vegetables to fruit. It’s also time to learn how to–and how long to–freeze meat so that it doesn’t go to waste.
And really, let’s get serious about making meals ahead. Recipes prepared on the weekend or even during the week can be parceled into small meals that are saved for when time is tight. Company will be even more welcome when a main dish is ready to pop into the oven without last-minute exertion. And weekends can be that much more relaxed if a good breakfast is ready to go by the time the first section of the Sunday paper has been read.
Inside this section you’ll find tips for holding onto food and making it taste just right when it reaches the table. Good freezing ideas really do last forever.
Store it right
It’s not just low temperature that keeps food frozen. You also need to package items properly. Keep in mind:
Allow for expansion. Liquids and sauces expand when frozen, so they should never completely fill their containers; leave a minimum of a half-inch of head space.
Get the air out. One way to create an airtight wrap for food is this simple method: Place food in a heavy-duty plastic storage bag. Using a straw or your mouth placed at the closing fold, suck as much air as possible from the bag, until the plastic begins to grip the sides of the food. You also can seal the bag tightly and snip a small hole in one corner of the bag with scissors, removing the air from there; pinch the hole closed and seal tightly with tape. Machines that will vacuum seal foods are another good method. Look for them in cookware shops and department stores.
Safe freezing
Freezing does not kill bacteria, but it stops them from growing. Food should be safely handled before it goes into and after it comes out of the freezer. This means keeping temperatures even, wrapping in airtight containers or bags, and thawing foods in the refrigerator, not at room temperature.
Frozen food can be thawed outside of a refrigerator if it is kept in its sealed plastic bag and immersed in cold water. The water needs to be frequently refreshed, about once every hour.
If the power goes out, don’t peek! Leave the freezer door closed unless you are adding bags of ice.
If the power has been out for more than 24 hours, check each package to see how cold it is. A full freezer will stay at freezing temperatures for about 2 days; a half-full freezer about 1 day, according to the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service. If your freezer is not full, they suggest quickly grouping packages together to form an igloo to protect each other. Place them on a tray; if they begin thawing, their juices won’t dirty the freezer and other food.
Food that has partly thawed can be refrozen if it is still cold with intact ice crystals. If it is completely thawed but still cool to the touch, you can cook or use it immediately, but refreezing will result in a loss of quality.
What happens in there
Freezing slows, but does not stop, the work of enzymes that break down cells in meat and produce. Though freezing preserves food, the dry air in a freezer can alter the color of food: Red meats turn gray or brown and green vegetables lose some of their bright color. Freezing can break down cell walls in foods, making some mushy, others dry.
Freezer burn is caused by poor wrapping. The “burned” pieces can be cut away; they do not taint the rest of the product.
On the plus side, as long as food is frozen at peak freshness and properly stored, it will be nearly as vitamin-rich as when fresh.
Author leads the way to freezing desserts
Elinor Klivans should be known–if she isn’t already–as the Queen of Freezing. The author of “Bake and Freeze Desserts” and “Bake and Freeze Chocolate Desserts” has spent a lot of time pulling sweets in and out of cold storage.
“Desserts are a natural in the freezer,” Klivans said from her home in Maine.
“Well,” she amended, “80 percent of desserts you can freeze and have them come out as good as they went in. But it has to be good when it goes in. If you wait to freeze cookies when they are stale, they are going to come out stale.”
Here are some of Klivans’ thoughts on the best way to preserve desserts:
Baked goods or any cooked desserts must be cooled before they are frozen. “If you put something hot in the freezer, it is going to sweat. Then people wonder why their food got soggy in the freezer.”
Thaw wrapped desserts with the wrapping on. “Moisture forms when the frozen surface hits the warmer air. You want the moisture to form outside on the wrapper, not on the surface of the food.”
Self-defrosting freezers can put food through uncomfortable cycles. “As it goes through the defrost cycle, it defrosts any food that is in there too. Then the food freezes again. This affects the texture and quality of food. That’s why you don’t want to leave food in there too long.” Two to three months is best.
Wrap cookies well. “Don’t just store cookies in a tin. Wrap individually, or two and three together, in plastic wrap; then put it in a tin or plastic container. The point is to keep air away from the cookies.”
You can’t freeze everything. “Certain things don’t freeze well, such as soft meringue, or seven-minute frosting, soft custard or creme caramel. Things that won’t hold up well after a day are not good to freeze.”
— Kristin Eddy
Tips to keep foods cool
– Monitor your freezer’s temperature with a freezer-safe thermometer. The temperature should always be kept at 0 degrees or colder.
– Do not over-pack: A freezer is most energy-efficient when air can circulate around frozen items.
– Place food on racks; try not to stack on top of other containers until the item has had a chance to freeze all the way around.
– Chill foods before placing them in the freezer. Hot or warm items give off steam that will bring the temperature down and lead to erratic freezing.
Freezing the garden
Freezing fruits and vegetables results in some loss of quality, but they will be fine in pies, casseroles, soups and smoothies. Try these tips from “The Best Freezer Cookbook,” by Jan Main. Freeze produce in freezer containers or bags.
Fruit
Many fruits need to be packed in cold syrup. To make syrup, dissolve sugar in hot water; allow to cool before adding fruit.
Blueberries: Do not wash. Freeze on wax paper-lined trays; once frozen, store in freezer bags.
Cherries (sour): Choose firm, ripe cherries. Wash, stem, pit. Pack in sugar, using 1 cup sugar to 4 cups fruit.
Cherries (sweet): Choose firm, ripe cherries, preferably black varieties. Wash, stem and pit. Pack in sugar, using 1/2 cup sugar to 4 cups fruit.
Grapes: Wash and detach from stems. Freeze on wax paper-lined trays. Once frozen, store in freezer bags.
Melon: Choose fully-ripened, firm, well-colored melons. Wash, cut in half, remove seeds and rind. Cut into cubes, slices or balls. Pack in cold syrup, dissolving 1 cup sugar to 2 1/2 cups water.
Pears: Not recommended for freezing.
Peaches: Choose firm, ripe peaches with no green color. Peel, pit and slice. Pack in cold syrup, 2 cups sugar to 3 cups water. Or pack in sugar, 2/3 cup sugar to 4 cups fruit.
Plums: Choose firm, mature fruit. Wash, halve and pit. Pack in cold syrup, 2 cups sugar to 3 cups water. Or pack in sugar, 3/4 cup sugar to 4 cups fruit.
Raspberries: Choose firm fruit. Do not wash. Freeze on wax paper-lined trays; once frozen, store in freezer bags.
Rhubarb: Choose tender, well-colored stalks. Wash, trim and cut into 1-inch lengths. Freeze on wax paper-lined trays; once frozen, store in freezer bags.
Strawberries: Choose firm, fully ripe, red berries. Wash in cold water (do not soak); hull and slice (slicing improves texture and flavor). Freeze on wax paper-lined trays; once frozen, store in freezer bags.
Vegetables
Vegetables benefit when blanched before freezing. To blanch, cook in boiling water 30 seconds to 1 minute; drain well.
Asparagus: Choose young, tender stalks with compact tips. Wash thoroughly in cold water. Blanch small stalks 2 minutes; medium, 3 minutes; large, 4 minutes. Chill quickly in cold water. Drain. Package spears alternating tip and stem ends. Freeze.
Corn: Remove husk and silk. Cook 4 minutes in boiling water. Chill quickly in cold water. Drain. Cut kernels from cob. Freeze at once.
Herbs: Freeze on trays; pack in freezer bags. Do not blanch.
Peppers: Select firm peppers. Wash, stem, halve or slice and seed. Freeze.
Summer squash: Select young squash with small seeds and tender skin. Wash, drain, slice. Freeze.
Tomatoes: Select fully ripened fruit. Cut a small X in the bottom of the tomato. Plunge into boiling water for 10 seconds. Peel and core. Freeze.
How long in the icebox?
Frozen foods remain safe indefinitely, according to the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service. The quality of frozen foods does break down, though. Here are the USDA’s suggested maximum freezing times for some common foods held at 0 degrees:
%% Food Months
Bacon and sausage 1-2
Casseroles 1-2
Fruit, uncooked or cooked 2-3
Ham, hot dogs and lunchmeats 1-2
Game, uncooked 8-12
Meat, uncooked ground 3-4
Meat, cooked 2-3
Poultry, uncooked whole 12
Poultry, uncooked parts 9
Poultry, cooked 3-4
Roast, uncooked 9
Steaks and chops, uncooked 4-6
Soups and stews 2-3
Vegetables, cooked 2-3
%%
Belgian waffles with spiced maple apples or fresh berries
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: About 3 minutes per waffle
Yield: 8 waffles
Toaster waffles are a good idea–and even better when you make and freeze the waffles yourself. These thick waffles are nice with the warm topping of spiced maple apples or fresh berries.
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 eggs, well beaten
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Spiced maple apples, see recipe, or fresh berries
1. Whisk together oil, eggs and milk in large bowl. Stir in flour, baking powder, sugar and salt; mix until just blended.
2. Heat waffle iron. Spray with vegetable oil spray or brush with oil. Spoon about 1/2 cup batter (or the amount recommended by the waffle iron manufacturer) onto hot iron. Spread batter close to edge of grids, using back of spoon. Close lid; bake until waffle is golden brown.
3. To freeze, allow waffles to cool completely. Place in freezer container or heavy-duty plastic freezer bags, separating each waffle with a sheet of parchment or wax paper. Freeze up to 2 months. To serve, heat frozen waffle in toaster until crisp.
Nutrition information per waffle:
170 calories, 38% calories from fat, 7 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 55 mg cholesterol, 260 mg sodium, 21 g carbohydrate, 5 g protein, 0.6 g fiber
Spiced maple apples
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 7 minutes
Yield: About 2 1/2 cups
Serve this topping with waffles or pancakes. Adapted from “The Best Freezer Cookbook.”
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 apples, peeled, cored, thinly sliced
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground, each: cinnamon, ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1. Melt butter in large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add apples, syrup, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Cook, stirring often, until apples are just tender, about 5 minutes.
2. To freeze, let cool completely. Store in freezer container or heavy-duty plastic freezer bag up to 2 months. To serve, thaw apples in refrigerator overnight. Heat in medium saucepan over medium-high heat until warmed through.
Nutrition information per 1/2 cup:
160 calories, 27% calories from fat, 5 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 12 mg cholesterol, 3 mg sodium, 31 g carbohydrate, 0.3 g protein, 3.2 g fiber
Easy chocolate chip butterscotch blondies
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Yield: 16 bars
Adapted from “Fearless Baking,” by Elinor Klivans.
1 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt into medium bowl; set aside.
2. Stir together sugar and butter in large bowl until blended. Add eggs and vanilla; stir until mixture is well combined and smooth. Add flour mixture; stir just until blended. Stir in chocolate chips.
3. Spoon batter into greased 8-inch square baking pan. Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out slightly moist, 40 minutes. Cool thoroughly on wire rack.
4. Cut into squares. To freeze, tightly wrap cooled blondies individually in plastic wrap. Store in airtight plastic container or heavy-duty plastic freezer bag up to 3 months. To serve, thaw at room temperature.
Nutrition information per bar:
265 calories, 42% calories from fat, 13 g fat, 8 g saturated fat, 40 mg cholesterol, 105 mg sodium, 37 g carbohydrate, 3.2 g protein, 1.6 g fiber
Company lasagna
Preparation time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 55 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
There’s nothing that says, “Dig in, folks,” like a large pan of rich, reddish-gold lasagna. This recipe, developed in the Tribune test kitchen, is loaded with enough great cheeses and juicy meats to make it a generous dish for company.
White sauce:
1/4 cup each: unsalted butter, flour
1 3/4 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Salt, freshly ground pepper
Lasagna:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 each, chopped: onion, peeled carrot
1 cup dry red wine
1/2 pound each: ground beef, pork and veal
1/4 pound prosciutto, diced, optional
1/4 cup tomato paste
8 ounces lasagna noodles
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup each: shredded fontina, grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons dried Italian herbs
1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
1. For sauce, heat butter in medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Slowly add milk, whisking constantly. Heat to boil, stirring constantly, until sauce is thickened. Add nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat; set aside.
2. For lasagna, heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Add carrot; cook 1 minute. Add wine; cook until reduced by half. Stir in beef, pork, veal and prosciutto; cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste until combined. Add white sauce to meat mixture; stir to combine. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.
3. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions. Drain; rinse. Set aside. Combine cheeses with Italian herbs in medium bowl.
4. Cover bottom of 13-by-9 inch baking pan with 1/3 of the meat sauce. Top with 1/3 of the noodles and 1/3 of the cheese mixture. Repeat the layers of meat sauce, noodles and cheese. Layer remaining meat sauce and noodles. Cover with tomato sauce. Sprinkle on remaining cheese.
5. To freeze, cover tightly with plastic wrap, then with two layers of heavy-duty foil. Freeze up to 2 months. Defrost overnight in refrigerator. Bake in 350-degree oven until lasagna is bubbly, 50-60 minutes. Or, take lasagna directly from freezer; bake 21/2 hours at 350 degrees. Remove from oven; let stand 10 minutes before cutting.
Nutrition information per serving:
580 calories, 50% calories from fat, 33 g fat, 17 g saturated fat, 110 mg cholesterol, 990 mg sodium, 35 g carbohydrate, 37 g protein, 3 g fiber
Tomato soup with corn, bacon and tortilla chips
Preparation time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 50 minutes
Yield: 14 servings
Here is one great way to use the last of the summer tomatoes, topped with a Southwestern-style garnish. Developed in the Tribune test kitchen.
10 large tomatoes
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons each, ground: cumin, coriander
1 can (14.5 ounces) chicken broth or 2 cups homemade
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Salt, freshly ground pepper
1 large flour tortilla
Kernels from 4 ears corn
6 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked, crumbled
1. Heat stock pot of water to a boil. Cut an X in bottom of each tomato. Cook tomatoes in boiling water about 30 seconds. Drain; plunge tomatoes into ice water. Peel. Cut tomatoes in half crosswise; squeeze out seeds. Chop; set aside.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in the stockpot. Add garlic and onion; cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add cumin and coriander; cook 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, broth, orange juice and lime juice. Heat to boil; cook until tomatoes soften, about 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool slightly.
3. Meanwhile, heat oven to 400 degrees. Brush both sides of tortilla with remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Cut into small, thin strips. Bake on ungreased baking sheet until they begin to color, about 8 minutes. Set aside to cool.
4. Heat large, dry skillet over medium-high heat. Add corn kernels and salt and pepper to taste; cook, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
5. Transfer tomato soup, in batches, to blender or food processor; puree until smooth. Set aside to cool completely.
6. To freeze, place cooled corn, soup, tortillas and bacon in separate freezer containers or heavy-duty freezer bags. Freeze up to 2 months.
7. Allow corn, soup and bacon to thaw in refrigerator. Reheat soup in a saucepan. Reheat corn, bacon and unthawed tortillas in a 350-degree oven 10-15 minutes. Divide hot soup among serving bowls. Garnish with corn, bacon and tortillas.
Nutrition information per serving:
140 calories, 43% calories from fat, 7 g fat, 1.9 g saturated fat, 7 mg cholesterol, 260 mg sodium, 16 g carbohydrate, 6 g protein, 2.4 g fiber
