Freezing Tortillas Without BreakageWhen I buy tortillas, I may not always use them right away, so I freeze them to keep them fresh and in one piece as the day I bought them.
Freeze Wine in Ice Cube TraysI am one of the few people who doesn't like to drink wine, but occasionally cook with it. After they are frozen, I keep them in a plastic bag and I can take out what I need.
Freezing FoodMy friends and family frequently mention how successful I am at freezing cooked foods. Most of you probably know this already, but air is the enemy of food preservation. If I have a cake or casserole to freeze, I cover it with stretch wrap. I then wrap it tightly with aluminum foil. After that I put it in a 2 gallon freezer bag, pushing out all of the air before sealing.
Stocking Your Camper's FreezerEvery summer, my husband and I load up our camper and head out to explore the USA. Groceries along the way can get expensive. To beat the costs of on the road shopping, I start early in the spring buying small steaks, etc.
Use Your Freezer to Extend the Life of FoodsI always freeze certain foods. You will save money because these foods last so much longer if you freeze them rather than store them in a cabinet or even the refrigerator You won't have to throw out spoiled food and you won't have to buy new items as often.
Freezing Leftovers in Plastic BagsIf you put a plastic bag into a square container then freeze your leftovers in that, you can take out the bag, label it, and store it in your freezer. Square frozen bags take up less room and are easier to stack.
Use Elastic Bands in the FreezerOpen boxes of partly used frozen foods can be a bit of a nuisance in the freezer. They become a difficult shape for storage as one end becomes flattened. Also food can fall out. Taking just one minute to fetch an elastic band and wrap it around the box to keep everything properly in place will save time and frustration later
Freezing Tomato PasteSometimes you only need a little bit of tomato paste, and the rest of the can spoils before you get a chance to use it. The pre-packaged 1-2 Tbsp. pouches are costly. Here is how to use it all:
Use Water to Vacuum Seal FoodsTo freeze and vacuum seal foods, try this no cost vacuum sealer. Zip package partway closed, leaving a small opening. Push out air. Slip baggy into a bowl of water until the opening is just above the surface of water.
Freeze Food Waste for RecyclingWaste food, used teabags, coffee grounds and so on can be placed in a sealed biodegradable bag and frozen. The food won't decompose, so won't taint other freezer contents, nor will your kitchen or bins smell.
Using Margarine Tubs for LeftoversThis little 8 ounce container has really come in handy for me. Being flexible, rectangular shape and having a lid make it the perfect container for me to use for freezing turnip salad in a serving size for the two of us. I am so glad that I did not put these containers in the recycling bin.
Long Lasting IceAdd salt to the water before freezing to make your ice last longer.
Freeze Gatorade For Hot DaysIf you make gatorade pops for the summer and spring, it will be really good for when the kids come in from a day of activity. Ice cubes are nice too for cups of gatorade so that it won't be diluted down.
Cereal Bags for FreezerThe bags that cereal comes in are great for storing all the leftover veggies in the freezer. I use a clothespin or chip clip to hold it closed.
Freeze Cooked Pinto Beans for LaterDH and I are southern people and we love pinto beans. For a long time I bought them canned at the super market since there are only 2 of us living here.
Protecting Ice Cream from Freezer BurnThis is a great and simple tip to save your ice cream from getting frostbitten. Get a freezer zip lock bag and place your ice cream container in it and seal it. And there you go, it is something so simple and will help save your ice cream.
Cook in Bulk And FreezeInstead of cooking daily, why not cook in bulk. Items like rice, meat, poultry, lentils and beans can be frozen after it is cooked.
Freeze Foods Before Vacuum SealingI like to purchase or prepare items in bulk and then use my vacuum sealer to either divide into smaller portions or just make them last longer in the freezer.
Freeze Excess Coffee In CubesWhen I have left over coffee that I did not have time to finish, I put it in ice cube trays and freeze, then I put in a ziplock bag. If I feel like having iced coffee or mocha, I put it in the blender. Pour into a glass and enjoy!
Saving the HarvestSometimes I find veggies at a super price, but don't have enough cash to buy enough for canning, or I find a small amount at reduced price, but still high quality. Well, freezing them is the perfect solution.
Use Clip Lock Bags for Freezing LeftoversI really think that the introduction of Clip Lock bags (Freezer Use) are the next best invention since sliced bread! I usually go over the top and make too much of a particular meal/soup sauce (all the kids have now left home and sadly I still cook for 6 rather than 2!).
Freezer "Bin System"I've found a way to keep my freezer organized that saves me both time and money. I have plastic bins that fit on the shelves and are labeled as to contents: chicken, beef, fish. I have 2 other bins labeled "prepared food" and "prepped ingredients".
Freeze Leftover Vegetables for SoupsWhenever I have leftover vegetables, especially when it is only a small amount, I put them in a 2 pint plastic container with a lid. I always keep this container on a shelf in my freezer, so it is very convenient.
Using Plastic Bags When Freezing FoodsWith gardening season upon us here in Nebraska, it puts canning and freezing produce in mind. We put up a lot of corn at one time and one thing to remember is to cool your vegetables or meat out well before bagging it.
Keep an Inventory List of Your Freezer ContentsOne great tip I've found very useful is to make a list of what I put in my freezer and place it on the front of my refrigerator with a magnet.
Freeze Single Portions in Yogurt ContainersI love turnip salad but have to limit the amount I eat as it contains vitamin K which I can't have a lot of due to taking blood thinner. So when freezing it, I freeze it in small amounts so it will not get wasted.
Using Press And Seal For FreezingI use Press and Seal when I want to freeze things like sauces and casseroles for future use. First I put the wrap in a microwave safe dish. Then put what you want to freeze in the dish. Place in freezer until frozen. Remove the food from the dish and put in a freezer bag.
Place Ice Cube Trays on Cookie SheetIf you are like me and still have to freeze your own ice cubes, a cookie sheet under the ice cube trays used to carry them to the freezer saves a lot of messes. I leave mine right in the freezer.
Freezer Storage TipsI needed organization and room in my freezer. I use quart size freezer bags for storing all foods. The trick here is to fill the bag per portion you want, holding the opening up so food does not spill out.
Reuse Plastic Jars for Freezing FoodNever buy plastic containers again! I wash and reuse all the larger plastic jars (with plastic screw-on lids) that mayonnaise, peanut butter, and such come in. I use them for freezing soups, sauces, gravies, and any leftovers. They work great!
Freezing Liquids In Freezer BagsIf you find that the soups and sauces you put in plastic freezer bags fall through the wire rack of your freezer, try this freezing technique for liquids. Cool your leftover soups, sauces, etc. in the refrigerator then pour them into a resealable plastic freezer bag.
Use Frozen Water Bottles to Quickly Cool FoodI have a tip for all of you who, like me, like short cuts and saving money. As you know many foods have to be blanched before freezing and then cooled down to stop the cooking process before putting it in the freezer.
Freeze Dumplings for SoupDid you know you can freeze dumplings? I make homemade dumplings. I roll them out flat, put them in the baking pan I bake biscuits in, let them freeze, then put them in an empty plastic cereal bag.
Using Storage Bags for FreezingBaggies are essential in your kitchen. When bringing home those large frozen meat "specials" divide them into meal portions as soon as you get home instead of putting the whole package of meat in the freezer.
Styrofoam Egg Cartons for Ice CubesI saw the best tip on TV the other day; use your styrofoam egg cartons to make ice cubes. I usually buy eggs in the cardboard cartons, but occasionally I end up with the 18 pack styrofoam cartons (like now, I have 2 in my fridge).
Create Extra Freezer SpaceTo save space and make extra room in my freezer, I remove the supermarket packaging. I cut out the label, and place the product and label, into a clear "snap lock" type sealed bag.
Freezing Percolator PunchDuring the holidays or for serving guests during the cold winter weather, I make Percolator Punch in a large 32 cup coffee maker. This one is dedicated to punch to keep the taste free of coffee after taste.
Double Bag to Prevent Freezer BurnI love using zip lock bags for freezing meats and sauces, but do not like the expense. I also double the bags when freezing to prevent freezer burn. So, I first put the sauce or meat into a recycled plastic or waxed bag, and close it with tape or twist tie.
Minimizing Freezer BurnFreezer "burn" is caused by air getting into freezer containers. Unless you vacuum seal, there will be air in any container. Any small air space will cause freezer "burn". The longer the item is kept in the freezer, the more freezer "burn" there will be.
Freezing for the Soup PotSteak, roast and poultry bones can all be frozen until needed for soup stock. You can always have instant soup stock if you pour pan juice into ice cube trays and freeze after they set up you can neatly store them in plastic ziplocs.
Freeze Leftover Holiday ChocolateIf you have too much chocolate left over from Easter and the kids lose interest or you want them to ease off, here's what you can do. You can cut it into little pieces and freeze it.
Lime Leaves for FlavorDid you know that you can pick the leaves of a Lime tree and pour boiling water over them let it cool down and then freeze them into ice cubes...
Marking Your Leftover FoodWhen putting foods up after a meal or after preparing, be sure to label what's in the dish, the date prepared, whether you're putting in the refrigerator or the freezer.
FoodSaver Tip: Freeze Individual ServingsI freeze a lot of leftovers in individual servings in food saver bags. If it is liquidy, I freeze it in the bag before I seal it. This way if I don't want to cook, everybody picks what they want. Also good for taking to work.
By Vickie
