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How long can you freeze food?

How long can you freeze food?


By Lori Bongiorno
Posted Tue Sep 21, 2010 10:54am PDT
Related topics: Food and Drink, How-To

When it comes to preparing healthy meals at home, don't underestimate the value of your freezer. A well-stocked freezer can save you a trip to the store when you're pressed for time, which could mean the difference between making dinner and ordering in. It also lets you save meals that you prepare in big batches ahead of time, take advantage of discounts at the grocery store, and keep food that might otherwise go to waste.

Freezing is also an easy way to preserve local, in-season, fruits, and veggies that you buy at farmers markets or grow in your garden. If you want to eat delicious tomatoes in the dead of winter, for example, but are intimidated by canning, freezing is worth considering.

But just how long will that casserole or whole chicken last in the freezer? According to the Food Safety and Inspection Service, food stored in a freezer set at 0 degrees Fahrenheit will stay safe indefinitely. But that doesn't mean the taste and texture will remain the same.

Here is a guide to how long you can freeze foods before you sacrifice quality. Keep in mind that quality does deteriorate the longer food sits in your freezer, so aim to defrost sooner rather than later.

• Bacon: 1 to 2 months
• Breads: 2 to 3 months
• Casseroles: 2 to 3 months
• Cooked beef and pork: 2 to 3 months
• Cooked poultry: 4 months
• Cookie dough: 3 months
• Fruit: 8 to 12 months
• Frozen dinners: 3 to 4 months
• Hot dogs: 1 to 2 months
• Lunch meats: 1 to 2 months
• Sausage: 1 to 2 months
• Soups and stews: 2 to 3 months
• Uncooked chicken (parts): 9 months
• Uncooked chicken (whole): 1 year
• Uncooked steaks, chops, or roasts: 4 to 12 months
• Uncooked ground meat: 3 to 4 months
• Vegetables: 8 to 12 months

Basic tips for freezing food:

• Freeze foods as close to purchase (or harvest if you have a garden) as possible. The fresher food is when you freeze it, the better the quality when you defrost it.

• While most foods can be frozen, there are some foods you should keep out of the freezer. Don't freeze canned foods or eggs in shells (which can crack and allow bacteria to enter). Technically you can freeze mayonnaise, cream sauce, and lettuce, but the quality takes a big hit. Here's a list of foods that don't freeze well with details on their condition after thawing.

• Cool cooked foods down before freezing so they freeze faster, which helps preserve quality.

• Packaging matters and varies depending on what you're freezing. If you choose glass over plastic containers, wrap, or bags, you'll need to make sure it's tempered so it doesn't break.

• You can freeze meat in its original packaging, but if you want to store it for long periods of time, add an additional layer of packaging, such as plastic wrap or bags.

• It's always a good idea to label items so you know what they are and how long they've been in the freezer.

• Resist the temptation to defrost foods on your countertop. The three safest ways to thaw foods are in your fridge, in cold water, and in the microwave.

How to freeze fresh produce:

• The key to freezing fresh fruit is to spread out the cleaned, dried, and prepared (cut up) pieces of fruit on cookie sheets. Once the individual pieces of fruit are frozen, you can combine and put in freezer bags. Some people prefer to pack fruits in sugar or sugar syrup to help preserve texture and flavor. The National Center for Home Food Preservation has tips on how to freeze specific fruits such as strawberries, tomatoes, peaches, and many more.

• Vegetables usually need to be blanched (boiled or steamed for a short time) before freezing to maintain flavor, color, and texture. Blanching times vary depending on the vegetable. The National Center for Home Food Preservation has a chart with blanching times for everything from corn to collard greens and simple instructions for how to freeze a large variety of vegetables.


Environmental journalist Lori Bongiorno shares green-living tips and product reviews with Yahoo! Green's users. Send Lori a question or suggestion for potential use in a future column. Her book, Green Greener Greenest: A Practical Guide to Making Eco-smart Choices a Part of Your Life is available on Yahoo! Shopping and Amazon.com.

Archives

I decided to look at when I started this blog, it was back in 2007. Wow hadn't realized it had been 3 years. I hope that you will browse through my past recipe's and try some of them out!

Basil Pesto Dip / Spread

Basil Pesto Dip / Spread

You can use purchased pesto in this simple recipe, or make your own Pesto using fresh basil from your garden. This also makes a great sandwich spread.
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup basil pesto
3 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

In medium bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well to blend. Chill. Served with raw veggies, crackers or chips for dipping, or as a sandwich spread. 16 servings.


Basil Pesto
2 cups firmly packed fresh basil leaves
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 cup chopped cashews
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1-2 Tbsp. water

Place basil, garlic, cashews, and cheese in food processor. Start processing, and add olive oil in a steady stream. Process until a paste is formed. Add a bit of water if necessary to form the correct consistency. Either use immediately, refrigerate with plastic wrap pressed onto the surface, or freeze in 2 Tbsp. amounts.

Chicago Style Pizza

DOUGH:
1 Package active dry yeast
2 teas. Sugar
1 1/4 cups Warm water
2 3/4 cups All−purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
3 tbls. Olive oil
1 teas. Salt

TOPPING:
1 cup Pizza sauce
12 oz. Shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 lb. Ground beef, crumbled, cooked
1/4 lb. Italian Sausage, crumbled, cooked
1/4 lb. Pork Sausage, crumbled, cooked
1/2 cup Pepperoni, diced
1/2 cup Canadian bacon, diced
1/2 cup Ham, diced
1/4 lb. Mushrooms, sliced
1 small Onion, sliced
1 Green bell pepper, seeded, sliced
2 oz. Grated Parmesan cheese

For dough, sprinkle yeast and sugar into warm water in small bowl; let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.

Mix flour, cornmeal, oil and salt in a large bowl; make a well in the center and add yeast mixture. Stir to form a soft dough, adding more flour if necessary. Turn onto a floured board and knead until dough is supple and elastic, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl, cover and let rise in a warm spot until dough has doubled, about 1 hour. Punch down.

Roll dough to a 13−inch circle. Transfer to an oiled 12−inch pizza pan, folding the excess over to make a small rim. Spread with pizza sauce; sprinkle with all but a handful of the mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with meats and vegetables. Top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Let rise in a warm spot about 25 minutes.

Heat oven to 475 degrees. Bake pizza until crust is golden, about 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing.

Choosing a Recipe Box

There are so many recipe boxes you can choose from out there. Below you will see samples of many plus links to purchase them if you choose.

If you are a major recipe collector you may want several matching small ones where you have one category for each box, such as one for salads and vegetables, one for desserts, another for meats and main dishes, etc. Or you may choose one or two larger ones. It is all a matter of personal preference!

Broiled Stuffed Tomatoes

6 medium tomatoes, washed
salt and pepper
1 can (6 1/2 - 7 ounces) tuna, drained and flaked
1/2 cup diced celery
2 teaspoons sweet pickle relish
1/2 cup mayonnaise
PREPARATION:
Cut a slice from the end of each tomato; scoop out center and pulp of tomatoes. Season tomatoes with salt and pepper; turn upside-down to drain.

Combine tuna, celery, relish, mayonnaise; season to taste with salt and pepper.

Fill tomato cups with tuna mixture. Arrange stuffed tomatoes in a baking dish. Place under broiler, about 4 to 5 inches from heat source, for 5 minutes. Top each tomato with a little more mayonnaise; broil for 4 to 5 minutes longer, until mayonnaise is browned.

Save energy by using this broiler unit rather than your conventional oven!

Adapting Standard Recipe's to a Crock Pot

Here are some suggestions for best results when taking a standard recipe and using it in a crock pot.

• Remember that liquids do not cook away like they would if on the cook top. Use half the amount of liquids called for in the standard recipe. Also, add liquids last, after meat or vegetables have been placed in the cooker.
• It is not necessary to brown larger pieces of meat unless you need to cook off some of the grease before adding the remaining ingredients. For example, browning ground beef, sausage or bacon first and draining the fat is recommended.
• Milk, cream and sour cream should be added during the last hour of cooking to prevent curdling.
• Do not remove the lid except to add ingredients. It takes up to 20 minutes for the heat to build back up to the proper temperature.
• Spices intensify during long cooking times so use half the amount and add during the last hour of cooking.
• To thicken sauces after cooking the meat, you can add quick-cooking tapioca or a paste made of flour or cornstarch and water and cook on HIGH an additional uncovered 10 minutes.
• Most vegetables should be thinly sliced or placed near the sides or bottom of the cooker. They cook slower than meats.
• Cut whole chickens and any meats in half that are over 2 lbs to be sure they cook thoroughly.
• For safety, always cook meat and poultry dishes on HIGH the first hour to speed up the time it gets to get to a safe cooking temperature for meats. Then reduce to LOW for the remainder of the cooking time.