What foods can/can't you freeze?

QueenBeruthiel

Great stuff. I can't remember how I managed w/o a big freezer. A few suggestions:

• Buy bread, rolls, etc. which are reduced just before supermarkets close, and freeze. I go to Morrisons on the way home from the gym. They close at 10 and reduce their bread at 9.00.

• Buy good quality fresh meat in bulk and divide into plastic containers (I use ice cream tubs). Label them: “pork chops end Feb" so you know what you’ve got and how long you’ve had it.

• When cooking a casserole make twice as much as you need – and freeze the rest. You’ll be using the same amount of gas/leccy whether you do a small portion or a large one. Again – label.

geordie_joe

Freeze veg, whatever is going cheap at the time.

I have bags of sprouts, swede, turnip, carrots etc. in my freezer, as well as individual portions of mash. When I get home I just grab a handful of whatever I fancy and bung it the steamer, just add meat and gravy and I have a good meal in minutes.

If you freeze leftover meat, a couple of minutes in the microwave will defrost it and warm it up, so will adding it to the gravy.

geordie_joe

mouseymousey99 wrote: »

Don't forget to check your insurance - any accidents with a freezer full of yummy could be expensive. I 'upped' mine for £1 extra a month - it covers things like leaving the door open accidently. Have fun!
Mx

Forgive me, but how do you accidently leave the "door" of a chest freezer open? It takes me all my time just to stop it closing on my head!

JulieM

It isn't economical to run an empty freezer, so I would keep a stock of bread in it until such time you can fill it with other things.

maliah

Thanks for all ur replys.

I'm goig to sound really stupid now, but i really weird about freezing and defrosting meat i dont know why sounds daft but i feel it isn't fresh anymore once it's been frozen. If that makes sense!!

How long do previously cooked meals freeze for? x

And how long can u freeze meat for?
TY

geordie_joe

JulieM wrote: »

It isn't economical to run an empty freezer, so I would keep a stock of bread in it until such time you can fill it with other things.

But don't forget that it can also be uneconomical to have your freezer full.

If you fill your freezer with full price items, just to have a full freezer, then don't have room to take advantage of woopsie offers then you will be paying to store full price goods when you could have been storing half price goods.

Don't be in a hurry to fill the freezer, the difference in running costs between a full freezer and an empty one isn't worth thinking about.

Yes, it is uneconomical to keep air cold in your freezer, but that air is space for cheap items you find but can't use immediately.

Paulie'sGirl

A chest freezer is next on my list, because we do cook for the freezer and then eat from it.

Some ideas of what we make and freeze for quick evening meals:

Lasagne in foil takeaway cartons
Cottage pie as above
Chicken and bacon casserole (topped with sliced potatoes)

Frozen in washed plastic takeaway tubs from Poundstretcher:
Beef stew
Sausage casserole
Pot roast brisket, sliced and in its gravy
Chicken and chickpea tagine
Chicken curry
Veggie balti
Pea and ham soup
Minestrone
Savoury mince and onions
Chilli con carne
Ragu sauce

With the variety we don't really get bored, cos we also have fresh meals like stirfry or rissoto where we've just frozen the meat.

We keep:

Bacon (slices and cooking bacon)
Sausages
Mince
Chicken breasts (we slice them before freezing, strips for stirfry, chunks for casserole and kebabs, whole for roasting)
Ham hocks (in winter, for soup and quiche)

I also freeze milk for standby, baps, cake I've made when the oven was on for something else....

My brother did once say of me though "is there anything that woman wont freeze???!!" LOL

Hope that's some help

PGxx

geordie_joe

maliah wrote: »

Thanks for all ur replys.

I'm goig to sound really stupid now, but i really weird about freezing and defrosting meat i dont know why sounds daft but i feel it isn't fresh anymore once it's been frozen. If that makes sense!!

I think you are confusing "fresh" with "just bought". How fresh is meat you buy at the shops which has a use by date of tomorrow?

Frozen food will be the same when you defrost it as the day you froze it.

maliah wrote: »

How long do previously cooked meals freeze for? x
And how long can u freeze meat for?
TY

I don't know, I haven't lived long enough for either to go off. The main thing to remember is keep it in air tight packaging.

One other thing to do is keep an inventory of what is in the freezer and make sure everything gets used. Otherwise you end up with things in the bottom that get forgotten about for years. Not necessarily a bad thing, but you don't want to buy a leg of lamb then discover you have three in the freezer!

luckys_mum

When I find myself with empty space and cant fill it, I usually just put empty plastic boxes, eg ice cream boxes, tupperware etc and then when you get unmissable bargains just remove the empty boxes. This will help to keep running costs down, and still leave you with space when you need it.

easypeasy1956

Mine fills up with fruit from the garden - rhubarb, gooseberies, strawberries, raspberries, redcurrants, blackcurrants, blackberries, damsons, plums and apples (the last two are stewed first)
I use the fruit for all sorts of pudding all year round.