Freezing for a newbie

daysieblue

Hi

I'm a bit of a newbie here, and have started to read some of the threads, but there's just so darned many of them!

So my question is, now I have my slow cooker and my Jamie Oliver recipe for bread, and all the fabulous stuff on here, is there anything that ABSOLUTELY CANNOT be frozen? Otherwise, is it pretty safe to bung anything in for later?

Thanks

db xx

angelavdavis

My tip was just to avoid refreezing - ie, freezing something that has been defrosted but not cooked.

So for example, if I get some precooked bolognaise out (made with mince), I cannot refreeze it. However, if I get some raw mince out of the freezer, make a bolognaise with it - I can freeze this into portions.

At the same time, I cannot defrost my raw mince and then refreeze it because it has not had the cooking process in between freezing to kill off any bacteria that might develop as the meat is defrosting.

Hopefully that makes sense!

Psykicpup

Salad items with a high water content dont freeze well either so I would avoid those

Skint_Catt

There si a meat - pork perhaps - that you SHOULDN'T freeze when cooked under any circumstances. Not sure why, though it might be an old wives tale?

Catt xx

powershopper

apart from ANYTHING that haz already been frozen you mean,....CUCUMBER!

TKP_3

I always go with the "freeze once raw and once cooked" theory.
I don't freeze high water salad ingrediants (e.g. lettuce, cucumber etc)
I freeze pretty much everything else

thriftlady_2

Skint_Catt wrote: »

There si a meat - pork perhaps - that you SHOULDN'T freeze when cooked under any circumstances. Not sure why, though it might be an old wives tale?

Catt xx

You can freeze any meat or fish:) What you mustn't do is defrost raw meat then freeze it again raw. You mustn't defrost cooked meat and freeze it again. You can defrost raw meat, then cook it and freeze it.

morganb

Wow, I didn't know that ... am going to stick my leftover moussaka in the freezer right now.

daysieblue

Thanks for all these tips Does anyone know the best way to freeze vegetables? I've been told to blanch them then freeze them, but can you freeze them to be eaten raw (carrot sticks for lunchtime dipping for example)

Der? What did my mother teach me eh? nothing, apparently

Ladygrim

daysieblue wrote: »

Thanks for all these tips Does anyone know the best way to freeze vegetables? I've been told to blanch them then freeze them, but can you freeze them to be eaten raw (carrot sticks for lunchtime dipping for example)

I'd like to know this as well.

I tried to vacuum pack some raw sliced red and green peppers, and some onions, and put them in the fridge, but all that happened was the different bags expanded with the gasses they gave off, and they all nearly exploded. When I opened the bags, the smell was INTENSE!! :eek: So ended up thowing them away as well.

LG

fizzel81

i also would like to know about freezing fresh veg, i try and use mine up to make soups etc