Great 'food items that freeze (and those that don't)' Hunt

purpleheather.uk

The yellow colour of frozen milk comes from the vitamin riboflavin, which actually got its name from its colour - flavus is the Latin for yellow.
Riboflavin is dissolved in the watery portion of milk, which is also filled with minute particles of protein and droplets of butterfat. In fresh milk, all the suspended particles and droplets scatter any light that strikes them evenly, so that the milk appears opaque and white - milky, in other words.
However, as the milk freezes and most of its water crystallises into ice before other substances, the normally dilute riboflavin becomes concentrated in the remaining liquid water. This means these areas start to turn yellow and as the clear water-ice crystals form, we are able to see it.



(Thanks to New Scientist's book "Why Can't Elephants Jump and 113 other science questions answered")

tenuissent

It's so interesting to learn this. When I had a cow, I was entranced by the different colours of the things I made with the creamy Guernsey milk. Very yellow butter, very white cottage cheese and yoghurt. I never froze the milk so did not see the change in colour as it thawed.

tenuissent

By the way, has anyone frozen raw swedes? Lovely generous d-in-law keeps bringing me huge swedes for 20p each. Yes, I have boiled and mashed them and mixed them with mashed potatoes. What else?

Lois_and_CK

I've tried par-boiling potatoes cut into chips then freezing them so I have my own oven chips ready for the oven, but they always have a horrible taste after freezing so I gave up on it. Thought about part cooking them in the oven before freezing, but I haven't got round to trying that yet.

I freeze almost anything else - bread, chopped herbs, milk, onions, mushrooms, chopped peppers, cooked meat, chilli, curry, bolognaise, stews. I buy in bulk from Costco every month and spend a day in the kitchen chopping and cooking, while listening and singing, badly, to music.

Newgirl_2

We freeze absolutely anything and everything. I hate waste. We do the things mentioned above (bread, breadcrumbs, veg, leftovers, pizza or cookie dough, meat eg cooked roast pork in gravy, fruit for jam/pies etc).

For those asking how not to cry while chopping onions, holding a teaspoon in the mouth works for me. Rumour has it the spoon should be silver but doubt mine are. Perhaps it's just something to keep one's mouth closed.

gayleygoo

I have a chorizo sausage from Lidl, the pack says to eat within 3 days of opening :rotfl: I've been cutting bits off for a couple of weeks now and it seems to be just fine, but can I freeze it? I was thinking of chopping it up before freezing in bags. I might not do it with this one since it's been open so long, but could be useful if I buy it again.

Alton_Towers

I have frozen chorizo with no problems.

his_missus

parkgirl wrote: »

If you wear swimming goggles when peeling onions that helps. Looks a bit funny if anyone comes to the door mind!!

I do this too

Lois & CK I always have manic cooking sessions after a big shop and make loads of home-made "ready meals" for the freezer. Less chance of food going to waste/turning manky.

Does anyone know whether I can freezer uncooked pastry dough? I always seem to have a bit left over, enough for 2 or 3 jams tarts, would be more beneficial to freeze until I had enough to make a quiche case.

Savannah02K

Another thing I freeze are 'biscuit blitzes.' I try not to have biccies in the house as I would eat my way through a whole packet but as I was having some work done in the house last week, I bought in few packs. After the guys had gone I blitzed up the remaining biscuits in my mini food processor and then froze the crumbs. I use these (from frozen, no need to defrost if you process finely) for ice cream topping, cheesecake bases or, my favourite, make up half a jelly pack with added fruit, then when that's set, chop that up roughly in the dish. Then get two large wine glasses, put bottom layer of jelly and fruit, then layer of good quality yoghurt, then layer of the biscuit blitz, repeat as many times as you like until glass is full and final layer is yoghurt, then sprinkle over more of biscuit blitz and choc sprinkles. Delish, looks fab, is dead easy and everyone thinks you're really a rather clever cook .............. Can also add bit liqueur to the jelly but have to say I don't think it really adds anything.

ChocolateIsLife

his missus I have frozen LO HM pastry before and defrosted it to make into a pie with no problem. Have also frozen store bought puff pastry and used without issue.