Freezing - Tips and Quick Questions thread

Primrose

FluffyBunnykins wrote: »

I have made some tuna & sweetcorn pasta. There is enough left over over for another meal, so would it be possible to freeze? If so, when I want to eat it do I just let it defrost and they give it a quick zap in the microwave?

Many thanks

You can freeze the mixture but I personally never freeze cooked pasta, either on its own or in a sauce as I find I don't like the texture once it has been frozen and reheated. Unless you have a huge amount, it's probably not worth -saving, unless you want to try it once just to see whether you enjoy eating the end result once it's undergone the freezing process.

Primrose

mirry wrote: »

Can anyone tell me , can you freeze single cream ?

and what about potatoes ? I was thinking of mashing it and freezing it.

Yes, I've frozen single cream and it's OK but I wouldn't bother with frozen mashed potatoes though, simply because a) they're fairly quick to cook from scratch if you cut up the potatoes very small to cook in the first place, and b) I find it more useful to fill my freezer space with higher value foods which can't otherwise be stored in their fresh state as potatoes can.

FluffyBunnykins

Primrose wrote: »

You can freeze the mixture but I personally never freeze cooked pasta, either on its own or in a sauce as I find I don't like the texture once it has been frozed and reheated. Unless you have a huge amount, it's probably not worth it, but it's worth trying once just to see whether you enjoy eating the end result once it's undergone the freezing process.

Thanks Primrose

I think I will just shove it in the fridge and have it tomorrow for my lunch and next time use smaller quantities. :cool:

whowants2brich

When I cook pasta, and corresponding sauces, I usually make sure that I don't mix the pasta and sauces until I know who's eating, and how much. That way, I don't feel bad about throwing away some of the pasta (agree, it doesn't freeze too well and goes mushy) - but I can usually freeze the sauce. Then at a later date, defrost the sauce, add to freshly cooked pasta, and voila!

(Note that if people do want seconds then it'll take seconds to mix some of the sauce with some of the cooked pasta, and if people don't want seconds then you've not wasted any of the sauce...)

twirlie

Hi all,

I hope this is the right place to put this!

I went to Mr T's today and got some reduced to clear pork mince, beef mince, leeks and soup mix (You know, carrots, parsnips, leek etc)

I also bought some potatoes and fresh puff pasty.

I'm wanting to do a variation of Jamie Oliver's Leek and Turkey pie with the leeks, but I'm a little concerned about the turkey I froze on boxing day. I follow the freeze once at every state principle, so defrosting the turkey, cooking it again in a pie and then freezing it in pie form is a no-no, right?

If that IS the case, I'll substitute chicken, as salmonella isn't on my todo list for 2011!

Second question - Do I freeze the pie's baked or unbaked for best results?

I'm hoping to have a huge bolognaise, cottage pie, mashed potato, minced beef and onion pie freeze-a-thon this evening to use everything up and stock up the freezer with home made ready meals, so any other suggestions for what I can make are very welcome!

she_who_can_not_cook

twirlie wrote: »

Hi all,

but I'm a little concerned about the turkey I froze on boxing day. I follow the freeze once at every state principle, so defrosting the turkey, cooking it again in a pie and then freezing it in pie form is a no-no, right?




If that IS the case, I'll substitute chicken, as salmonella isn't on my todo list for 2011!

Second question - Do I freeze the pie's baked or unbaked for best results?



I'm hoping to have a huge bolognaise, cottage pie, mashed potato, minced beef and onion pie freeze-a-thon this evening to use everything up and stock up the freezer with home made ready meals, so any other suggestions for what I can make are very welcome!

I agree with you dont refreeze as a pie


and
either way it up to you i like cooked pies cos they i can micro wave ( NOT THE BEST WAY FOR PIES ) but when its just for me i dont mind

forgot to add do you have any tvp its the only way i can get HIM to eat it by mixing it with the mince and its cheap and healthy

twirlie

TVP? Whats that?

I'm not a big fan of the microwave usually - I tend to freeze everything in foil containers and then throw them in the oven for 30-45 minutes from frozen. That way I can throw something in the oven just before I collect my little boy from nursery and know it'll be cooked by the time I get back!

loocyloo

TVP - textured vegetable protein (soya!) when i was at school, it a BIG thing and ALL the veggie meals we cooked in home economics featured it! hadn't used it since :rotfl:but saw it in tesco, have added it to 'meat' meals and no one has noticed :D:D tesco have it in clear bags along with all the couscous/bulgar wheat/lentils/dried pulses etc

someone, might be asda? do a frozen meat substitute that i made a bolognese with and NO ONE realised it wasn't meat !!!

i would probably mix a bit of the pork & beef mince together and make mini meatballs. quickly fry them off and then top with a bit of passata ( and freeze.) then bake in oven! yummy with spaghetti ( DS favourite meal! ) or rice or mash ....

chilli is another favourite here!

i've frozen pies cooked and uncooked - both seem fine to me !!! although i think if you are going to be oven baking from frozen, probably best to freeze 'raw' as it were!

x

zippychick

ive merged this with freezing tips and quick questions
Zip

debbiedonut_2

Can I freeze pre-packed ham and chicken etc?
Thanks