Freezing - Tips and Quick Questions thread

weezl74

all_hours wrote: »

weezl, great idea. would this method work with regular tomatoes too. for an electric fan oven what setting do you suggest and how long do you think it would take.

yep, I did it with regular tomatoes. Put your oven on it's very lowest setting and allow a fair few hours, you're aiming to dry them out and intensify them rather than cooking them if you see what I mean. In italy, they're laid out in the sun, but fat chance in the UK! Sun dried are completely dry and are the consistency of a dried prune, and a stronger flavour. Sun-blush are dried for less long, and retain their moisture a bit more. Try 2 hrs, but check after 1 would be my guess!

Good luck, post how you get on eh?

weezl x

all_hours

weezl74 wrote: »

yep, I did it with regular tomatoes. Put your oven on it's very lowest setting and allow a fair few hours, you're aiming to dry them out and intensify them rather than cooking them if you see what I mean. In italy, they're laid out in the sun, but fat chance in the UK! Sun dried are completely dry and are the consistency of a dried prune, and a stronger flavour. Sun-blush are dried for less long, and retain their moisture a bit more. Try 2 hrs, but check after 1 would be my guess!

Good luck, post how you get on eh?

weezl x

i love sun dried + sun blushed tomatoes. i didnt think of trying to make them myself + they are so expensive in the jars.

i will try this and let you know.:D

LilMissEmmylou

sorry im too tired to read through all 8 pages but not seen it on page 1 or this one so.... home made bread, does it freeze and defrost just as well as normal bread? or does it turn out a bit soggy? Only OH loves home made but wont make it (grrr) and some days im too busy so thought i could do several loaves on one day and freeze for the week?

stressedoutmumof1

Yes HM bread freezes just fine, although I would slice it first so you only have to pull out what you want to use.

shopndrop

Cooked a joint of beef today that had been frozen, but now won't be able to use it up tomorrow - change of plans. Can it be re-frozen now that it has been cooked even though it has been frozen before?

Kay_Peel

I've just baked a mega batch of blueberry muffins. I don't need them all and if I leave them out they will just get eaten (by me!)

What's the best way to freeze them, please?

kay

Wee_Bargain_Hunter

shopndrop wrote: »

Cooked a joint of beef today that had been frozen, but now won't be able to use it up tomorrow - change of plans. Can it be re-frozen now that it has been cooked even though it has been frozen before?

To the best of my (limited) knowledge it can. AFAIK the process goes something like this: Raw - freeze - defrost - cook - freeze - eat!! Ie freeze once in it's raw state and freeze again (once only) in it's cooked state.
I've got some sliced beef in my freezer - i'm planning on defrosting it for sandwiches or a dinner sometime.

saveaholic68

Hi, I have a friend staying this weekend and I asked if there was anything particular that he would like and he said Shepherds Pie - apparently last time I made it, it was lovely (quietly gloats). Anyway, I have some potatoes, which although I only bought today are already looking a bit sorry for themselves and I don't think will last until Saturday. I know I could make the full shepherds pie up and freeze it, but I would rather cook the meat from fresh as it always turns out a bit dry when I cook from frozen. Is there any way I can freeze the potatoes? I know you can buy frozen mash, but I'm not sure about freezing it myself? If I can do it, how do I use it - does it need to be defrosted before putting on the shepherds pie?

Wee_Bargain_Hunter

There's a whole thread about here somewhere about mash. Anyway, I read it a few weeks ago and I've tried freezing mash recently. The first time it looked a bit watery half way through zapping it in the microwave but i just mixed it a bit and it was fine. The 2nd time, it wasn't watery and again it was fine. Both times I mixed it both half way and again at the end of cooking. I served it with an ordinary dinner. Unless you freeze it in the size/shape of your pie bowl, I can't see you using it from frozen without defrosting it 1st and you wouldn't be able to stir it properly - not sure how essential this is though.
HTH

squeaky

Yep!

Cooking the taters now and defrosting separately as outlined in the post above is definitely the best way to go