Freezing - Tips and Quick Questions thread

Steve059

In addition to the minced meat dishes already mentioned, if the OP needs them to use up their minced meat mountain, I have recipes for a minced meat curry (keema) and a minced meat roll (imagine a mutant sausage roll).

Swans1912

Steve059 wrote: »

In addition to the minced meat dishes already mentioned, if the OP needs them to use up their minced meat mountain, I have recipes for a minced meat curry (keema) and a minced meat roll (imagine a mutant sausage roll).

ooh yes please!!!

Thanks everyone. I will put a big batch of chilli in the slow cooker tomorrow to start off

peachyprice

I wouldn't. I'd maybe refreeze a half defrosted joint, but no way would I re-freeze something that has been minced, not with all the opportunity for the introduction of bacteria that involves.

Steve059

iKennett wrote: »

ooh yes please!!!<snip>

MINCED MEAT CURRY (KEEMA)

INGREDIENTS

1 clove of garlic
2cm (1 inch) piece of fresh ginger
2 onions
2 tablespoons of oil
375g of minced meat
200g (½ a 400g tin) of chopped tomatoes
½ a teaspoon of chilli powder
1 tablespoon of garam masala
½ a teaspoon of ground turmeric
250ml of water

METHOD

Peel the garlic and chop it into tiny pieces. Peel the ginger and chop it into tiny pieces. Peel the onions and chop them into tiny pieces.

Put the oil into a saucepan on a low heat. Add the garlic, ginger and onions. Fry for 3 minutes until it is soft. Stir frequently to stop it sticking.

Add the meat. Mix thoroughly. Fry for 5 minutes until the meat has broken up and is an even colour, with no pink bits. Stir frequently to stop it sticking.

Add the tomatoes, chilli powder, garam masala, turmeric and water. Stir thoroughly.

Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat until it is just boiling. Put the lid on the saucepan and cook for 30 minutes, until the sauce has reduced.

ADDITIONS & ALTERNATIVES

Use minced beef, lamb, pork or turkey. If you use pork or turkey, add a beef stock cube.

If the pack of meat is a bit less than required, add some finely chopped mushrooms or grated carrot at the same time as the meat.

The quantity of chilli powder above makes for a medium curry. For a hot one, increase this to 1 teaspoon. For a mild one, decrease this to ¼ of a teaspoon and add 100ml (½ a 200ml pot) of yoghurt 5 minutes before the end of cooking.

For Mince & Potato Curry (Keema Aloo) add 100g of diced potato. For Mince & Pea Curry (Keema Matar), add 50g of peas. For Mince, Potato & Pea Curry (Keema Aloo Matar), add 100g of diced potato and 50g of peas.

Steve059

MINCED MEAT ROLL

INGREDIENTS

1 sheet (½ a packet) of frozen ready rolled puff pastry
1 slice of bread
1 clove of garlic
½ an onion
1 tablespoon of parsley
¼ of a teaspoon of ground black pepper
250g of minced meat
1 egg
Some milk
Some oil
Some more milk

DEFROSTING

Defrost the frozen pastry according to the instructions on the packet.

METHOD

Crumble the bread into breadcrumbs. Peel the garlic and chop it into tiny pieces. Peel the onion, cut it in half, chop one half into tiny pieces and save the other half.

Put the breadcrumbs, garlic, onion, parsley and pepper into a bowl. Add the minced beef. Crumble in the stock cube. Break the egg into the bowl. Mix thoroughly.

Unroll the pastry. Put the meat mixture on the middle of the pastry in a sausage shape. Pull the pastry over the top, so it overlaps. Moisten the edges and ends with some milk and gently press them together.

Rub some oil onto a baking tray. Put the roll on the tray. Brush the pastry with some more milk. Make a hole in the top.

Cook in a preheated oven at 200°C, 400°F, gas mark 6 for 30 minutes.

ADDITIONS & ALTERNATIVES

Use minced beef, pork or turkey. If you aren’t using beef, add a beef stock cube.

Use mixed herbs instead of parsley.

zippychick

Mojisola wrote: »

www.food.gov.uk/news-updates/campaigns/germwatch/science-fsw/freezing#.UsXcoijtpsQ
"Refrozen food has a higher risk of causing food poisoning because, as explained, when food is thawed, bacteria can multiply rapidly – particularly if at room temperature. So if the product is refrozen these bacteria will survive, and when defrosted again, it is more likely that the bacteria would reach harmful levels and cause food poisoning.

However, if you cook defrosted food before refreezing (for example turning defrosted chicken into a chicken curry), any harmful bugs will be killed off, making the food safe before freezing. Any defrosted food can be stored in the fridge for up to two days before it needs to be cooked or thrown away."

This is the advice I would follow


ive merged this with freezing quick questions


Zip

lucy_lemon

I make a lot of mango chutney throughout the year, and always try to get the mangoes when they are on offer or when I see them on the reduced section. Currently, they're 75p each instead of £1.50 in Asda, so I've just made 8 jars. I have no more empty jars, but was wondering if I could chop the mango and then freeze it, ready to make some more when I have jars. Do you think the mango would freeze well?

Thanks in advance for any help!

Valli

Not a clue - but worth a try, surely.

Incidentally, if you can get to an Asian market you would probably find them cheaper all year round. Just dropped the lad off in Manchester and saw pineapples on sale at 5 for £1 (Levenshulme or Longsight, not too sure where I was, actually!)

VfM4meplse

Mango does freeze well, but like any food, the higher the water content the mushier the defrosted item will be. Not a bad thing if you are making a "jammy" chutney, but far from ideal if you are looking to make a sharp pickle using the unripe fruit.

I'd stick them in the coolest par of the fridge for a few days until you can secure some more jars. In the meantime, look through your store cupboards and use up the cheapest items that come in jars!

Valli wrote: »

Just dropped the lad off in Manchester and saw pineapples on sale at 5 for £1 (Levenshulme or Longsight, not too sure where I was, actually!)

As long as you made it out alive, who cares? :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

lucy_lemon

Thank you for the tips! Unfortunately we don't have an Asian market (a cheap one anyway) within about a 2 hour trip, so Asda and Aldi are my only options. I think I will get some more, freeze some and keep some until I can finish some more jars. Think there are about 5 or 6 nearly empty ones in the fridge