Peeling, chopping and steaming food can make your kitchen look like it’s been hit by a tornado. The good news is you don’t have to slave over a hot stove everyday if you simply make the most of your freezer! Spend your time in the kitchen wisely, cook food in bulk and choose dishes that are freezer friendly.
Here are some tips to help you keep your food tasting and looking good:
- Use smaller rigid containers with tight-fitting lids.
- Make sure you wrap foods properly or put them in sealed containers to avoid freezer-burn. Use freezer-proof bags and freezer wrap for best results.
- Press the air out of all bags before sealing.
- Freeze food in realistically sized portions. You don’t want to have to defrost a stew big enough to feed eight when you’re only feeding a family of three.
Storing & defrosting rules:
- Label food with a name and date. You’re more likely to eat it within its ‘freezer life’ and you won’t confuse your white fish and your chicken!
- Cool foods before you freeze them. Freezing food when hot will only increase the temperature of the freezer and could cause other foods to start defrosting.
- Defrost foods that are perishable – meat, poultry, fish and dairy in the refrigerator.
- When thawing food in a microwave, plan to cook it immediately after thawing because some areas of the food may become warm and begin to cook during the thawing process.
Some recipes that are suitable for cooking in bulk and freezing:
Shepard’s Pie
Nana’s Fruity Curry
