I get lots of questions on how to properly store food in the freezer once you get them on sale at the store. One of the best and easiest ways to save money is to buy meats and produce on sale and stock up. The best way to stock up to store it is to use your freezer. The tips below should help you make the transition from bad tasting freezer food to great tasting freezer food! Follow these tips and that chicken will taste just as good as the fresh package you get at the store.
Freezer Tips
- Airtight: Be sure to wrap the food as airtight as possible. The worst thing you can do is leave the food in a dish with a lot of dead space between the top of the food and the wrapping. So for Ziplocs- press all the air out; containers – cover w/ wax paper or aluminum foil.
- Double Wrap: There are a few ways to do this, but I always use plastic freezer bags for the freezer and I double bag everything. TIP: Line casserole dishes with heavy duty foil before assembling. Fill casserole, freeze, then remove foil wrapped food and seal in plastic heavy duty freezer bag. Place in original container to thaw and bake.
- Keep Freezer Full: Keeping your freezer full helps your items stay very frozen and saves energy.
- Use Baking Soda: Keep a box of baking soda in the freezer to prevent any smells from crossing over into your foods.
- Keep Inventory: In order to keep food from staying in your freezer too long, I have found it helpful to keep an ” in-out list” on the outside of my freezer.
- Label Everything: When you put it in, you think you will remember what it is; but once it is frozen it will look different.
- Smaller Portions: Freeze in smaller portions, so you can just pull out what you need or want. i.e.) freezing fresh fruit for smoothies on baking sheet
Things NOT to freeze:
Block cheese
Cream cheese
Sour cream
Ricotta cheese
Cottage cheese
Cooked eggs
Mayonnaise
Cream pies, or custards
Lettuce
Be sure to checkout all of Kelly’s Kitchen Tips to make your kitchen time easier.
is there a reason you say to not freeze block cheese or cream cheese? I have frozen both and have never had a problem.
Rachel,
I have personally never had any luck w/ block or cream cheese. It gets too dry and doesn’t bubble up when cooked. Plus the cream cheese always seems to separate on me.
oh, well thanks for sharing! maybe its the type of recipe? not sure, I freeze block cheese ALL the time, and occasionally cream cheese as well, and the only difference I have noticed is the block cheese crumbles easier so its a little harder to slice and then cream cheese isnt as creamy – but for using in recipes, i dont notice a difference at all.
I freeze a lot on the do not freeze list and have no issues. However I use the item in cooking or baking…not on their own.
You said not to freeze cooked eggs but what about in breakfast burritos?
I personally don’t cook a bunch and then just freeze as is. For some reason, they tend to do fine if they are in something like a burrito. I hope that helps!