I was out at the grocery store doing my weekly shop this morning. I was standing in the bakery section sorting through the pocket/pita bread packets to find the one I wanted. (yes I do freeze pocket/pita breads.)
An older lady beside me said to no one in particular, I wish these had more days on the date tag, there are only 3 days and I won’t be able to eat 6 of these muffins in 3 days. I leaned over and said freeze them, there’s not much you can’t freeze.
The look on her face was priceless, she said you know that would never have occurred to me!
I have bought many breads and meats close to the use by date and no bad things have happened. BUT it only comes out of the freezer good if you put it in good. Don’t freeze foods that don’t look or smell good and don’t leave in the freezer for any length of time (eg, months).
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I don’t freeze much in the way of baked goods because it seems they are always frozen when I want them. I have never been very sure of thawing out items that are already cooked. Maybe the older lady you bumped into and I have something in common. Must be because we weren’t brought up doing it.
I am fine with freezing meat because I know that I need to thaw it out and cook it, but anything else I just can’t manage it easily. Don;t seem to know what to do. I hardly ever make meals and freeze them and if I do and keep them it seems I eventually clean the freezer and throw it out. Maybe a good thing that I have a small freezer!
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– Jennifer home made biscuits take as long to defrost as it takes to make your cuppa tea. On a weekend I put cake out for morning tea bout 15-20 minutes before I want to eat it. The thinner or smaller the piece of cake the quicker it defrosts.
– Casserole type meals defrost by putting out of the freezer that morning or the night before in the fridge (just like your meat). Heat in a lidded saucepan on the stove top or pop in a casserole dish in the oven, 180*C-ish. Depends on the size of the meal and if it’s defrosted or not 30-60 mins should do it. I find a saucepan quicker.
– The other option is to microwave it but always go under time and keep checking rather than to much time that can spoil it.
– Once a meal is defrosted treat it like canned goods that you can reheat to eat. Or even lean cuisines.
– Like Janet I don’t freeze pasta, I don’t like the outcome.
I freezer a lot of things anymore. If I open a can of tomato juice to use a bit in soups, I always freeze what I don’t use. I freeze shredded cheese, for you can zip it open and crumble in an casserole and I don’t have to worry about the cheese spoiling. The only thing I do not like to freeze is soup that contains potatoes or pasta.
Have you tried freezing sliced avocado?
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Hi Janet. I never freeze pasta I think it turns to mush when defrosted. I do pick out pieces of pasta from a meal so I can freeze and I make fresh pasta next time around. Potato, it depends on how well cooked the potato is.
– I grate my cheese first in the food processor, I do about a kilo each time, into a zip loc bag and freeze so easy for so many things.
– Frozen avocado, no I haven’t they never last long enough in our house. My son and I eat a whole one between us, my husband doesn’t like it.