Freezing food can help you prepare baked goods ahead of time and fresh food from the supermarket. Explore these essential tips for freezing different food!
Freezing food can be a great way to precook food for later in the week or if you need to store excess food at the supermarket. But there are different methods when you’re freezing different foods.
Check out these essential tips for freezing different food and learn the best ways to freeze your favorite foods.
Vegetables
You’ll need to blanch and shock vegetables in an ice bath to lock in flavor, nutrients, and color before freezing them. You’ll need to make sure the veggies are dry, or ice crystals will form, causing freezer burn. Once they’re dry, spread veggies onto a sheet pan to freeze them quickly to prevent them from sticking together. Then, store them in airtight containers or Ziploc bags.
Fruit
Freezing fruit has a few subtle differences from freezing vegetables. For example, you don’t need to blanch, but delicate fruits like strawberries do well with syrup to preserve the color and flavor. Other fruits, like peaches and apples, do well with a lemon and water bath to preserve nutrients before drying and freezing.
Dairy
Did you know you can freeze dairy products, too? However, they each have their own caveats.
Milk
You’ll need to divide the milk into smaller containers and leave room for the liquid to expand. You can also use ice cube trays.
Cheese
You can freeze cheese, but it tends to crumble once you thaw it. You’ll want to use frozen cheese only in cooked dishes and salads.
Cream
Cream will separate when frozen unless you whip it first. The added air helps it retain a cohesive texture, making it a perfect treat for desserts.
Desserts
Bakers often freeze items beforehand, so their pastries, cakes, and cookies don’t dry out quickly. You can freeze cookies without causing freezer burn by making sure you cool and cover them properly. Freeze a cheesecake by covering the top with a paper towel and wrapping it in layers of plastic wrap. But you’ll need to break some baked goods down into smaller pieces beforehand. You can freeze cookie dough by pre-scooping balls of dough and pre-slice bread before freezing, too.
In general, when freezing food, you’ll need always need to make sure the food is dry and completely covered before placing it into the freezer. But these essential tips for freezing different foods can help make weekday dinners that much easier.
