Chicken freezing guides? How to freeze: For store-bought bread, you can store in the original packaging. For homemade or bread purchased in the bakery, make sure it’s cooled completely, cover in plastic wrap and then wrap it in foil. This double wrap will ensure it keeps its freshness. Storing: Store-bought can be stored up to 3 months and homemade bread up to 6 months. Any longer, and your bread may suffer from freezer burn. Whether it’s soup, a casserole or cooked meat, pre-made meals and leftovers are great to freeze and enjoy later. How to freeze: Make sure food has completely cooled on the counter (no more than two hours) or in the refrigerator and place it in a freezer-safe container or bag and seal tightly. Putting hot food directly in the freezer can bring down the temperature of your freezer and partially defrost whatever else you have in there.
Leave a little extra room for liquids: You can also freeze soups, sauces and stews in airtight containers. Liquids expand so you’ll want to fill freezer bags and containers only three-quarters of the way, so they don’t explode. Freeze fruits and vegetables: Freezing seasonal fruits and veggies is great, especially this time of year. Freezing your fresh garden veggies now will allow you to use them all year long. Same with in-season fruits, which are sweeter and perfect to add to your smoothies. Casseroles can be frozen either cooked or uncooked, but it’s a bit better to freeze uncooked or partially cooked casseroles as opposed to freezing fully cooked casseroles.
Whole Avocados – Yep, you read that right! You can freeze whole avocados. *Mind blown* You can also freeze guacamole! Most Veggies – Corn, peas, carrots, onions, peppers, you name it! You may need to blanch some of them before freezing. Roasted Tomatoes or Bell Peppers – Bake your tomatoes with herbs and spices and a drizzle of olive oil, then freeze in freezer bags. This can easily be added to soups and sauces. Squash and Sweet Potato – Cube or shred a batch of zucchini or sweet potatoes for quick hash browns. You can also thaw these and throw them into muffins or other baked goods for added nutrition! Spinach – Bag and freeze! So simple and helps prevent so much leafy waste. Frozen spinach is perfect to toss into a smoothie, a casserole, or your favorite pasta dish! Read even more information on Can You Freeze Cabbage.
Previous research notes that freezer burn is a condition where exposure to air within the freezer causes moisture loss, and that subsequent dehydration can lead to food that’s dry; has ice crystals on it; and shows changes in flavor, color, and texture after thawing. This doesn’t affect safety, Baker says, but it may make the food unappealing in terms of flavor and texture. Do: Put Dates on Each Food Once you put items in the freezer, their “sell by” date can act as a helpful guide for when you bought it, but it’s also a good idea to get into the habit of using a label system — freezer tape is very handy — and rotating older items to the front to be used sooner. That way, you can freeze up to the appropriate time frame for each food type, says Janilyn Hutchings, certified food safety professional and food scientist at StateFoodSafety, an Orem, Utah–based food safety certification and training program for the hospitality industry. Here are some general guidelines.