Tips for Using Your Freezer

1. Broth and Sauce

I usually make my own chicken and beef stock, which I then store in the freezer in pint plastic bags, each holding one cup of stock and labeled with the contents and date. (I do the same with my homemade tomato sauce, which I make in 2 quart quantities and freeze.) Nevertheless, I sometimes run out of homemade stock so I keep canned stock in my pantry. Same deal, if I only use half a can of store-bought chicken stock I label and freeze whatever is leftover.

2. Family Packs

Buying just two chicken breasts, two Italian sausages, or two pork chops can be difficult or expensive in many areas. I go ahead and buy a package and freeze the remainder. I wrap each individual breast , sausage, or chop in plastic and store them in a single, labeled freezer bag in the freezer. By wrapping the pieces individually I can pull only one or two breasts or sausages out to thaw at a time.

4. Bacon

Bacon is another problem for couples that the freezer can solve. When I buy a package I roll up each individual strip and then wrap the roll in plastic. Again, these individual rolls go in labeled freezer bag in the freezer. Note: these are safe to thaw on the counter if cooked as soon as they're thawed.

5. Leftovers

For some dishes it's smarter, or easier, to cook for four or six. Divide the dish in half (or thirds) after cooking it and freeze what you don't want to eat immediately. Note: flour-thickened sauces tend to separate when frozen (use arrowroot to thicken instead) and potatoes turn grey when frozen so avoid freezing potato dishes.

6. Bread

I cut leftover bread into crouton-sized cubes, which I then allow to sit on a baking sheet in a cold oven for 24 hours to become stale. Then I bag the cubes and freeze them for later use as croutons (sauté them with a bit of butter or oil, garlic and herbs in a hot skillet before serving) or to make homemade bread crumbs.

7. Thawing

Ideally you should always thaw frozen food in the refrigerator, however, you can quickly thaw individual portions of raw foods such as chicken breasts or pork chops in hot water provided you cook it immediately and thoroughly. However, although it's safe to refreeze foods thawed in the refrigerator, it's not safe to refreeze foods that have been quick-thawed.