Storage: Can I freeze it? Questions about freezing your stockpile here!

[MrsPinecone]

Yes, you must blanch corn. Nothing special needs to be done after it's frozen-- just cook until done as you normally would.

Blanching food destroys the enzymes that cause things to ripen. If you don't do that, they will continue to work on the fruit/veggie in question and it will essentially rot, even in the freezer. Defrost it, and all you will have is horrible, mushy veggies. Trust me, all you will be able to do with them is throw them on the compost pile.

[YannaBeak]

how well does chocolate milk freeze? I would like to buy more of it when it is on sale but we just don't drink it fast enough.

[billig]

Can you freeze containers of yogurt?

Hotcouponmama,
Where do you get the Citric Acid? I need to find some for some toddler activities for fizzie bath soaps for my DD.

TIA!

Originally Posted by hotcouponmama I can say that frozen eggs, in any beat up form, freeze just fine. USDA has been shipping liquified frozen eggs to schools all over the country for years. I used some last year that had been frozen for at least 2 years in a deep storage freezer and they were as fresh as if we had cracked them. Trick is - add a little lemon juice or citric acid!

[flash]

Originally Posted by JANE4girls bump so people will see this :beg3:

I've been looking for an answer from a reputable source...unfortunately the dairy institute and other national milk orgs recommend that milk not be frozen, so I'm having a horrible time finding information on standard for after it has been frozen.

From the Dairy Institute:


STORING AND

HANDLING MILK

Milk is perishable. To preserve its
safety and quality, the following
tips are recommended:

• Refrigerate milk at 40F or less as soon as possible after purchase and store in the original container. Return milk to the refrigerator immediately after pouring out the amount needed. Never return unused milk to the original container.

• Keep milk containers closed to prevent the absorption of other flavors. An absorbed flavor changes the taste, but the milk is still safe.

• Protect milk from exposure to strong light since light can reduce its riboflavin content and cause off-flavors.

• Look for the sell by or pull dates on milk cartons. If properly cared for, milk generally stays fresh for 2 to 3 days after this date. Some dairy processors guarantee their products for a specific time after this date. Ask your grocer for more details.

• Keep canned milks like evaporated and sweetened condensed milks in a cool dry place and invert the cans every 2 months. These milks generally keep for about a year at room temperature. Once opened, canned milks should be poured into an opaque covered container, refrigerated and used within a few days.

• Store dry milks in a cool, dry place and keep in an airtight container after opening. Once reconstituted, dry milk should be refrigerated and handled like other fluid milks.

• Freezing of milk is not recommended. It causes undesirable changes in milks texture and appearance.

• Microwaving milk is not recommended to extend milks shelf life or as a means of pasteurization.

[flash]

But assuming you do freeze milk, which is safe to do, it can be stored in the freezer for 1 - 3 months.

Thaw it in the refrigerator for around one day.

The consistency may change, and higher fat milk may separate. You can blend it (beaters or food processor or blender).

I know many people who freeze milk but only use it later for cooking, which is reportedly no problem. I don't know anyone who drinks whole milk after it's been frozen, so anyone who does, please chime in :)

How long you can keep it after freezing...technically the freezing process shouldn't change the shelf life. But any contamination that gets encountered along the way might. If the freezer doesn't freeze quickly or stay frozen, if there is bacteria in the container, all that standard food safety issue still applies, of couse. Or if you keep it for longer than 3 months, well, the longer it's left, the more likely it will go bad...

Most dairy "use by" dates are on the conservative side, and the milk is still fine for 2 - 3 days after the use by date. So if you freeze it without any issue, it should thaw and by fine for the additional days you had remaining on the "use by".

I hope that at least partially answers your question. If not, let me know :)

[hopeky94]

What I mean is-- should I leave out the non-perishables (beans, water, spices, etc.) and just freeze the veggies, to save space? And should I cook it before freezing it or after (or will it matter)?

Hearty Beef and Cabbage Soup

1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp pepper
2 celery stalks, chopped
16 oz can kidney beans, drained
1/2 head cabbage, chopped
28 oz can tomatoes, chopped
1 can water in empty tomato can
4 beef bouillon cubes
Chopped parsley

Brown beef in your soup pot. Add all remaining ingredients except parsley; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered for 1 hour. Garnish with parsley.

My parents have a lot of cabbage that needs to be used, and the tomatoes are finally starting to ripen (we'll end up with lots of those too)... so this sounds like a great way to preserve them, plus have some yummy homemade soup this winter!

Other questions:
Anybody know how many/much fresh tomatoes would be equivalent to a 28 oz can??

And is there something simple (and healthier) I could use in place of the bouillon cubes? Everything else I can get from the garden or the freezer (we grow our own garlic too, so I can sub. minced garlic), and I've just never cared for bouillon anyway...

TIA for any tips, suggestions, etc!!

[tbs727]

Most veggies and beans will freeze fine. I'm sure there are other experts on here with better advise. I do know that you'll want to leave out pasta until you are ready to eat. I think your soup will freeze well as it is.

I make my own bullion flavoring by making chicken stock when I pre-cook chicken. I put my boneless, skinless chicken (frozen) in the crockpot, fill halfway with water and usually add garlic onion, and maybe parsley and leave it to cook all day. I remove the chicken and put two pieces of chicken in a freezer bag for making quick meals. I put the crock with stock in the fridge over night. The next day I remove any fat that has hardened then strain the rest. I freeze them in 2 cup quantities. When I need a base for soup I just pull them out of the freezer. HTH!

[FantasyIsland]

you can make beef "buillon" the same way as the chicken. When you get a piece of beef with a bone, boil it. In fact, if you keep boiling past the buillon/stock phase, you will get a jelly-like substance which you can then freeze, like the stock, but it is just way more concentrated.

Fan

[hopeky94]

Thanks for the bouillon tips!

Anyone have any advice on how much of the prep I should do before freezing it? I've never frozen cabbage before-- should it be cooked first or will it matter in the end?

Also still wondering about the fresh tomato equivalent of a 28 oz can...

Thanks!!