FREEZER MATTERS: A BUDGET AID, USED WISELY

updated dec 23

Food waste is a scourge of modern society...

not just because of the tired but true aphorism about starving children in foreign countries but also because we're so conscious of food costs now. Freezers are thus a god-send, saving time, effort, fuel and money.  But care must be taken.  

If you don't have a freezer remember that anything cooked can stay safely in your fridge for up to 4 (some say 3) days.  For example, if you cook it or open a packet on a Monday, the dish should be consumed on or by Thursday. A good test is the sniff test -- it it smells off before then, bin it!    

If you are lucky enough to have a freezer -- and it would be wonderful if all low income families had one, along with cooking lessons -- then be aware of the safety rules.

1.  Pre-freezing tips

• Preparation:  The product should cool for at least an hour before being refrigerated overnight then frozen.  

• Cooked rice needs careful handling.  Spread in a thin layer on a large tray to allow the rice to cool thoroughly.  Squash any lumps of rice to prevent pockets which breed bacteria.  Leave for an hour before refrigerating overnight.  Freeze flat in single or double portions for easy storage,   

• Storage bags should either zip or press shut or be tied tightly with string, rubber band or a length of rolled up cling film.  The most expensive and larger bags can be re-used.  Budget storage bags include common, all-garden sealable sandwich bags.  The lunch club pronounced Morrison's sealable sandwich bags the best of the supermarkets' -- packets of 50 are regularly on sale.  If the bag has not contained raw meat or fish, or anything with  sauce, it can be washed, dried and re-used.  Clean plastic carrier bags are suitable for large items.

• Storage containers.  Take-away plastic containers from Chinese restaurants and good delis make great containers for stocks and broth.  Plastic storage containers with lockable lids are widely available at reasonable prices in most supermarkets but opt for the ones that don't threaten to break off your fingers when opening them! 67goingon50 recommends the nest of plastic storage boxes sold by Marks & Spencer or microwaveable lidded containers that can be used a few times.

• Labels: 67 can usually remember what's in the freezer but has been caught out.  If freezing lots at different times, special labels and pens are available surprisingly cheaply in newsagents. 

• Singletons and small iceboxes.  Use smaller bags when packing and freeze flat on a tray.  When frozen, remove tray; the packets will store upright, taking up less room.  Bread should be frozen in single or double slices; they will defrost faster 

5.  Defrosting

• Ideally, take the item out of the freezer ­­the night before and put it on the bottom shelf of the fridge on a plate or in a bowl.  It should be completely defrosted by dinnertime the following day.  Some people use the defrost function in a microwave but some have never been able to do so without tummy problems afterwards.

• If you are in a rush to defrost...what restaurants do is fill a thoroughly cleaned sink or container with cold water, drop in the sealed bag and let the cold tap run over it in a slow and steady stream until the item is defrosted. The time will depend on what you are defrosting but could be up to an hour.  For frozen raw fish, some professional kitchens dump the block of frozen fillets into a cleaned sink and turn on the cold water.  The fish usually defrosts in a couple of hours.

• Bread.  One slice of bread should defrost in 20 minutes.  

6.  Cooking after defrosting:

• Reheat at high temperature for at least five minutes to kill bacteria.    
• Liquids or soupy casseroles should be heated to a full rolling boil, then bubble  on medium high heat for 5 minutes.  Add water or stock to maintain volume.  Before serving, check seasoning as freezing can blunt flavour. 
• With lasagna or other items that may dry out on re-heating, steaming at a high heat for at least 5 minutes or the the boil-in-the-bag technique (again at least five minutes) is effective, as long as the bag is strong enough.      

7.  Freeze Once only

     Fresh meat can be frozen once and defrosted.  Once cooked and              cooled, it can be frozen a second time.  Otherwise only freeze once.

8. The following  information is based on the Government's Food Safety/Freezer Safety site and my experience as a chef in professional kitchens .

1.  Freezer temperature: should be  -18C
      Freezers are most effective when full and there are recommendations      that empty spaces be filled with crumpled newspaper.  

2.  Safe freezer times:  

Processed meat  1-2 months

Raw Ground meat 3-4 months 

Raw Chops 4-6 months 

Raw Steaks 6-12 months

Raw Roasts 9 months to a year

Cooked meat 2-6 months

Leftovers: 2 months

(Personally, I try to use up anything in my freezer, apart from stock bones, within a month.)

TIPS:

• more useful information is available in the Daily Mail's Who Knew You Could Freeze.....
• Jan 24: More manufacturers are selling compact freestanding freezers, capacity 30 litres.  67goingon50 has a tiny kitchen with an easily transpsorted under-counter freezer perfect for a singleton/couple.  Check out online white goods outlets.  

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DISCLAIMER: The author accepts no liability for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. Any information not sourced to a second party is the copyright of the blogger.