Keys To Saving: Hey- You Can’t Freeze Leftover Thanksgiving Stuffing, Can You?

November 23, 2012 by Leave a Comment

So Thanksgiving is behind us, and your refrigerator is still full. Now what? If you have read my Keys To Saving, you know I try to avoid throwing away food. We usually have leftover Thanksgiving turkey and fixings once, then freeze the turkey that is still left. But what about the stuffing?

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According to StillTasty, refrigerate cooked stuffing within 2 hours of cooking. To freeze, you should place the stuffing in small airtight containers, and use within a month for best quality. More from StillTasty:

For many people, the high point of Thanksgiving isn’t the big meal itself — it’s feasting on the leftovers the next day.

To make the most of your leftovers, you’ve first got to ensure that they’re being kept in a safe storage environment. Most Thanksgiving dishes will stay fresh and tasty for at least a few days in the refrigerator and a month or more in the freezer.
Some general tips:

Refrigerate turkey, stuffing, gravy and other cooked side dishes within 2 hours of serving.

Carve turkey meat off the bones before refrigerating. Place the meat and stuffing in separate containers.

Divide leftovers into smaller portions and refrigerate or freeze in covered shallow containers for quicker cooling.

For more details, click here.
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Keys To Saving: Hey, You Can’t Freeze Spaghetti Sauce, Can You?

June 30, 2012 by Leave a Comment

If you are a regular reader of JFI4U, you know a lot about me, including that I don’t do well after eating spaghetti sauce. My Daughter calls the experience “flying monkeys”. And you also know that I’m frugal, I love to buy in bulk, then freeze what we can’t use right away. Since my girls both love pasta, finishing a large bottle of spaghetti sauce was never an issue.

Until a few months ago when Alex decided she no longer enjoyed pasta sauce. Now we prepare dishes like Blonde Lasagna, and Alina pours the sauce on her plate only. Of course, we still buy the large bottles of sauce, but now we can’t finish it before it turns bad. Can you freeze leftover spaghetti sauce?

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Yes you can! Here’s how:

Pour the pasta sauce into an appropriately sized freezer bag. For individual servings of pasta sauce, a 1-qt. bag should suffice, or for family-sized servings, use a 1-gallon freezer bag. This may require an assistant to hold the bag open while you pour or ladle the sauce into the bag.

Seal the freezer bag, removing as much air as possible in the process. The bag must remain upright until sealed, or sauce will leak out and make a mess. Wipe the exterior of the bag with a damp rag, once sealed, to remove any drips.

Lay the bag flat on a shelf or pan inside the freezer. Do not stack multiple bags at this point. Allow the sauce to freeze solid.

Source: eHow
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Keys To Saving: Hey, You Can’t Freeze Fresh Corn In Their Husks, Can You?

June 17, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Summer = Corn. I just can’t buy frozen corn, after growing up picking fresh corn right of the stalk. And I remember the County fair, where they would roast the entire corn, husk and all, over a charcoal fire, then dip the corn cob in a bucket of butter. Not exactly the healthiest way to eat corn, but we were kids. We weren’t worried about fat and calories. Now, we buy our corn in the grocery store, and most (if not all) of the husk has been removed.

Once or twice a Summer, we treat ourselves to a trip to a farm, where we pick our own corn. Usually the same farm that we visit in the Fall to walk the corn maze co-incidentally. We pick a dozen ears, and take them home. I fire up the grill, and roast them just like I remember my parents doing when I was a kid. But with only 3 of us in the family, what do you do with the rest? Can you freeze corn in the husk?

Yes you can! Here’s how:

The National Center for Home Food Preservation recommends blanching your corn husks before freezing. I don’t like to do that.

  • Remove any discolored or rough husks. Peel the fresh husks back half way and remove all silk strands. You should only freeze the freshest part of a fruit or vegetable; freezing dead layers of your corn is pointless and can affect the kernel flavor.

  • Wash the exposed ear kernels gently, rinsing away any loose dirt or particles. Place the washed ear on a towel and allow to dry completely to prevent pockets of ice from forming along the kernels. Fold the husks back to their original position after the ear is completely dry.

  • Insert your cleaned corn cobs with intact husks into a large freezer-ready bag. Fill the bag within 4 inches of the zip seal and squeeze out any excess air so the bag clings to the sides of the corn. Place the bagged ears in the freezer for up to eight months and thaw at room temperature for a few hours when you’re ready for a cob snack.

Source: eHow
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Keys To Saving: Hey, You Can’t Freeze Celery, Can You?

June 3, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Celery. It will stir a Bloody Mary, and it’s a key ingredient in Creole and French cooking (along with peppers or onions, and carrots). Celery is thought to have negative calories, meaning that you burn more calories digesting it, that the calories taken in when you eat the stalk. But what if you can’t use a bunch of celery, most soup recipes call for 1 or 2 stalks. What do you do with the rest? Can you freeze celery?

Yes you can! Here’s how:

The celery will lose it’s crispness after freezing, so it will be best suited for using in soups, or in other cooked dishes. Eating it raw won’t be very satisfying without the crunch.

Dice into small pieces (1/2 inch or smaller), and flash freeze in a single layer on a sheet of wax paper in the freezer.  Once frozen, MyCouponHunter- get the coupons you wantplace the celery pieces in a Ziploc bag, label and date the bag, then place back in the freezer. By freezing the celery flat on a sheet of wax paper, the pieces shouldn’t stick together, making them easy to use later..

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Keys To Saving: Hey, You Can’t Freeze Potato Chips, Can You?

May 28, 2012 by Leave a Comment

It’s Memorial Day, and it’s time to picnic. Hopefully your celebration will include a wonderful buffet table filled with all of your favorite dishes. And of course, yummy potato chips.

After everyone leaves, what do you do with the leftover chips? Once opened, chips stay fresh for a couple of weeks, what do you do after that? Or how about when you buy too many bags when they are on sale, and haven’t opened them yet. Can you freeze potato chips?

Yes you can! Here’s how:

 Decide if you have room in the freezer for a full bag of chips, or you might need to split the chips up into smaller freezer bags. Once the bags are ready, write the date on the bag, and place them in the freezer. The chips will last for up to a year in the freezer.MyCouponHunter- get the coupons you want

 

When you are ready to eat the chips, place the bag in the refrigerator overnight to thaw.

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Keys To Saving: Hey, You Can’t Freeze Leftover, Cooked Hot Dogs, Can You?

May 26, 2012 by Leave a Comment

It’s Memorial Day weekend, and it’s time to picnic. Hopefully your celebration will include a wonderful grillfest of all of your favorite dishes.

While a cookout can be loads of fun, what isn’t fun is having to throw away leftover hot dogs off the grill. It’s difficult to guess how many franks you’ll need, especially if you grill a World-famous burger. Can you freeze cooked hot dogs?

Yes you can! Here’s how:

Wrap each cooked dog in a sheet of wax paper to make it easier to use one at a time. Place wrapped franks in a Ziploc bag, remove the air, and seal tight. Label and date the bag, and place in the freezer.MyCouponHunter- get the coupons you want

To defrost, remove the quantity desired, and place in the refrigerator overnight. The best way to heat up the dogs is by steaming, or wrapped in a damp paper towel in the microwave.

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Keys To Saving: Hey, You Can’t Freeze Refried Beans, Can You?

May 9, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Cinco de Mayo was 4 days ago, and I’m tired of seeing the refried beans left in our fridge. You can only eat so many tostadas you know.

I wish they made individual serving size cans of the mashed up Mexican specialty, but they probably wouldn’t be very cost-effective anyway. Can you freeze refried beans?

Yes you can! Here’s how:

First, decide what portions you will use. It isn’t a great idea to re-freeze beans, so smaller single size portions are best. The beans will expand slightly when frozen, so leave a small space at the top of the container. Once you have filled your containers, label and date them, and place them in the freezer.

To defrost the beans, you don’t need to thaw them, just plop the beans into a small pot. Add a teaspoon of olive oil (or more if needed), and warm on medium-low heat. Stir beans every minute or two to prevent sticking. Once heated through, keep the beans covered to stop them from drying out.
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Keys To Saving: Hey, You Can’t Freeze Corn On The Cob, Can You?

April 19, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Summer = fresh corn on the cob in our house. Grilled, roasted, in the husk or shucked, we like them all. As prices drop on fresh corn, it’s difficult to not stock up when I find a deal.

Of course, you can only eat so much corn. Fresh corn loses its flavor quickly, so it’s use it or lose it. And I hate throwing food away. So….you can’t freeze corn on the cob, can you?
Yes you can! Here’s how:

    • fill a large kettle half full of water
    • bring water to a boil
    • put the ears of corn into the boiling water so that they are covered.
    • boil for 10 minutes.
    • drain the kettle, fill half way with cold water (to cover the corn)
    • after fully cooled, wrap each ear in plastic wrap
    • place wrapped ears in a plastic storage bag, labelled and dated
    • when ready to cook, add 2-3 minutes to cooking time, there is no need to thaw  frozen corn cobs
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Keys To Saving: Hey, You Can’t Freeze Mashed Potatoes, Can You?

April 8, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Today is Easter, and a staple in the Easter dinner menu is mashed potatoes. Of course, it doesn’t need to be a Holiday to prepare mashed potatoes.

Buying potatoes in bulk (10-20 lb bags) is the most economical way to shop, but can also lead to more leftovers. Or rotting potatoes (Food Safety- Throw Away Potatoes With Sprouts, Or Cook them Anyway?). Can you freeze mashed potatoes?

Yes you can! Here’s how:

Place mashed potatoes in an airtight container, or in a heavy duty freezer bag. The thaw easier if they are frozen flat (like in a bag). Remove any excess air. Label and date the container. For best results, freeze for up to 10 months. To thaw, place in a covered bowl and microwave at 50% power for about 5 minutes.
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