As the current intern at Southern Living I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with many of you over the phone over the last several months. I’ve sorted through recipes from the late 1970s to find your favorite chocolate cake, answered questions about menu planning, and guided you through our recipe collection on myrecipes.com.
But one question that keeps coming up more often than others is, “Can I freeze that?” With our lives getting busier by the minute, preparing food ahead of time, freezing, and using it in the future can be a great time saver. But do resist the desire to freeze anything and everything—not every dish is meant for the freezer.
Here are a few guidelines to help you the next time you are wondering “to freeze or not to freeze.”
Avoid freezing:
- High moisture foods (leafy vegetables, celery, cucumbers, melons, dairy, and seafood)—when thawed, the water will seep out and make your items or dish soggy
- Dishes high in dairy (creamy casseroles, cream soups, cheese sauces)—these tend to separate and are likely to curdle or turn grainy when reheated
- Egg-based recipes—these will end up dry and rubbery
- Dishes with lots of herbs and spices—freezing can intensify aroma of some herbs and spices, while others will lose most of their flavor
Made for freezing:
- Soups, chilies, and stews
- Cookie dough—formed into a tube shape and wrapped in plastic
- Baked breads, muffins, and cupcakes
Keep in mind:
- Clearly label and date your items so you can quickly and easily identify them
- Freeze in zip-top plastic freezer bags or airtight clear containers
- Consider serving size when freezing—freezing an individual portion of soup or a slice of cake speeds up thawing and helps with portion control
Good things to keep on hand in the freezer:
- Nuts, seeds, flours and breadcrumbs
- Stocks, sauces, pesto, citrus juices—use ice cube trays to freeze these first, then move to a zip-top plastic freezer bag
- Ginger—wrapped tightly in saran wrap, ginger will keep longer in the freezer and will be easier to grate
Here are a few freezer-friendly recipes to get you started:
Light King Ranch Chicken Casserole
Shepherd’s Pie
Easy Chicken Pie
Have a freezer success story that you’d like to share with others? Let us know!
