One way to save money on food (if you’re into that kind of thing), is to eat what you buy and not waste it. Freezing food means you have more time to eat your food, and it keeps it from landing in the garbage.
Freezing food also allows you to take advantage of buying larger quantities of food at a lower unit price.
By the way, if saving money on food is your thing, I’ve written more about that here.
Onward, to the expert tips.
Expert tips for freezing food so it doesn’t go to waste.
Wait, why?
Why does freezing keep food from going bad?
In basic terms, it stops bacteria and other fun things from being fruitful and multiplying to a dangerous level, and it slows down enzyme activity in foods that causes them to go bad.
Think of a banana. If you peel a banana, it will turn brown due to enzyme activity. It’s like breaking a glow stick. As soon as the top of the banana peel snaps, enzyme activity is set in motion, turning the banana into brown mush over time.
But not if you freeze it.
Likewise, if you leave a package of ground beef out on the counter, the little buggies that are in it have a FAT TOM feast. There is plenty of Food, Acidity, the right Temperature, enough Time to reproduce, and the Oxygen and Moisture needed for thriving family of E. Coli.
So, freezing keeps your food edible longer by preventing breakdown from enzyme activity and overgrowth of bacteria.
To blanch or not to blanch.
If anyone in your family did any food preservy things, you may be familiar with blanching.
Blanching is when you put something in hot water for a short period of time, then give it a cold plunge in a big bowl of ice water.
The purpose of blanching is to stop (er, kill) enzymes in the food that would cause the food to lose its color, flavor, and texture. The hot water denatures the enzymes, and the cold water keeps the fruit or vegetable from continuing to cook after it is taken out of the hot water.
So, do we have to do this?
If you are freezing a summer’s worth of green beans, I would do it. It’s going to mean better results in January when you are eating those green beans.
But let’s say this is purely food waste prevention. Broccoli was on sale, the love of your life overpurchased said broccoli, and now it’s not looking so hot. Also you’re leaving for a long weekend tomorrow morning.
Chop it, wash it, and flash freeze it. And maybe add roasted broccoli to the menu in the next month.
Don’t let perfection drive your food waste up. If the decision is between saving the food and wanting to do it “right” and not doing it at all…. just freeze the broccoli. Don’t worry about blanching.
Make it convenient.
Cooked, frozen pinto beans in a giant, bag-shaped block are most certainly harder to use than beans in a can.
Freeze foods in a way you can actually access them. My two favorite ways to freeze foods are to flash freeze foods and use Souper Cubes or similar products.
Flash freezing is essentially spreading everything out on a sheet pan and freezing it, then transferring it to a bag for easy use. When you purchase frozen fruits and vegetables, they have usually been flash frozen. This is why you can shake out one cup of frozen peas rather than committing to a 1 lb. block.
Label the package
Never have I ever….
Oh, but I have. I stash things in the freezer with far too much optimism that I will remember what the unmarked blob is. Surprise, surprise. You thought you had refried beans, but that was chocolate frosting.
Whether you flash freeze food, use Souper Cubes, or just dump food into a freezer bag, take the time to find a permanent marker and label the food. Write the food and the date – and your future self will thank you.
Speaking of the package…
Make sure to package any food you are freezing in an airtight container or bag. If something is left uncovered in the freezer for a prolonged period of time, it will start to lose flavor and develop a “freezer taste.”
When you are portioning out cuts of meat, it is a good idea to wrap it in freezer paper for an extra layer of protection, then place it in an airtight freezer bag. If you plan to use them fairly soon, like within the next month, you could skip this step with little to no difference in the quality.
Thaw foods safely
Unless it’s a loaf of bread, please do not pull something from the depths of the deep freeze and set it on the counter to thaw all day.
The best way to thaw frozen foods is to let them thaw in the refrigerator. Sometimes there isn’t time for that, so you do have options.
Foods like meat can be thawed in a container of cold water, with the water changed out frequently. You don’t want to let the water get warm, or you will be inviting bacteria growth. You also want to make sure the food is fully submerged in the cold water. Cereal bowls or other dishes work well for stacking on top of the food to keep it under water.
In the food service world, food is usually thawed under cold running water when it has to be thawed quickly.
The other options is to microwave the food, but you really only want to do this if you are going to cook or eat the food right away.
The reason for this is that microwaves heat food unevenly. There could be a section of the food that is in the temperature danger zone, so if you take it from the microwave to the fridge, that food could be growing a nice little family of bacteria. Instead, you want to cook it right away so that the bacteria doesn’t have a chance to grow.
How much time do we have?
How long is all this stuff in the freezer good for?
This has more to do with quality than safety. A good rule of thumb is three months. Have I kept food in the freezer much (much) longer than that? Yes I have.
But after a while, foods will develop a “freezer taste” that isn’t especially delicious. If the food wasn’t packaged well, this can happen within that first three months too.
If food was kept at the proper temperature before freezing, it is more than likely safe to eat even if it has been hibernating in the freezer for well past the three-month gold standard.
(Un)wasted potential
Freezing food is a great way to prevent food waste – provided you actually get the food out of the freezer and eat it at some future point. It’s also a great way to save money on food, because you can often buy large quantities of food for a lower price, then freeze it in portions you can use.
It’s not just food and money on the table. Freezing food can be a time saver. If you are cooking a pound of ground beef for tacos, cook two and flash freeze the rest so you can put together a quick taco salad for lunch. Instead of baking (and eating) a whole batch of cookies, freeze half of the dough in balls so you can bake just one or two fresh cookies when you want a treat. My sourdough discard rolls are great for keeping in the freezer and baking up as a little gifty gift for the neighbors or as an addition to dinner.