Community » Freeze-ahead Cooking 

Subject: Save time by freezing...

Hello everyone! I am 45, married and have one 16 year old son. I have dabbled in freezer planning but I am really interesting in making more use of my freezer and turning out good tasting nice looking meals! Any and all advise would be greatly apreciated.
 
 ~Rsomar~

I don't actually make things in advance and keep them ready to pop into the oven from my freezer, but I do consider the freezer to be an absolutely integral part of my kitchen utensils.  I cook with a single "rule" ... nothing out of a package or box.  not to say no flour or canned tomatoes, but I mix my own ingredients for everything I make.  It is a simplified way of choosing to limit the preservatives we eat.
 
This is relative to the freezer because lots of my staples are kept in there.  for example, I store nuts in the freezer, and use them often to add extra protein to dishes at the last minute.  We don't eat "white bread" but I keep locally-made bagels in there for accompaniment.  I also keep all the pieces and ends from fresh french loaves we don't use.  These become quick bread crumbs or croutons for salads.  I don't make them in advance, just throw the loaf pieces in a gallon zip bag and then take them out whenever I'm cooking and need them.
 
I bake cookies and sweet breads for snacks and keep out one plate for our immediate use.  The rest go into my freezer in double-wrapped freezer paper, written on with a Sharpie, saying what it is and when it was made.  I always have fresh (out of the freezer) cookies or bread to serve when extra people show up to visit/eat.  which happens OFTEN :)
 
I keep those flash-frozen chicken thighs and breasts on hand at all times.  They are good for a 30 minute meal and can be added to liberally to cover additional guests.  One of our favs is chicken curry ... a meal that requires only fresh yellow onions, canned tomatoes, a bit of yogurt and rice.  Also kung pao chicken, which is another quick one that doesn't take much besides the chicken in the freezer and is always a big hit.  Also chicken caesar salad, which does require more fresh ingredients but is impressive and delicious.
 
My husband works swings and takes his 6pm meal with him.  I store all leftovers from whatever meals I cook in plastic containers that are frozen if I end up with more than 2 days worth.  This way I can have his lunch made in advance on days I don't feel like cooking a big meal beforehand.  Typically we eat "supper" at about 1pm, which is not common in this country.  On those days I just give him whatever we have for supper for his dinner break.  But the freezer is vital to filling out all those days when that doesn't happen.

 Another huge thing I use the freezer for is frozen fruit.  I serve fruit over cottage cheese or fruit over yogurt at almost every meal. Not "dessert" exactly, but we all eat it at the end of the meal together vs. just during the meal.  It kind of finishes off the dinner table :)  I buy blueberries in-season in those plastic box-looking things and just pop the whole thing in the freezer.  I have stacks of them.  You can just reach in and get a handful anytime.  I buy peaches in-season, peel and slice them, and dust them with white sugar (!!!) and freeze them in 2 cup containers.  You can pry them out semi-individually with a butter knife when you want to use them.  A few fresh peach slices with two blueberries on a background of white yogurt or soft cheese is very refreshing.  Also rainier, van or bing cherries and then I pit them by hand and freeze them whole.  They are delicious served as their own kind of ice cream ... I mean I serve them frozen.  they are kind of like natural popscicles. 

Also seedless grapes.  their flavor intensifies in the freezer and as long as you eat them while they are still semi-frozen (i.e. don't take them out too early when you're making dinner) they can be frozen after their lifespan fresh is over.  I buy grapes, set them out on the table, everyone eats their fill in an afternoon, then I freeze the rest for later.  Just throw them in the freezer in a bag, on the stem even, they come off easily when they're frozen.  Bananas I keep fresh in the house, but at the just-past-fresh stage, they go in the freezer.  Banana bread and banana muffins are much better with the frozen variety.  just throw them in as-is loose.  when you're ready to use them, run them under lukewarm water and the skin just sloughs off.  then chop coarsely as you drop them into the mixer/cuisenart.  Also frozen bananas in a breakfast milkshake are awesome. 

Don't forget citrus.  I love ice water with a slice of lemon.  I buy big bags of lemons from Costco and then before they go bad I slice them in nice fat 1/4"slices and freeze flat on a cookie sheet.  Then they go into gallon freezer bags and I drop them into the ice water glass just below the last few ice cubes (i.e. I don't float them on top of the glass, they look better standing side-ways in the glass among the ice cubes). they retain their color very well.  Also I freeze oranges whole.  Then take them out and slice after giving them about 5 min on the counter at room temp.  They make beautiful garnish and the flavor intensifies when frozen.

Lots of people fill their freezers with 'pre-made, pre-cooked, microwave' stuff.  This is expensive and isn't really great food anyway.  If you hate cooking, truly, then I can understand this, but otherwise fresh-made meals are so much more appealing, even for one person by themselves.  Daily cooking is a way of offering thanks for being human, thanks for having food to cook, thanks for being able to cook.     not that you were asking for a philosophy comment ... ha ha ha

I'm looking forward to the other responses you get :)

Many years ago I went through my entire kitchen and tossed everything that was boxed, packaged etc. Over time these things have creped back in but still at a low percenatage. What I am experiencing now, I think, is boardom in the kitchen. However, I do not want (nor do I like) fully processed meals.
 
Your advise has really given me a lot to think about! From all that you wrote you must have been raised this way as well? It all comes so natural to you.
 
Thank you again. Please feel free to add on any other things that may come to mind.

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