Hello! I am thinking of starting tip column for Mondays. These tips will not be for everyone, but maybe I can inspire some of you to make your own less (or more, daredevils!) extreme versions of what I do around here.
This week is FREEZER WEEK! So I'm going to post a few things I do to make better use of the freezer.
1. Use your refrigerator as your helper. Cool down foods in the fridge to reduce the strain on the freezer, but also reduce the risk of thawing neighboring foods.
2. Use your freezer to help your fridge. Thaw things in the refrigerator whenever you can. The frozen stuff will reduce your refrigerator's energy use.
3. During the winter use outside! When the temperature is at or below freezing, freeze things outside then transfer them to the freezer. (You can also just cool things outside and move to the fridge.)
4. Make things to freeze when the weather is cold enough to help. When we have a snow storm/ice storm here, it is time for me to make stock.
5. Defrost the freezer during a cold snap. When the weather is frozen outside it is the perfect time to defrost the freezer! Your frozen food will be fine outside while you work.
6. Check your freezer setting, you may not need it to be as high in the winter as the summer. If your house is not completely climate controlled, or if you carefully program your household settings, you can take advantage of the times you let your house stay cooler. (If you break ice cream scoops, your freezer setting is probably a little too high anyway.)
7. You can freeze in glass. I freeze things in glass jars all the time. Just leave lots of headroom and you shouldn't have a problem. If you are nervous to try the first few times, freeze your jar in a plastic bag so if it should break you can just throw the whole thing away and there will be no glass in your freezer.
8. You can freeze anything, but not everything will survive the process in an appetizing state. Things thickened with cornstarch and cream sauces generally don't do well when thawed. Usually the best way to find out is to try. If your leftovers are definitely not going to last until you will get to them, and you have no where else for them to go. Freeze them before you throw them. See if it works! Either way you'll know. (Make a plan to check the next day if you can so you don't leave yourself a frozen boobytrap.)
9.Yeast can survive a really long time in your freezer. If you bake bread at all you can buy bulk yeast and keep it in your freezer. (I will talk more about this on BREAD WEEK).
10. Freeze bones. Yes, that pile of chicken bones left from wing night, pop them in a bag and put them in the freezer. This is the "Stock bag". I do not mix meats but I do also throw vegetable ends in the bag with the bones. From there stock making is an easy and happy thing.
(I will give you my recipe/process soon.)
Guess what! It's snowing outside right now, so there is freezer cleaning and stock making on my agenda.
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
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