Food freezing guides? Storing: Leftovers with cooked meat or chicken can be stored in the freezer for 2 to 6 months. Egg-containing casseroles are best eaten within 2 to 3 months. For a more comprehensive list of cold food storage, check out this list put together by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Food Safety and Inspection Service. In some cases, your frozen food items can be used straight from the freezer. Those frozen bananas and berries can go straight into a smoothie or shake. In other cases, though, you’ll need to plan ahead and properly defrost and thaw food before working with it—especially when it comes to working with raw meat.
Assemble casseroles in freezer-safe and ovenproof dishes (glass and ceramic dishes tend to work best) and seal with several layers of plastic wrap and foil, or with an airtight lid to keep out as much air as possible. For the best defrosting results, thaw them in the refrigerator overnight, then cook in the oven. Of course, if you forget to thaw and want to bake from frozen, make sure you freeze your casseroles in freezer-to-ovenproof baking dishes (such as foil, as most glass or ceramic dishes will crack). Don’t forget to remove any plastic wrap on your casseroles before baking (yes, I’ve done that!).
Yes! Produce is one of those food types that seem to go bad before you can eat it. The beauty of freezing fresh fruit and veggies – it can be past its prime and you can still freeze it for smoothies or cooking in something else! Bananas – Whole, sliced, blended, whatever floats your boat! They make a delicious addition to a smoothie and obviously make good banana bread. Berries – Whole cranberries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, etc. These are all super easy to freeze and they’re GREAT in smoothies! Fruit – Sliced watermelon, cantaloupe, peaches, grapes, kiwi, etc. freeze well. Just make sure you flash freeze (spread them out on a sheet pan and freeze) before putting them into a freezer baggie or else you’ll end up with a huge clump of fruit that you’ll never get apart! Read extra info at How to Freeze Celery.
“Commercially caught fish and shellfish, flash frozen on the boat at sea, are usually vacuum-sealed and safe to keep for six months, although the flavor may go stale if you keep it that long,” he says. Even mild thawing can shorten a fish’s freshness, he adds, so it’s important to keep frozen seafood completely frozen. That means if you’re running other errands after going to the grocery store, it may be worth bringing a cooler with ice packs to ensure your frozen fish stays at the right temperature. If you’re buying fresh fish, use freezer-designed packaging like freezer bags or freezer paper. You may also want to consider investing in a vacuum sealer for fish and other foods.
