Not too long ago, Emily, Sarith and I had a discussion on how we froze various food items.
I will leave it up to them to share their freezing preferences but mine are as follows:
Soups - I spoon mine into silicon muffin pans that sit on a baking sheet for stability. I then freeze the soup. Once the soup is frozen solid, I pop them out of the silicon muffin pans and throw them into a large Ziploc bag. The muffin cups are about a measurement cup portion size and I can defrost the portion amount I need without defrosting more than I need.
Herbs - Similar to the soup, I pull out my silicon mini-muffin pan and place it on a cookie sheet. I portion out my fresh herbs and place the measurement amount in the bottom of the muffin cups and then pour enough water to cover. Once the water the herbs are in is frozen solid, I pop them out of the silicon muffin pans and throw them into a freezer Ziploc bag. Making sure to mark the bag to indicate the type of herb and the measurement amount. The when I use then I can either defrost and drain the herbs or I can just throw them in the soup pot. (i.e. cilantro because I never use the whole bunch when I buy it.)
Berries - I will prep the berries (i.e. cutting off the top of strawberries, taking off the stems of berries, etc.) but I DO NOT wash them. (The water would pull out the liquid in the berries as they freeze) I then lay them out on a cookie sheet and pop them in the freezer until they are frozen solid. Then I dump them into a freezer bag. Then when I want to use them, I give them a quick rinse and either use them frozen or allow them to defrost. Now my mother rinses the berries before freezing them so that she doesn't have to was them when she wants to use them. Granted in theory, withdrawing the liquid in the berries by pre-rinsing and then freezing them will concentrate the sugars thus making them sweeter. (That is how ice wines are made.) But it is the convenience in the morning of not washing the berries so she can just throw the frozen blueberries in her cereal in her to go cup that motivates her. Not the sweetness of the berries.
Advice from the Experts:
Good Housekeeping: Guide to Freezing Food
Martha Stewart: Tips for Freezing Food
Taste of Home: Tips for Freezing Food
Allrecipes.com: Freezing Foods: A Real Time-Saver
Southern Living: Easy Freezer Meals
So how do you freeze your food?
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