Sour cream freezing guides? If you aren’t planning to use meat right away, it’s important to freeze when you get home from the store and not leave it sitting in the fridge for a few days. How to freeze: Remove meat from packaging and place in an airtight heavy-duty foil, plastic wrap or plastic freezer bag. This will help prevent freezer burn and extend the shelf life of your meat. Storing: Fresh, uncooked beef can last in the freezer for 3 to 4 months, uncooked chicken about 9 to 12 months and uncooked seafood 3 to 12 months. Fruit and vegetables are best stored when they are at peak season. How to freeze fruit: Wash and let air dry completely before storing in a container or bag. Depending on how you’ll use them later, you may want to chop larger fruit into bite-sized pieces—but leave smaller berries intact.
Sign, seal and deliver (to the freezer): Jot down the item name and date on every meal-prep item you freeze. Depending on what’s inside, I like to scribble other details as well, to help me out when I pull meals from the freezer. You might want to make a note of the recipe name, freeze date, number of servings or portions and reheating/cooking directions. Use good quality freezer bags to freeze soups, beans and sauces. They save space because you can lay them flat to freeze. Once frozen, you can stack them up on top of each other or keep them in bins upright.
Rotisserie Chicken – We like to buy pre-cooked rotisserie chickens at the store (especially if they’re on clearance), debone, and freeze for later use in a casserole! Pork – We usually buy it in bulk and then freeze it in smaller, meal-sized portions. Especially if we’re talking pork chops! Fish/Seafood – This is another one that we prefer to vacuum seal when we need to freeze it. It really helps it to stay fresh! Lunch Meat – Buy it in bulk when it’s on sale and then freeze in the individual packages. Just pull them out a day or two before you need them to thaw! Hot Dogs/Sausage – Once again, we buy these on sale and throw them in the freezer as-is. Just put them in a freezer bag as an extra added layer of protection! If your family won’t eat a whole pack (or half a pack) at once, then portion them into smaller amounts before freezing. Eggs – Yes, you can freeze them! Scrambled eggs, breakfast burritos, egg muffin cups, egg sandwiches, you name it. Thaw them overnight in the fridge and you can have some easy and protein-packed breakfasts in the morning! Discover even more information on How to freeze.
Do: Pack Your Freezer Full This isn’t a food-safety tip, but your electricity bill will look better, says Wu. Using as much freezer space as possible increases your efficiency, she says — it takes more energy to keep the space at below-freezing temperatures with just a few items in there. Don’t: Use Whatever Plastic Bags Are Handy Usually, plastic zip-top bags designed for freezing may cost more than regular plastic bags, but it’s worth the investment because “freezer bags” are not a gimmick, explains Pendleton, South Carolina–based Kimberly Baker, PhD, RD, food systems and safety program director at Clemson University. “When packaging that’s not designed for the freezer is used, the food will lose quality more quickly,” she says. That’s because more air can get into the package, which can lead to freezer burn.
