The freezer has been wonderful tool, making it possible to take advantage of sales, to set up my portion sizes for meals, and to freeze them until ready for use. There are also several entrees, such as chili, that I make in batches and freeze for later use.
Not long ago I visited my local meat market for ground pork. The pork on display was much too fatty, so I shared my dissatisfaction with the butcher. He mentioned a sale on sirloin pork and said,
“It’s very lean, and if you would like, I will grind that up for you.” I saved $1.60 per pound by buying 10 pounds which he wrapped in one-pound packages for freezing. I also bought 10 pounds of lean sirloin steaks which I cut into four-ounce portions, stored in Ziploc bags, and froze.
I will often buy two roasted chickens—one to eat during the week and one to portion into three-ounce servings and freeze. I always keep several servings of turkey patties on hand, as well as lean steaks, pork loin, and two or three types of fish that I enjoy for my main course at dinner.
I keep several small boxes in the freezer, where I store my meat and frozen fruits for easy retrieval. The boxes are labeled “Turkey/Pork,” “Beef,” “Fish” “Chicken,” and “Frozen Fruit For Shakes.”
Every third day I remove the frozen packages of meat I plan to use in the next few days and place them in plastic containers in the refrigerator to slowly thaw, which usually takes a day or two.
Another frozen favorite is corn that I get at the farmers market in August and September. I blanch it, cut it from the cob, and freeze it. In the fall I also roast tomatoes, onion, and garlic, in the oven at 350° F. until soft. I let cool and place in the blender and blend. Then place in a pan and let the puree simmer on the stove until reduced. The sauce is then ready for quart-size freezer bags or jars and freeze. When freezing item in jars leave some head space at top of jar and freeze. When frozen place lit on bottle. I do not put seasoning in the sauce until I use it. They way if I am preparing Mexican I can add Mexican spices, if Italian I add Italian spices.
This Web site offers additional details about freezing. Set up your freezer to work for you.
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