A while back, I posted a list of ways you can save money by saving food in your freezer. (Find a printable version here.) In that post I covered citrus, fresh herbs, tomato paste, berries, and tea. Summer is in full swing now and I try to buy the freshest veggies and fruits at their peak and at their lowest prices. So, after a CSA pick-up or a trip to the farmers market, I do a day of processing in the kitchen to “keep” my organic veggie and fruit investment. We used to joke in New Hampshire, “why in the country do you need to lock your car door in the summer? Because if you don’t, you’ll come back from the store to find it chock full of zucchini because there was so much the farmer didn’t know what to do with it all.” So, take advantage of summer’s abundance and make some zucchini bread out of all that zucchini you found in your car and save your cash in your freezer.

Freezing Fruits and Veggies 

Apples and Peaches: Make pie filling per canning recipe directions. Let mixture cool, decant pie portions into Ziploc bags, label, and freeze flat for up to 3 months.

Carrots: Make moist carrot cake muffins that simply need a dusting of powdered sugar for a quick out-of-the-freezer dessert.

Onions: Simply chop, and freeze in 1C measurements in Ziploc bags and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to use, toss them into the saute pan frozen. (Watch out for a bit of sizzle as the ice crystals melt and evaporate.)

Pumpkin: Scrub clean, slice in half and remove seeds, place in roasting dish cut side down in a 1/4″ of water and cover with foil, roast at 400 degrees F until soft and knife slides right in, cool to room temperature and puree. Line a sieve with a cheesecloth and place over a bowl. Put the puree in the sieve to drain for a few hours to achieve a thick, even consistency. Decant puree to Ziploc bags, label, and freeze flat for up to 3 months.

Zucchini: Usually each plant produces enough to feed a small army, so I make zucchini bread and freeze loaves for unexpected afternoon guests and special treats. Wrap cooled baked loaves in plastic wrap, slip them into a Ziploc bag, label, and freeze for up to 3 months.

Saving Fresh Veggies: blanching is the key to preserving color, texture, and slowing the bacteria that can spoil food. Select veggies that are free from blemishes, not over-ripe and prepare them soon after you get them home. Working with manageable quantities, wash veggies and drain. Blanch as directed below and immediately dunk into ice-water to stop the cooking process. Drain, pat dry with a tea towel, portion into Ziploc freezer bags, seal eliminating all extra air, label, and freeze for up to 6 months.

• Broccoli/Cauliflower: blanch broccoli 1 lb for 3-4 minutes, blanch cauliflower 1 1/4 lbs for 3 minutes
• Green beans: blanch 2/3 – 1 lb for 2-3 minutes
• Peas: shelled, blanch 2-3lbs of peas for 90 seconds.

Source: Canning and Preserving for Dummies, Ward, Karen, Wiley Publishing, 2003.

Baked Goods in the Freezer

In addition to fresh fruits and veggies, I also save baked goods in my freezer. I save time and money using my freezer space and avoid budget-buster take-out meals when I am in a time crunch.

Freeze Pie Crusts for up to 3 months for quiche, peach pies, or mini-berry tartlets. (Recipe adapted from Joy of Cooking, 3rd ed.)

1. Dump in Cuisinart food processor: 2 1/4C all purpose flour; 1T salt; 1T sugar and pulse for 3 seconds
2. Add: 1C butter (very cold, cut into chunks); 1/4C shortening and pulse until pea-sized bits of fat remain
3. Gradually add: 1/3C + 3T water (ice-cold) while processor is running and pulse process until bits are the size of like very, very course cornmeal. (Add more water if necessary, but don’t add too much or the crust will be tough.)
4. Dump out crust dough onto plastic wrap, divide in half, and form into flat rounds. Wrap tightly in plastic and place disks in a Ziploc bag. Label and freeze for up to 3 months.
5. When ready to use, thaw in the fridge and let rest on the counter for 5 minutes before rolling out. (If the dough is too warm after 5 minutes, refrigerate briefly until firm.) Make your pie according to recipe directions.

Make Pizza Dough ahead and freeze for up to 3 months for easy calzones, dipping bread sticks, pizzas, and flat-bread-type sandwiches. (Recipe adapted from Joy of Cooking, 3rd ed.)

1. Combine in large bowl: 1 pkg, (2 1/4t) active dry yeast, 1 1/3C warm water, and let stand for 5 minutes.
2. Add: 3 1/2 to 3 3/4 C all purpose flour, 2T olive oil, 1T salt, 1T sugar,a nd mix until completely blended. (This will be super sticky.)
3. Knead in bowl for 10 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic (it will still be super sticky.)
4. Turn out into oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap to rise in a warm place (75-80 degrees F) for 1 to 1 1/2 hrs.
5. Punch down, divide in half, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, place in Ziploc freezer bag, label and freeze flat for up to 3 months.
6. Defrost in refrigerator, bring to room temp on counter top, sprinkle cornmeal on bench, roll out to 12″ round, let rest for 10 minutes before topping and baking on a baking sheet in a 475 degree F oven for 12-15 minutes.

I also freeze:

Tea bread: Wrap loaf in plastic wrap and then cover in freezer paper, label and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in fridge, and top with glaze of choice to serve.

Dinner rolls: Prepare dough through the first rise. Divide and shape the rolls, place them in a buttered baking pan, cover with plastic wrap, and slip into a plastic Ziploc bag before labeling and freezing for up to 3 months. Defrost completely in the refrigerator. Bring to room temp, and allow to rise a second time on the counter top before baking them in the oven per recipe directions.

Yeast breads: Bake bread, and turn out on to a cooling rack to cool completely. Wrap in parchment paper, or freezer paper, then slip into a Ziploc bag before labeling it and freezing it for up to 3 months. Let bread thaw completely IN paper wrapping BEFORE unwrapping to achieve best, moist result.

Cookie dough: Prepare dough per the recipe, scoop into individual cookie portion sizes with an ice cream scoop and place on a cookie sheet. Separate mounds, cover lightly with plastic wrap and freeze for 4 hours. Place mounds together in a plastic food storage container, cover tightly, and freeze for up to 3 months. To bake: place frozen mounds spaced on a cookie sheet (greased per recipe directions) and let come to room temp on the counter lightly covered with plastic wrap. Shape cookies and bake-off according to recipe directions.

If the cookies are slice and bake cut from a roll, form roll (and coat with nuts or chocolate if called for) before freezing the dough. If the cookies are roll and cut-out cookies, you can roll out dough flat and roll the dough up into a cylinder before freezing.

Shortbread and cakey cookies are better baked before being frozen. Like baked brownies and blondies, layer cookies in a plastic container with a tightly fitting lid between sheets of parchment paper, label them, and place in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Cakes: Wrap buttercake baked layers tightly in plastic wrap and then waxed/freezer paper- freeze buttercreams separately, tightly sealed so they don’t take on odors.  When ready to use, thaw layers completely IN wrapping  BEFORE unwrapping, thaw buttercream in refrigerator, let soften on counter at room temp for 20 minutes before adding liquors or extracts, and re-whip before using. (Buttercreams may seem to curdle at first, but keep whipping and the mixture will come together again.)

Freeze cupcakes per muffin instructions below. If cupcakes are frosted, let thaw in the refrigerator lightly covered with plastic wrap.

If you are freezing a left-over cake curd and whip cream filings don’t freeze well. Freeze butter cakes in individual portion sizes so you don’t have to defrost more than you need.

Muffins, Bagels and Waffles: Freeze muffins flat on a cookie sheet covered in plastic wrap, and then place in a Ziploc bag, label and freeze for up to 2 months. I like to thaw my muffins in the microwave so they come out nice and warm. Buy bagels when they are on sale, and freeze in a Ziploc bag. Thaw in the toaster oven, or in your fridge. Make an extra batch of waffles, let them cool, stack and place in a Ziploc freezer bag. Label and freeze for up to 3 months. Place frozen waffles in the toaster oven to warm them before serving.

Freeze Soups and Chilies Too

Soup, Cold or Hot! - Make your favorite soup recipe but omit any cream at the end. Decant portions into freezer Ziploc bags. With a permanent marker, note the type of soup, number of portions, reheating instructions, how much cream and garnish to add, and the date. Flatten the bag and freeze for up to 6 months. I have successfully frozen, gazpacho, cream of asparagus soup, and leek soup.

Slow-cooked chilies - My husband LOVEs Cincinnati chili. So I cook up a big batch and freeze the extra portions. Simply thaw the bag of chili, cook some spaghetti just past al dente, top with chili, shredded cheddar cheese, chopped yellow onions, and kidney beans, depending on if you want a two-way, three-way, or four-way.

:: :: ::

For more info on freezing veggies and fruits visit TipNut.com.

A small note: I freeze my liquids and purees flat in their Ziploc bags and then stack the bags like books on my freezer shelves. I find it I can fit more in my freezer and everything is easier to find. Another way to easily identify items in your frosty freezer: color code dishes, herbs, baked goods, and veggies by using different colored permanent markers and draw a colored square on the top corner of each Ziploc bag, or container for easy reference.

Do you have any Save Your Cash In Your Freezer tips? Leave a comment here and share your tip with other readers! Happy Organizing!