Keeping ample stash of kitchen essentials is the wise thing to do to wade through these trying times. Freezing your fruits and vegetables may help prolong your food supply during the ongoing lockdown imposed due to Coronavirus scare; you may avail almost the same nutritional value of fresh produce. If you too are thinking of stacking foods for later use, follow these tips dished out by chefs and dietitians to store food in freezer.
(Also Read: Basic Kitchen Essentials One Must Have During The Lockdown Days)
Tips To Store Food In Freezer:
1. Blanch raw vegetables in boiling water. They freeze better when they are blanched. Lauren Harris-Pincus, author of 'The Protein-Packed Breakfast Club', says, "It helps minimise spoiling of the products and increases the amount of time you can leave it in the freezer."
2. To freeze fruits, use a baking sheet. Wrapping different fruits separately in a single layer of baking sheet can avoid the fruits sticking to each other in the freezer.
3. If you want to store liquid meals like soup, try to freeze single servings. Harris-Pincus adds, "I often freeze soups in re-sealable bags, then lay flat until frozen. Once hardened, they can be stacked to maximise storage."
4. To freeze eggs, scramble them first. Chef and dietician Dana Angelo White, RD, who is also the author of 'The Healthy Instant Pot Cookbook', suggests, "Precooked egg dishes like sandwiches, frittata and quiche can also be frozen, and they can go right from freezer to oven."
5. Pre-slice bread can be stored better in the freezer. If you have a loaf of bread, which will probably expire before you'll use it, just store it in the freezer to extend its life.
Fill your ice tray with yogurt to make yogurt cubes. "I use these in smoothies, right from freezer to blender, it is a great way to use up extra and to shorten the meal prep time for smoothies," revealed Dana Angelo White.
Follow these useful tips to store foods in freezer that you keep using for cooking.