Food Freezing Tips: How Long Can You Store Meals in Your Freezer? [Infographic]

Food preservation in cold temperatures has been practiced since the early days of mankind, although not as effortlessly as today when we have powerful freezers, polythene bags and plastic containers, freezer labels and other utensils that help us better preserve food. We also have the knowledge of how to do it properly.

To make sure defrosted food is as fresh, nutritious and tasty as before freezing it, there are certain rules to follow. For example:

• Food should always be frozen at the peak of its ripeness/freshness;
• Some types of food do not freeze well, such as eggs in shell or potatoes;
• Liquids expand in cold temps, so it’s important to leave enough room in the container when freezing beverages, etc.

Most importantly, we must know how long we can keep each type of food in the freezer before it loses its taste or even becomes unsafe to eat (if air gets in).

The following infographic is created as a guide to help you figure out how long you can keep meat, seafood, ice cream and other food products in the freezer. Keep it on your fridge or freezer for quick reference when planning meals.

[via FreezerLabels.net]

Tips to Freeze What You Grow

With plenty of gardening comes plenty of produce, but what can you do with all of it? You certainly can’t eat it all at once, and canning everything is a pain in the neck. However, your freezer might give you another option. Saving produce by freezing it is often very efficient, fast and easy to do. Most vegetables and fruits can be frozen without any loss of flavor. Plus by preparing it ahead of time you can make your meals faster and easier than ever. Here are some tips for freezing your produce:

Cut it Up

The first step to freezing your produce is preparation. You should cut the fruits and vegetables into the sizes you will use for meals. For example I peel and slice my peaches for use in pies and smoothies before I freeze them. I also shell my peas, dice my bell peppers, and shred my zucchini. By having the produce all ready to go it not only makes my meal preparation faster but makes it easier to freeze them. Keep in mind that some produce needs to be blanched before freezing to preserve the flavor and color.

Lay It Out

After the produce is prepared, it is time to freeze it. Although you can toss it all in a freezer bag and throw it in the freezer it is a lot harder to use it that way. It also takes up more room in your freezer. Instead, take a cue from the professionals and lay out your produce before freezing it. Get a large cookie sheet and line it. Then spread out the prepared produce in a single layer and freeze it. After it is frozen you can easily pour it into a container and it will be much easier to manipulate and defrost later. For liquids, like pureed produce and herbs, you have two options. You can pour it into an ice cube tray and freeze before putting the cubes in a bag. Or you can lay the bag on its side and freeze in a thin layer that is very easy to store.

Package It Well

Keep in mind that your produce will only stay fresh if you package it well. A regular sandwich bag will not do the trick. Instead make sure you use bags especially made for freezing or other methods that will keep your produce fresh. Vacuum sealing is a great way to keep produce fresh in the freezer for over a year!

Invest in a Good Freezer

Last but not least, you should invest in a good freezer to keep your produce lasting longer. The one that comes with your refrigerator is okay for short term storage, like a month or two, but for longer periods an independent freezer is much better at preserving foods. Just think about how much money you are saving on produce year round and it will make the investment of a freezer seem less overwhelming.

As you can see, freezing your produce is a great, easy way to make the most of your garden. Do not throw away rotten produce because you can’t eat it fast enough. Instead save it for up to a year or more in your freezer and have great fruits and vegetables any time of year that are tasty and homegrown.

How to Freeze Peppers

If you like frozen peppers in the winter, just imagine how good it would taste if you had picked a bag yourself and then quickly froze it at home!  It is also one of the simplest ways to put up a vegetable for the winter. Here's how to do it, complete instructions in easy steps and completely illustrated. The peppers will taste MUCH better than any canned or frozen you've ever had from a store. And if you'd rather can your peppers, see this page.

Directions for Freezing Peppers

Ingredients

• fresh peppers - any quantity (about one handful per serving)

Equipment

• 1 Large pot of boiling water
• 2 large bowls, one filled with cold water and ice.
• 1 sharp knife
• Vacuum food sealer or "ziploc" type freezer bags (the freezer bag version is heavier and protects better against freezer burn.

Instructions

Step 1 - Get your peppers!

Start with fresh peppers - as fresh as you can get.  Select crisp, tender, green or bright peppers. If there is a delay between harvesting and freezing, put it in the refrigerator or put ice on it. And don't use peppers that are old, limp, overripe or dried out (see below):

Step 2 - Wash the peppers!

I'm sure you can figure out how to rinse the peppers in plain cold or lukewarm water.

Step 3 - Slice the peppers in half, scoop out the seeds and cut into smaller pieces

Cut out stems, cut in half and remove seeds. If desired, cut into 1/2-inch strips or rings.
Of course, if your prefer Julianne cut peppers, you can cut the peppers lengthwise in thin strips instead or chop into smaller pieces.

Step 4 - Decide how you will be using them later

This determines how you will prepare them

• If you will be using them heated (in cooking):
• Then you will need to water blanch them - go on to Step 5

• If you will be using them in uncooked foods where you need a crisper texture, or possibly still use them in cooked foods:  
• Skip to Step 7

Step 5 - Blanch the peppers

• Get the pots ready. Get the pot of boiling water ready (about 2/3 filled) and a LARGE bowl with ice and cold water.

All fruits and vegetables contain enzymes and bacteria that, over time, break down the destroy nutrients and change the color, flavor, and texture of food during frozen storage. peppers requires a brief heat treatment, called blanching, in boiling water or steam, to destroy the enzymes before freezing. Blanch the pepper halves for 3 minutes; and strips or rings for 2 minutes.

• Then cool them promptly in a large bowl of ice water for 3 or 4 minutes. Drain and package, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Seal and freeze.

The duration is intended to be just long enough to stop the action of the enzymes and kill the bacteria.
Begin counting the blanching time as soon as you place the peppers in the boiling water. Cover the kettle and boil at a high temperature for the required length of time. You may use the same blanching water several times (up to 5). Be sure to add more hot water from the tap from time to time to keep the water level at the required height.

Step 6 - Cool the peppers

Cool peppers immediately in ice water. Drain the peppers thoroughly. After vegetables are blanched, cool them quickly to prevent overcooking. Plunge the peppers into a large quantity of ice-cold water (I keep adding more ice to it). A good rule of thumb: Cool for the same amount of time as the blanch step. For instance, if you blanch sweet peppers for 7 minutes, then cool in ice water for 7 minutes.
Drain thoroughly.

Step 7 - Bag the peppers

I love the FoodSavers vacuum sealing - these things really work.  If you don't have one, ziploc bags work, too, but it is hard to get as much air out of the bags.  Remove the air to prevent drying and freezer burn. TIP:  If you don't own a vacuum food sealer to freeze foods, place food in a Ziploc bags, zip the top shut but leave enough space to insert the tip of a soda straw. When straw is in place, remove air by sucking the air out.  To remove straw, press straw closed  where inserted and finish pressing the bag closed as you remove straw.

Step 8 - Done!

Pop them into the freezer, on the "quick freeze" shelf, if you have one!

Tips:

• Harvest the peppers at its peak maturity but not old - mushy! Younger is better than older
• Process promptly after harvesting, or keep cooled in the fridge or with ice until then.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long can they be frozen?

It depends upon how cold is your freezer and how you packed them.  Colder (deep freezes) are better than frost free compartments, which actually cycle above freezing (that's how they melt the ice).  Vacuum packing results in longer storage capability, too.  Thicker bags also help prevent freezer burn.

In general, up to 9 months in a ziploc bag in an ordinary freezer, and 14 months in a deep freeze in a vacuum packed bag.  After that, they peppers won't make you sick; they just won't taste a s good.

[via Pick Your Own]