What foods can be frozen in the freezer. The best recipes with photos

The presence of a large refrigerator or a separate freezer in the house simply obliges the housewife to prepare fresh vegetables and fruits.

Summer freezing of vegetables for the winter at home preserves much more vitamins and nutrients than labor-intensive preservation. Freezing is easier, faster and more fun than standing at the stove filling jars with boiling juices and purees. Of course, it’s better to prepare crispy pickled cucumbers or tomatoes using the classic method. And eggplants, cauliflower, tomato juice, mushrooms, green beans and even borscht can be stored in the freezer.

How to freeze tomatoes

The fastest and most practical way to freeze tomatoes is to freeze the juice. Frozen homemade tomato juice for the winter saves not only vitamins, but also time! Tomatoes must be chopped in a blender or meat grinder.

If desired, you can first peel them, but if the blender is powerful, then there will be nothing left of it. The resulting juice is poured into plastic glasses or durable plastic bags and sent to the freezer.

If desired, you can boil the mixture - this will evaporate the water and make the tomato thicker. The juice can be refined by adding a little bell and bitter pepper and herbs. In winter, tomato juice with the aroma of summer can be added to borscht, soup, and prepared sauces and marinades based on it.

Another with method for freezing tomatoes suitable for amateurs. In this case, you will need dense, fleshy tomatoes. They need to be cut into circles, frozen on cling film in one layer, and then put into separate bags so that one serving contains as many circles as needed for one pizza.

You can also freeze diced tomatoes. This option is suitable for those who like to cook vegetable stews or add tomatoes to meat dishes and soups. It’s very simple: cut the tomatoes into cubes, put them in a plastic glass and put them in the freezer

Is it possible to freeze eggplants for the winter?

In winter, these vegetables are expensive, so frozen eggplant dishes on the New Year's table will be very useful. To freeze eggplants, they must be cut into circles or tongues. You can then use the tongues to make delicious eggplant rolls with cheese, and assemble the circles into cute towers.

To remove bitterness, chopped vegetables are first soaked in salt water and then fried in vegetable oil and allow the pieces to cool.

The cooled semi-finished products are frozen in one layer on cling film, and then grouped into portions, carefully removing air, packed in film or bags and stored in the freezer. In winter, vegetables are defrosted at room temperature and prepared in the same way as in season.

You can also freeze the blue ones in half rings or cubes. This preparation can be used for vegetable stews or salads. If you add grated carrots and garlic to the thawed cubes, and then mix everything with mayonnaise, you will get a tasty and satisfying, and most importantly, summer snack! And if you add onion and tomato paste to the cubes, you will end up with frozen eggplant caviar on the table. It is not recommended to freeze eggplants in their raw form!

How to freeze bell peppers and herbs

Every housewife should know how to freeze bell peppers and herbs, if only because it is very simple. For convenience, you can freeze them together: cut peppers of different colors into strips, finely chop (or you can chop in a blender) the greens, mix everything, put it in small bags, squeeze out the air and put it in the freezer. In the summer, these bright vegetable preparations are sent directly frozen into soups, borscht, sauces or.

Lovers of greens can buy large quantities of their favorite herbs (parsley, dill, basil), chop, mix and freeze in small portions for one dressing. Preparing parsley for the winter in this way is much healthier than preserving it in salt.

For stuffing, peppers should, of course, be frozen whole. First, they are cooled separately from each other, and then they are folded one into another, sealed and sent to the freezer compartment.

Vegetable preparation for the winter in the form of caviar

Every refrigerator should have vegetables frozen for the winter in the form of caviar. Each housewife has her own recipe for this dish. Some people like assorted dishes, adding everything they have on hand: eggplants, zucchini, carrots, onions, bell peppers, tomatoes and herbs.

Others prepare caviar only from eggplants or only from zucchini. You can freeze any caviar, and you don’t have to cook it separately; you can simply prepare a little more food for dinner, and put some in the freezer.

Frozen caviar is much tastier than canned, it does not need to be sterilized, it does not contain vinegar, and fresh herbs and garlic, added after turning off the stove, remain as aromatic as immediately after chopping.

Caviar can be frozen in portioned plastic containers, additionally packed in film, or in bags. If you are not lazy and prepare this delicious dish, then in winter you will be able to give yourself a few free evenings by taking a ready-made side dish out of the freezer.

Zucchini, cauliflower and beans

What these vegetables have in common is pre-blanching. Before sending them to the kingdom of Santa Claus, the prepared vegetables must be dipped in boiling water for a few minutes. It is recommended to freeze zucchini in cubes or slices, separate cabbage into inflorescences, and remove the inedible tail from beans. After blanching, the vegetables are allowed to cool and drain, and then placed in bags and frozen.

Preparation for borscht

This preparation is a real salvation in winter! By working for one day, you can save yourself from the tedious work of preparing borscht for the whole year! Plus, on a frosty day there will be delicious and beautiful borscht on the table with the aroma of summer and fresh vegetables.

The preparation is very simple; in fact, it is a frying dish, for which each housewife has her own recipe. The ingredients and methods for cutting them can be the same as for regular cooking of borscht. Onions, carrots, and beets are fried in vegetable oil or fat.

To prevent the beets from losing color, you can fry them in caramel: melt sugar in butter, add a drop of vinegar and place the beets in a frying pan.

In a large bowl, bring freshly prepared tomato juice (tomatoes chopped in a blender or meat grinder) to a boil; it is recommended to boil it a little in order to get rid of excess water and get a more concentrated product.

Then all the fried vegetables, fresh tomatoes, hot peppers are added here, you can add fried mushrooms. There is no need to boil for a long time; after the total mass has boiled, add fresh bell pepper, stir and turn off the heat.

After the mixture has cooled slightly, add fresh herbs and garlic. The dressing is allowed to cool, laid out in portions per borscht (0.5 liters of dressing is enough for 4-5 liters of broth) and sent to the freezer for freezing and storage.

In winter, it will be enough to prepare the broth, add potatoes and cabbage to it, and then add a fragrant cocktail of summer vegetables and herbs, thawed in the microwave or otherwise, into the pan.

Mushrooms

Mushrooms can also be frozen fresh, but it is better to cook them first. This way they will take up less space, and the cooking process will speed up significantly. Fried mushrooms will enhance fried potatoes, meat or winter salad. You can also freeze fried mushrooms along with fried eggplant and onions.

In winter, this preparation will perfectly complement meat or vegetable dishes. Mushroom preparations for soups You can prepare it for the winter by frying mushrooms with onions and carrots and freezing them in portions. For sauerkraut, mushrooms can be cut into slices and boiled.

Freezing berries

Berries can be frozen either in their original form or in puree form. Raspberries, cherries, strawberries, currants, cranberries are thoroughly washed, dried and frozen on a baking sheet or plate. Ready-made fruit ice cubes are packaged in bags and stored in the freezer. Plums and apricots are best frozen in ladles, while melon can be prepared in sugar syrup and used in cocktails or as an addition to ice cream.

If you need preparations for compotes, jelly or fruit desserts, it is better to grind the berries in a blender and place them in cups. You can also freeze fruit juices or make colorful cubes from the juices in ice cube trays, placing a whole berry in the middle. Try turning some of the berries into, it is no less relevant in winter.

To prevent frozen vegetables and fruits from losing their properties, they must be carefully packaged in airtight bags or plastic containers. There should be as little air as possible inside the package - the first enemy of food freshness. You can use special freezer bags or wrap them in a few simple bags. While defrosting the freezer, vegetables should be covered with blankets to prevent them from defrosting.

Re-freezing is not allowed, so it is highly recommended to freeze vegetables in portions. In order for the fresh gifts of summer to retain as many useful vitamins as possible, you should use the “Quick Freeze” button - it lowers the temperature in the freezer compartment of the refrigerator to maximum. Deep shock freezing of vegetables and fruits prevents water from turning into ice and breaking the cells. The same is possible.

The freezer can be filled not only with meat, fish and berries. There are many foods that can be frozen without losing their taste. Frozen foods will calmly wait their turn, and you won’t have to throw them away or quickly finish them to avoid spoiling. Here are 20 foods you can freeze and how to do it.

1. Cheese

You can freeze a large piece of cheese and it won't fall apart once defrosted. If you prefer to slice your cheese before freezing, add a teaspoon of cornstarch or flour to the container to prevent the slices from sticking together during defrosting.

If you like to add grated cheese to your dishes, you can buy a large piece of Parmesan, chop it in a food processor and put it in the freezer in special freezer bags. It can be stored in the freezer for several months, and while preparing it, all you have to do is open a container or freezer bag and remove a couple of teaspoons of cheese.

2. Homemade pancakes, waffles and French toast

If you'd like to enjoy homemade pancakes, waffles, and toast for breakfast more often, you can simply bake a larger batch on the weekend, freeze on a cookie tray, and store in freezer bags.

At any time you can take them out of the freezer, heat them in the microwave and have breakfast. In any case, it will turn out cheaper and tastier than buying frozen baked goods in the store.

3. Fruit

It is better to freeze fruits on parchment paper, and only then place them in freezer bags. It is better to immediately freeze the cut pieces so that you can take them out for desserts and smoothies as needed.

If you're a smoothie lover, you can make your own frozen fruit blend right away. Separately freeze pieces of apples, pears, peaches, bananas and other fruits you like. At any time, you can make yourself a new smoothie by mixing different types of fruits.

If you don't like cooking slimy, thawed banana pieces, freeze them whole, skin and all. When you decide to cook something with a banana, you need to take it out of the freezer, defrost it in the microwave, cut off the top and squeeze the contents into the cooking mixture.

4. Rice

To avoid waiting too long for rice (especially brown rice, which takes about 50 minutes to cook), you can freeze it. The rice is first frozen on a tray or parchment paper and then placed in a freezer bag.

Thawed rice can be fried or used for soup or casserole. The cooking time will be reduced by about an hour (including not only cooking, but also rinsing and soaking).

5. Pies

You can make more apple pie and enjoy it for several months. Wrap it in freezer paper, place it in a bag and put it in the freezer. When you want to taste the pie, place it in a preheated oven (about 150 degrees) for 2 hours.

6. Corn

The easiest way to freeze corn is not to take it out of the leaves, but just stick it in the freezer. When you want corn, just take it out and heat it in the microwave for 5 minutes. The leaves protect the corn kernels so it tastes fresh.

7. Tomato paste

Simmer Roma tomatoes over low heat with garlic, fresh herbs and olive oil for about 4-5 hours. Once the mixture has cooled, place it in freezer bags. You can use this mixture as a base for chili or tomato sauces.

8. Pasta

Cook more pasta and freeze small portions in different bags - you can use one small bag for soups and casseroles.

Before freezing, make sure to release the air from the bag - it should be as flat as possible. To defrost, place the sealed bag in hot water for a few minutes.

9. Mashed Potatoes

Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out a scoop of mashed potatoes and place the scoop on the baking parchment.

Freeze until the balls are firm and then store in freezer bags. The puree will keep in the freezer for at least two months.

10. Cookie dough

Cookie dough is frozen on parchment paper and stored in a freezer bag. You can divide it into separate portions or immediately make it in the desired form.

Using this dough, you can prepare cookies in 1-2 minutes, without dirty dishes and table.

11. Potato chips

If you buy enough chips and freeze them in the same package they came in, you'll always have a snack.

Plus, frozen chips taste even better than regular chips, so there's no need to defrost them before eating.

12. Milk

If your milk is used very slowly, and the remains turn sour and are poured out, it is quite possible to freeze it until next time.

Just be sure to choose a bottle that has room to spare since frozen liquids expand. Thawed milk needs to be mixed well and can be used (just do not defrost it in the microwave).

13. Juice

The only criterion for freezing juice, like freezing milk, is that the bottle is large enough so that the frozen drink has room to expand.

14. Bread

To avoid having to throw away dry bread, you can cut up several loaves and freeze them. As needed, remove the pieces of bread you need and defrost them in the oven or microwave. To prevent the bread from drying out until the morning, you can leave it overnight in a switched off, tightly closed microwave.

15. Vegetable pieces

You can freeze chopped onions, bell peppers, or chili peppers in freezer bags. Once they're frozen enough, you can mark the bag with "portion lines" so you know how much to take at a time.

16. Lemon and lime juice, lemon zest

Squeeze the lemon and lime into ice cube trays and place in the freezer. Now you will have fresh citrus juice at any time. The zest can also be frozen and used to prepare various dishes.

17. Herbs

You can freeze aromatic herbs in ice cube trays with a little water or broth to use throughout the year in soups, stews, or casseroles.

18. Marinated meat

Place the meat in a freezer bag, cover with marinade and place in the freezer. When you take it out, it will already be marinated and you can cook it right away.

19. Homemade casseroles

When you're making a casserole like lasagna, why not make a big batch and freeze half for a home-cooked meal during the work week.

There are several freezing options you can use:

  1. Freeze the whole casserole in a dish lined with freezer paper. When the casserole is frozen sufficiently, remove the dish, repack the casserole in freezer paper, and place it back in the freezer. The advantage is that you can use the dish while the casserole is stored in the freezer. When you need it again, place it in the same dish and cook it.
  2. Freeze in parts. Prepare the casserole, let cool, cut into pieces and freeze. Can be reheated in the microwave.

20. Fish fingers

Semi-finished products sold in stores can hardly be called tasty, so why not make homemade fish fingers?

To do this, you need to buy fresh fish, cut it into small pieces, roll it in egg, flour or breadcrumbs, place it on a tray and freeze.

After this, you can store homemade fish sticks in freezer bags - they are much tastier than store-bought ones, inside of which there is strange minced meat instead of fish.

Have you tried freezing any foods?

Many products are convenient to put in the freezer for long-term storage, but there are some that are very harmed by frost. Freezing can cause many problems, from destroying the texture and flavor of a food to reducing its health benefits.

Some foods cannot be placed in the freezer, even for a short period of time. Below is a list of foods for which frost should be prohibited.

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1. Vegetables with high water content

Many vegetables can be safely frozen without fear of harming them or yourself. But you should avoid freezing vegetables with a lot of water. When you defrost them, they run the risk of turning into a soft, shapeless mass with altered flavor. Therefore, onions, radishes, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, cauliflower and other vegetables with high water content should never be frozen.

2. Dairy products

Dairy products also made the list. Everything - from soft cheeses and yogurt to milk and cottage cheese - can only be stored in the refrigerator. Liquid foods will curdle when defrosted, and soft foods (such as cheese) will change their texture in an unpleasant way. Only hard types of cheese can be placed in the freezer for a short time; they will hardly change when defrosted.

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3. Fruit

Fruits can be frozen only if you plan to blend them in a blender for cocktails or smoothies after defrosting. Otherwise, don't expect frozen fruit to deteriorate by changing texture after being in the freezer.

4 eggs

Raw or cooked, eggs are in any case on the list of foods prohibited from freezing. Fresh eggs in the freezer will simply crack, and when thawed, the whites of boiled eggs will turn into something more like rubber. If freezing is unavoidable, separate the whites and yolks of raw eggs and freeze them in separate containers.

5. Lettuce

Cabbage, lettuce and any green leafy lettuce should also not be placed in the freezer if you want to keep their texture intact after defrosting. The leaves will not only wither quickly, but will also lose a lot of flavor.

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6. Fried food

Fried foods—from potatoes to chicken—become just a soggy mess once they thaw. However, this can still be fixed - they can be heated on the stove or in the oven. But the initial taste of such products will still be lost.

7. Sauces

Do not freeze sauces and mayonnaise. As a rule, when defrosted, they curl up, which makes them completely useless. Sauces containing flour or cornstarch are especially sensitive to freezing, but you won't get the best results by freezing egg white custard or glaze.

8. Carbonated drinks

Soda should not be frozen, remembering that liquids expand when they solidify. Carbon dioxide, which is responsible for the bubbles, will go away after freezing, and the taste of the defrosted drink can change greatly.

9. Thawed food

Freezing food that has already been thawed is a big health risk. Repeated freezing promotes the growth of bacteria, which can cause food poisoning. Therefore, if you have already defrosted the product, try to cook it anyway.

One of the important steps to saving money and precious time of every housewife is the correct use of the refrigerator freezer, especially if it is large. This will help you freeze more food for future use and not be afraid of the arrival of unexpected guests and situations when you want to eat, but you don’t want to or can’t go to the store. To ensure that the food in the freezer does not spoil, you should remember that there are certain rules for freezing food, as well as various ready-made dishes.

Meat, fruits and vegetables will quickly deteriorate if they are not frozen correctly, the products begin to lose quality, in such an environment bacteria begin to multiply intensively, so you should strictly adhere to all the rules and recommendations for freezing products.

Freezing vegetables and fruits in the freezer- a profitable, convenient and healthy method of canning, because frozen vegetables and fruits retain all the vitamins, microelements and other useful substances that were in them at the time of freezing. The smell, taste, and nutrients remain in frozen fruits and vegetables; only the shape and color suffer. Frozen vegetables and fruits also benefit from pickles and jams in that they do not contain preservatives such as vinegar, salt, and sugar. This is an ideal method for preserving food for a long time. Besides, Freezing food is ideal for complete baby food, since canned food is prohibited for children, but frozen foods retain their beneficial properties and do not contain any preservatives.

These are some useful tips for freezing and defrosting food that were found on the Internet.

Freezing rules

  1. The freezer must be perfectly clean and dry before freezing food in it. Also remember that the freezer needs to be cleaned periodically, and if snow and ice form on its walls, you should defrost the entire refrigerator and wash it well.
  2. Food should be frozen at a temperature -18 °C to -23 °C. At temperatures of -18 °C and below, fruits and vegetables freeze better. Shelf life at this temperature ranges from 8 to 12 months.
  3. You can also freeze food at temperatures 0°C to -8°C, but in this case the shelf life of such products is maximum three months.
  4. Shelf life of frozen foods in the freezer. The shelf life of products in the freezer, during which the products retain their original qualities, depends on the type of frozen product, the freezing method, and the temperature in the freezer.
    • Mushrooms - from 3 to 6 months
    • Fruits - from 9 to 12 months
    • Ready-made fried/boiled/stewed dishes and broths - from 1 to 3 months.
    • Vegetables - from 3 to 12 months
    • Greens - 3-4 months
    • Flour products - from 1 to 3 months
    • Meat/fish - from 3 to 12 months
    • Sausage/sausages - from 1 month to six months
    • Dairy products - from 2 to 6 months
    • Bell peppers with minced meat - 3-6 months
  5. Food cannot be re-frozen in no case! It is recommended to freeze food in small portions, 1 serving for preparing soup, compote or any other dish. In addition, small portions freeze faster and are stored better.
  6. Before freezing products (vegetables, fruits, meat) should wash well and dry, since food is not washed after defrosting. Drying is necessary so that the food does not stick together into one solid lump during freezing. You can dry them by draining vegetables and fruits in a colander or laying them out on a towel.
  7. Dry freezing. This is how some berries, which are very juicy and quickly release juice, are frozen: they are laid out on a board covered with cling film and placed in the freezer (the stalks of raspberries and blackberries are first removed, but currants can be laid in whole bunches). You can sprinkle the berries with sugar. After the berries are completely frozen, they are simply poured into a plastic bag, excess air is removed from the bag, the opening of the bag is closed and tied, and stored in the freezer. Dumplings are frozen in approximately the same way.
  8. Food is frozen mainly in the usual way: washed and dried, then laid out in small portions in clean and dry bags and containers for freezing, air removed from them (as much as possible), these bags (containers) are tightly closed and sent to the freezer.
  9. Only ripe, whole and unspoiled mushrooms, vegetables and fruits can be used for freezing.
  10. Most vegetables need to be blanched before freezing. Blanching- boil vegetables in a small amount of water for just a few minutes at a low boil.
  11. Products with a strong odor should be packaged in two bags or placed in a container.
  12. If you freeze liquid, leave enough free space in containers and containers (about a quarter of the capacity), since the liquid expands when it turns into ice.
  13. You can only freeze whole, ripe, unspoiled vegetables, fruits and mushrooms.
  14. During the day, you can add up to 1 kg of food for freezing to the freezer every 8 liters of refrigerator volume, otherwise the temperature in the freezer will drop sharply, and this should not be allowed when freezing.
  15. The freezing process should be very short. To do this, you should reduce the temperature in the freezer to a minimum when placing food in it, and once the food is frozen, you should maintain the temperature in the freezer no higher than - 18 °C, increasing to - 10 °C is possible, but then the shelf life of the products will be significantly reduced ( meat, vegetables, fruits, berries, mushrooms, ready meals, etc.).
  16. All products for freezing must be fresh, whole, and ripe.
  17. Containers for freezing (bags, trays, packages) must not allow air or moisture to pass through to prevent chapping due to freezing(this occurs if the product was frozen with excess air or the container leaks air, causing moisture to evaporate from the product). It is better not to eat weathered foods at all.

Defrosting food

To prevent frozen foods from becoming a source of poisoning, every housewife and owner needs to know the basic rules of defrosting.

  1. Meat, poultry, seafood, vegetables and fruits need to be defrosted in the refrigerator or microwave, and not, as many are used to, in a bowl on the windowsill (defrosting in the refrigerator will help avoid the proliferation of dangerous pathogenic flora). You can still defrost in cold water.
  2. Once food is completely defrosted, it should be cooked immediately.
  3. It is recommended to defrost the fish by immersing it completely in cold water so that the water completely covers it.
  4. It is still best to defrost meat and fish in the evening in the refrigerator to prevent the rapid proliferation of pathogenic microbes, and in the morning you can prepare your favorite dishes from defrosted meat and fish.

Frozen food storage

Proper packaging

In order to increase the shelf life of food in the freezer compartment of the refrigerator, you should use the correct packaging. One of the basic rules for increasing the shelf life of food in the freezer is proper packaging. For this you can use:

  • cellophane (polyethylene) bags for food products, bags with clips;
  • special containers and trays made of food-grade plastic.

Packaging for fresh produce from stores is not suitable for storage in the freezer. When freezing meat for a long time, you need to rinse it under running water and put it in a new clean plastic bag, releasing all the air from it. Then the meat can be placed in the freezer. It is convenient to freeze meat in portions, separately in a bag for cutlets, separately for pilaf, separately for borscht soups. And portioned meat will defrost faster, and there will be no need to cut off excess pieces and refreeze (which cannot be done in principle).

Lists in the freezer

  1. What lies there?
  2. For what (what dish).
  3. How many servings?
  4. Freezing date.

Package

When freezing food, you can use plastic bags or special freezer containers. These packages must be clean, durable, intact and hermetically sealed. You can also use regular plastic ice cream or yogurt boxes and buckets for freezing, but such packaging should never be used in the microwave or oven to heat up food. Check all your packages and containers to see if they are suitable for storing food in the freezer or reheating in the oven or microwave.

Labels (labels)

There are special freezer labels on sale that stick well and come off the packaging.

Marker

Inscriptions made with a regular ballpoint pen will quickly fade in the freezer, and a regular felt-tip pen will smudge. You need a permanent marker or a special marker for writing on freezer labels. I repeat: if you have a fairly large freezer, it is better to label everything you put in the freezer. Frozen foods lose their original appearance and look completely different, you may confuse them.

Duct tape

Bags, bags and containers in the freezer should be closed very tightly. Air should not get into them. Therefore, to increase the shelf life of food in the freezer, you should remove (squeeze out) all the air from the bag. It is not recommended to use elastic bands for tying bags and packages - they will freeze and break; it is better to use special adhesive tape for the freezer for this purpose.

Foil

Use only thick foil to freeze food in the freezer. Thin foil will become brittle in the cold and may tear, thereby depressurizing the food and causing it to spoil.

Notebook

Keep a separate notebook to record what you have in the freezer and what you have already taken out, as well as the dates of freezing. It is necessary to control the shelf life of products so that you do not have to throw away spoiled or expired products later. But the freezer will help you save money by freezing food for future use (for example, taking it at a discount, on a promotion, etc.), so it’s better to write it down than to lose both the money you saved and the money you spent. Even well-packaged products lose their taste and quality over time, so you need to monitor the timing. Additionally, meals prepared with expired food that have been improperly frozen, stored improperly, or left in the freezer for too long can cause severe food poisoning. Therefore, you still need to keep a list of products in the freezer. Let it be a separate notebook or section in a cookbook with recipes, or something else.

How to freeze vegetables

Should you boil vegetables before freezing or not? Before freezing fresh hard vegetables, many people wash them well under running water and dry them. But scientists say that before freezing, vegetables should be washed, cut, peeled, and then blanched in hot water or steamed. This deactivates the natural enzymes found in vegetables. Enzymes can lead to unpleasant changes in vegetables during their storage in the freezer: they can lose their taste and nutrients, and become tough.

Defrosting and reheating

Before using frozen foods, they must be completely defrosted. It is advisable to defrost them in the refrigerator; some are defrosted at room temperature. If you defrost food too quickly, they will lose moisture and taste during this process.

Always adhere to the basic rule of frozen foods - freeze quickly, A defrost slowly.

You cannot refreeze food that has already been thawed once. It is better to freeze food in small portions.

Try to avoid over-seasoning when seasoning foods to be frozen in the freezer, as the flavors of many spices and herbs are enhanced when frozen.

Frozen boiled vegetables should be cooked faster than regular raw ones, but it is recommended to cook frozen meat longer than fresh meat.

Bread, fruit and cakes can be frozen, although their quality will deteriorate somewhat after defrosting.

The microwave oven has the function of defrosting frozen foods. Carefully follow the instructions for defrosting in your microwave oven so that the frozen product does not overcook and it does not start to bake.

No need to defrost

Frozen foods and dishes such as goulash, soups, fish, seafood (they should be added to the pan at the end of cooking), pasta dishes, bread, vegetables do not need to be defrosted before cooking.

Very small frozen pieces of boneless fish and meat can be cooked straight from the freezer without defrosting them. They will defrost quickly during cooking, but large pieces should be completely defrosted before cooking. Bread defrosts well and quickly at room temperature.

Freezes well

  • Fresh and young vegetables, vegetable purees, boiled vegetables.
  • Ripe fruits (except bananas and other watery fruits - high in water content).
  • Berries. Berries should be frozen on a tray, covered. Then pour the berries into a bag. No need to wash before freezing.
  • Fish (almost all types), scallops and shellfish, oysters. You need to freeze fish by first wrapping it in wax paper or foil, and only then in a plastic bag. The shrimp must first be cleaned and the head trimmed. Lobster and crab meat must first be separated.
  • Dairy products: butter, cheese, margarine, milk, heavy cream. Milk can only be frozen for a maximum of a month. Hard cheeses crumble very much after freezing, and cream does not whip well.
  • Salo.
  • Wine, or rather, its remains. Pour the remaining wine into ice cube trays and freeze. Then these cubes can be used in various sauces, goulash, etc.
  • Game, bird. The bird should not be stuffed in advance. Freeze giblets and liver separately.
  • Meat (veal, pork, chicken, etc.) can be frozen by removing fat (lard) from the meat.
  • It is advisable to freeze bread, cakes, cheesecakes, and buns without cream.
  • The dough must be packaged in hard containers.
  • Ready meals.
  • You can freeze the broth, but you need to remove all the fat before freezing.
  • Sauces and gravies made with fat will separate after defrosting and will need to be mixed and whipped again.
  • Fresh herbs should first be washed, the leaves removed from the sticks, finely chopped and packaged (can be in plastic containers).
  • Citrus juice and zest.
  • Apples, peaches, and pears should be sprinkled with lemon juice before freezing.

Cannot be frozen

  • Watery vegetables (with a high level of water content in them): green salad, cucumber, peppers, peppers, celery, onions, etc. Such vegetables can only be frozen in the form of vegetable puree.
  • Low-fat cream.
  • Homemade yogurt.
  • Warm and hot foods and dishes. Before freezing in the freezer, all dishes and products should be well cooled.
  • Eggs.
  • Hollandaise sauce and sauces with starch, mayonnaise, custard.
  • Boiled potatoes. Potatoes can only be frozen as mashed potatoes.
  • Bananas and soft fruits and berries (strawberries, melon, avocado, citrus pieces.
  • Sweet and unsweetened jelly.
  • Canned fish and other canned foods, unless they were mixed with other ingredients before freezing.
  • Broths with onions and sautéed root vegetables.

Freezing food

How to freeze greens

Greens (parsley, dill, cilantro, green onions, basil) must be washed and dried before freezing. Then chop the greens finely, as if for a salad, and place them a little at a time (in portions) in small bags. Squeeze the air out of the bags, tie the hole and place in the freezer. You can freeze herbs individually, or a mixture of various herbs.

How to freeze mint

In the same simple way as freezing greens, you can freeze mint and lemon balm, just first separate the leaves from the stems and freeze
only them.

How to freeze sorrel

The sorrel leaves must first be washed well and finely chopped, then plunge them into boiling water for literally 1 minute. Then place in a colander to drain the water. Once the water has drained and the sorrel has cooled, divide it into portioned bags and freeze. There is no need to defrost sorrel before cooking - just throw frozen sorrel into soup or green borscht, it will be no different from fresh.

How to freeze green peas and corn

Fresh green peas or corn should be husked first. Then place the peas or corn in boiling water and boil for about 3-5 minutes, then drain them in a colander and immediately rinse under running cold water. Excess moisture should drain and the peas or corn should dry. After this, you can already pack them in bags and put them in the freezer.

How to Freeze Cauliflower

To freeze cauliflower, you should first remove and discard the top leaves, divide the head of cabbage into inflorescences, and then blanch the cabbage (adding a little citric acid to the water) for 3 minutes. After blanching, drain the water, and dry the inflorescences and cool them, after which you can put the cauliflower in bags and containers and freeze it in the freezer.

How to Freeze Broccoli

Broccoli is a fairly tender variety of cabbage, so there is no need to blanch broccoli before freezing. Simply divide the cabbage into florets, rinse and dry it. Well, then, as usual, put it in packages and freeze.

How to freeze peppers

Salad peppers can be frozen in different ways. It depends on what you need it for. Remove from the salad pepper (bell pepper)
stem and carefully remove the seeds from it, then rinse the pepper and dry. Just insert the peppercorns like cups,
one into one and pack. Can be frozen. This will be a good preparation for stuffed peppers. You can also freeze already stuffed peppers. To do this, stuff the peppers with a mixture of boiled rice, carrots and meat and freeze. You can peel, wash the pepper and cut it into small pieces, which you can freeze. There is no need to blanch bell peppers before freezing (just like tomatoes and cucumbers).

How to freeze tomatoes

There are two ways to freeze tomatoes. For example, if the tomatoes are very juicy, you can freeze them as a puree. Wash the fresh tomatoes and dry them, then rub them through a sieve or mince them. After this, you can put the tomatoes in containers and freeze.

The second method is that hard tomatoes need to be cut into slices (without or with skin), then put into bags and put in the refrigerator, first removing the air from the bag and tying up the hole. Tomatoes are cut into slices for pizza.

It is not necessary to cut small tomatoes (for example, cherry tomatoes), but it is advisable to make punctures in several places. With punctures, they will not crack from freezing.

How to freeze cucumbers

Housewives freeze cucumbers exclusively for salads. They need to be washed, dried and cut into cubes or strips, then poured into bags or containers, removed the air, tied up the hole and placed in the freezer. Before
Before consumption, cucumbers should be thawed, drained in a colander, and then you can add them to salads.

How to freeze zucchini and zucchini

Before freezing, zucchini and zucchini should be boiled by cutting them into cubes before boiling and removing the seeds. Then drain the vegetables in a colander and cool them. You can then package the squash or zucchini into bags or containers and freeze.

How to Freeze Green Beans

How to freeze berries

Delicate and fragile berries, such as raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, are recommended to be stored in containers, so they will wrinkle in the freezer and retain their shape even when defrosted. They are frozen using the dry method, as described above in the rules. Raspberries and blackberries must be stemmed before freezing.

Cherries, currants (red and black), gooseberries, blueberries, lingonberries, cherries, cranberries and many other berries can be frozen using the dry method, and harder and more elastic berries can also be stored in plastic bags.

You can also simply grind the berries with or without sugar in a blender and freeze them in the freezer as a puree, pouring them into containers.

How to freeze eggplants

Eggplants are washed, peeled, dried and cut into cubes or slices. Instead of blanching, bake them in the oven.

How to freeze meat and fish

Meat and fish freeze perfectly, the main thing is to follow the freezing rules. Fresh meat should first be quickly dried, then the meat or fish should be placed in packaging that does not allow air to pass through and quickly frozen. It is optimal to freeze meat and fish in vacuum packaging, but this is not so easy to do at home. You need to freeze in small portions (the minced meat should be spread out in a thin layer), this way the meat and fish freeze faster and the growth of bacteria stops during freezing. It is better to defrost the meat in the evening by transferring it from the freezer to the refrigerator. Remember that thawed meat, like other frozen foods, cannot be re-frozen! When the meat has thawed a little, it is easy to cut it, but you should fry the meat only when it is completely defrosted and has reached room temperature, otherwise a lot of water will be released from it and it will simply cook and not fry.

Before freezing, fish must be cleaned, rinsed and dried; fish fillets can be dipped in salted water before being put into the freezer, this will form a kind of protective layer that will prevent it from weathering in the freezer.

To freeze fish for the purpose of further long-term storage in the freezer, it must be cleaned of scales and giblets (but leave the skin on), then wrapped in cling film. Shrimp can be stored in their shells.

How to freeze flour products

We freeze buns, bread, pancakes, as well as dumplings and dumplings without any problems. The main thing is that no air gets into the frozen containers. Bread for freezing can be cut into pieces. The fresher the flour products are before freezing, the tastier they are after thawing. You can reheat buns and bread even without defrosting - just grease them with milk or water (to have a tasty crust) and put them in a preheated oven for a couple of minutes. Pancakes with or without filling should be frozen ready-made, but defrosting is simple - place them in a heated frying pan straight from the freezer. Dumplings and dumplings are frozen raw, then, if necessary, taken out of the freezer and boiled directly from frozen in salted boiling water until fully cooked.

How to freeze dairy products, eggs, cheese

Cream, milk, yogurt, and whole eggs are not suitable for freezing. But butter and cheese tolerate the cold well. You can freeze hard cheese even as a whole piece, or in grated form. It is better not to freeze soft cheese and cottage cheese, as these products contain a lot of liquid and when defrosted they will become too watery. The white and yolk can only be frozen in a separated state, separately from each other.

How to freeze ready meals

Boiled potatoes, sauces and gravies with a large content of cream are not frozen very well (they may separate). It is better to freeze vegetables separately, meat separately, and sauces separately. The dish should first be quickly cooled to room temperature, and then, divided into small portions, frozen in tightly closed containers, where air and moisture do not enter. Ready-made dishes do not require preliminary defrosting; they can be reheated while still frozen.

Having spent just a little time in the summer, you will win it three times more in the winter, when you take out a piece of summer, summer warmth and sun from the freezer compartment of the refrigerator and bring joy not only to yourself, but also to your family and friends. Every summer, make provisions for the winter and they will pay off handsomely during the cold seasons.

Have a good mood, a large delicious supply of mushrooms and berries, fruits and vegetables!

If we talk about vegetables and fruits, then freezing is a much more gentle method of preservation, than pickling or cooking with sugar.

Moreover, in winter frozen seasonal vegetables, much healthier than fresh ones from the supermarket, but brought from distant countries, where they are grown in greenhouses, using large doses of fertilizers and growth accelerators.

And perhaps you will be reassured by the fact that nature itself provides for natural freezing. In winter, the roots, tubers, and seeds of many plants are subjected to repeated freezing and thawing, and in the spring, as if nothing had happened, they begin to grow again.

And about the rest of the food it’s completely funny. What kind of life can we even talk about if the dish has undergone heat treatment? Or, what vitamins in raw meat can be destroyed by frost? And if it destroys something, then what difference does it make if there are none left after cooking anyway?

So, the article is not about benefits, but exclusively about taste.

All subsequent information is beautifully and clearly depicted in infographics. Bookmark it, it will come in handy this season!

1. Dairy and eggs

Cheeses

They tolerate freezing very well hard varieties of cheese, their taste and consistency do not change at all.

And here semi-solid ones will crumble after defrosting, but their taste will not become any worse. That is, if you choose between two evils: freezing soft cheese or the formation of mold on it from long-term storage in the refrigerator, then it is certainly better to place it in the freezer. There he will quietly lie for up to six months.

If the cheese is very soft, for example, Adyghe, then freezing will greatly affect its taste.

It's better to avoid this. But, since the technologies and source ingredients are now so different, the cheeses themselves may have different reactions to freezing.

Therefore, nothing is stopping you from doing a little experiment by placing a small piece in the freezer. Perhaps the cheese from this particular company will remain just as tasty after thawing.

Here is a list of popular varieties of cheese by hardness:
Very firm: Parmesan, Pecorino Romano
Solid: Gouda, Cheddar, Edam, Russian
Semi-solid: Mozzarella, Camembert, Brie
Soft: Ricotta, Feta, Creamy, Adygei

Solid It’s better to grate it in advance and put it into portioned bags. Cut the semi-hard ones into portions and sprinkle them with starch so that they do not stick together.

Cottage cheese

You can freeze cottage cheese for storage, provided that you will later use it for some dishes, for example, dumplings, cheesecakes or cottage cheese lasagna.

After defrosting its taste becomes worse, well, just a little, but the structure changes: it flakes, crumbles and tastes drier.

It is best to freeze very dry cottage cheese by thoroughly squeezing it out of the whey and wrapping it in portioned bags.

Serum

The whey from cottage cheese can be frozen. It is stored for a very long time and after thawing it can be used for dough. But drinking it may not be very pleasant, since sometimes it happens that it separates into fractions.

It is most convenient to freeze in plastic cups., which need to be tied with a plastic bag so that the whey does not absorb foreign odors.

The main thing is not to pour the liquid to the edge, leave room for the natural expansion of water, otherwise it will simply splash out right in the chamber.

Can milk be frozen?

Milk keeps well in the freezer. In the North, for example, milk is still stored this way, frozen, outside.

And if necessary, simply break off a piece, melt it in the refrigerator and drink, stirring well, as a slight separation of the components may occur.

If you defrost it quickly, in the microwave or even at room temperature, the milk then loses much in taste.

Can be frozen both cow and goat milk, no difference. The container must be selected taking into account the expansion of the liquid at the moment it turns into ice.

“So if you want to freeze milk in a plastic bottle, you don’t need to fill it to the brim! She'll just burst"

It is better to give preference to small bottles, up to a liter. Since it is no longer recommended to refreeze milk if you don’t need it all at once, since it will lose a lot of vitamins.

Although, many people practice this method: take out a large bottle, keep it at room temperature, pour out a certain amount, and place the remaining ice lump back in the freezer.

Sour cream

Sour cream, definitely flakes a lot after defrosting and then it will not be possible to restore it to its original form. Its taste will not change, but it will be very unpleasant to eat, since grains and flakes are formed in it.

Therefore, defrosted sour cream will subsequently Suitable only for baking or preparing any dishes, involving sour cream sauce: beef stroganoff, mushroom sauce, etc. She won't be able to dress the salad anymore.

The sour cream will be a little better after defrosting if you beat it with a mixer before putting it in the freezer. But still, don’t expect the original consistency. When freezing, do not forget that it expands and you need to take the container “with reserve”.

Are raw eggs frozen?

Yes! This is an excellent way to store eggs, because they do not disappear in this form for a whole year.

The white, after defrosting, does not change its consistency at all, and the yolk becomes more elastic, but this does not spoil the taste, but rather improves it.

There are even dishes in which eggs are supposed to be pre-frozen in order to subsequently obtain a “rubbery” baked yolk. These eggs are especially good in hot sandwiches.

By the way, if you ate an omelette at McDonald's, then it is unusual not because wild chemicals are mixed in there, but simply because they were used to prepare it. frozen eggs.

Thawed eggs are also suitable for baking, including making creams and meringues.

The main thing is, don’t try to freeze them in their shells, they will explode. It is most convenient to freeze in portioned cups and in whipped form.

For example: cups for omelettes, each containing 3-4 eggs, or cups containing separate yolks or whites, for example, 3 pieces each.

If you still froze a large amount at once and don’t remember how many pieces went into the container, then thawed eggs can be measured like this:

  • White of 1 egg – 2 tbsp
  • Yolk of 1 egg – 1 tbsp
  • Whole egg – 3 tbsp

2. Freezing meat and fish

Red caviar

On an industrial scale, red caviar is frozen, but the fact is that they use shock freezing, which requires the temperature of the chambers to be 18 degrees and below.

This caviar is perfectly stored and, when properly defrosted (in the refrigerator), does not lose any taste or nutritional composition.

In home refrigerators, we hardly have -12 (except for modern models that have the “Super Freeze” function), so even if you defrost the caviar correctly, small changes will still be noticeable.

The taste of the caviar will not deteriorate, but some eggs may burst, become slightly deformed, and some liquid will appear.

To be fair, caviar in tins of this type is available, and that’s okay, everyone likes it.

“In order for caviar to survive freezing as best as possible, it needs to be loaded into small glass jars, filled to the top and removing as much air as possible.”

And to defrost, put it in the refrigerator for 10-12 hours, no less. If you hurry and heat it up, it will turn into an almost homogeneous mess.

In general, caviar tolerates such preservation well, mostly due to the fact that it is well salted, because salt does not allow the product to freeze thoroughly.

Are herring and dried fish frozen?

Absolutely no problem! As in the case of caviar, salt prevents the herring from freezing too much and turning into stone, therefore, when defrosted, it does not spread and does not lose any taste.

Any dry fish, red fish, etc. can be frozen. Just be sure to wrap it well, as the strong smell of fish can affect the taste of other foods stored in the freezer.

How does freezing affect fresh fish?

You can freeze any river or sea fish; its taste does not deteriorate at all, except that after defrosting it becomes a little softer.

Therefore, you need to remember this property before you put it in the freezer. The fish needs to be cleaned, gutted and cut into portions, as it will be more difficult for you to do this later.

But if you really don’t have time for preparation, then fresh fish can be frozen just like that, without cleaning. Nothing special will happen to her.

And here re-freezing fish is not very advisable, since its consistency will change greatly: it will become drier and begin to break.

Meat

Any meat can be frozen, and this is probably no secret to anyone. Many people are more interested in the question: Is it possible to refreeze meat after defrosting?

You will be surprised, but the answer is Yes!

But, do not forget that this will not improve the taste and it is better to use such a piece of meat for stewing or broths, and not for frying or baking, since with repeated thawing it becomes excessively dry.

Is it possible to freeze chicken?

Yes, definitely. The only question is how to do this in the most convenient way.

If you don’t need a whole carcass after defrosting (and you don’t need one, since it’s better to bake fresh, it will be juicier), then be sure to disassemble it into its component parts and wrap each in a separate bag.

This method of dividing a chicken carcass into portions is very convenient:

  • Breast fillet - per serving of chops
  • Two hams, wings, neck - for baking in a sleeve
  • Back - for broth
  • Bone from the sternum and skin - for another broth

What kind of minced meat can be stored in the freezer?

Probably every baby knows that minced meat can be frozen. But not everyone knows whether it is possible to store minced meat and onions in the freezer.

Yes, the onion does not spoil at all when thawed and the taste of the minced meat does not change. Moreover, you can freeze not only with onions, but also with other cutlet ingredients: bread, eggs, garlic, potatoes.

3. Freezing vegetables, fruits and mushrooms

Is it possible to freeze mushrooms?

Yes, this can be done with any mushrooms: wild mushrooms, fresh store-bought champignons, honey mushrooms and others. But, if store-bought champignons and oyster mushrooms can be put in the freezer raw, then forest mushrooms must be boiled for five minutes first.

To prevent the mushrooms in the bag from sticking together, after slicing or cooking, they must be laid out on a waffle towel and dried a little. And only after that place it in portioned bags.

Should you freeze berries?

Of course it's worth it! Any berry after freezing loses a little taste, of course.

It becomes a little watery and sour. But in it much more vitamins are retained than in a jar of jam.

Berries need to be frozen in two stages. The first time they need to be laid out on a board and slightly frozen, and when they “set” a little, put them into portioned bags and finally freeze.

Vegetables

Many, but not all, tolerate freezing well. Let's figure out which vegetables can be frozen for the winter at home, and which are undesirable.

By and large, you can freeze everything, but not all vegetables retain their taste. For example, zucchini absolutely cannot stand being frozen in slices. Whether they are fresh or blanched, they turn out rubbery and inedible.

So, what should you not put in the freezer?

  • Zucchini slices (terrible consistency)
  • Fresh eggplants (smell unpleasant)
  • Whole tomatoes (smell unpleasant and turn to mush)
  • Whole cucumbers (only water remains)
  • Radish (the smell is terrible)
  • Radish (same thing)
  • Green salad (spreads into pieces)

Here's what you should definitely freeze: but be sure to follow the packaging and preparation tips:

  • Zucchini, grated for pancakes (squeeze thoroughly first)
  • Baked eggplant (for caviar)
  • Grated tomatoes for borscht (pour into serving glasses)
  • Cucumber juice in ice containers (for masks)
  • Bell pepper (raw, either pieces or whole)
  • Peeled garlic
  • Grated beets and carrots
  • Regular beans (keeps well and no bugs)
  • Green beans (need to be blanched)
  • Sorrel (raw, chopped)

This is the most necessary set. But besides this, it is quite possible to freeze pumpkin pieces, potatoes, cabbage and even green onions!

Some people don't really like the taste of frozen potatoes, because it makes them a little sweeter. But this does not stop supermarkets from selling it all year round!

4. Freezing various liquids

Can coconut milk be frozen?

Coconut milk is often confused with coconut water, which is found inside the nut. It is transparent and can be frozen; when thawed, neither the taste nor the aroma changes.

But milk is a product made by human hands. To prepare it, you need to grate the nut (or use ready-made shavings), then pour the mixture with plain water and leave for 2 hours. Then beat everything with a blender and squeeze the resulting liquid through cheesecloth.

This will be real milk, which can be frozen if you have made too much.

Is tea and coffee frozen?

It is possible, and it will not greatly affect the taste of the drink. But you shouldn’t store beans or tea leaves in a dry form in the freezer, as they will lose all their aroma and simply become damp. Moreover, no sealed packaging will save you from moisture.

Is it possible to freeze beer?

It’s possible, but only so that you can simply throw it away later. Frozen beer has a very unpleasant taste, absolute disgusting, not to mention the fact that the gas will leave it irrevocably when defrosted.

Is wine stored in the freezer?

Under no circumstances should you freeze wine. It will separate into fractions, become cloudy, and the smell and taste will change greatly.

And if you put it in the freezer directly in the bottle, it will also burst, and then you won’t be able to clean the camera with anything.

Can yeast be frozen?

Yes, they lend themselves perfectly to freezing, regardless of their purpose: for baking, moonshine, or for anything else where they can be used.

Yeast fungi do not deteriorate due to low temperatures and when thawed they begin to actively multiply.

Can breast milk be frozen?

There is no harm in freezing breast milk once. But keep in mind that some of the vitamins are destroyed in this process, so it’s often not worth doing this. The same goes for re-freezing breast milk.

Juices

Many people are interested in whether it is possible to freeze freshly squeezed fruit juice or, for example, birch juice?

Our answer is yes, but is it necessary to take up so much space in the freezer? Of course, during sterilization a certain amount of vitamins is lost, but also during defrosting.

What about the taste? More often than not, sterilized juice tastes better, especially for apple and tomato juice.

5. Freezing semi-finished products

Borscht dressing

Certainly. This method is very convenient and saves a lot of time. Another question: what is the best way to do this?

There are different options and they are all good.

You can grate all the fresh vegetables separately, portion them into portion bags, and freeze them. But the disadvantage of this method is that it takes too much container.

According to the second method, a prefabricated filling is made, for example, with the following components:

  • Grated beets
  • Boiled beans
  • Grated tomatoes
  • Fried carrots with onions
  • Cabbage

That is, it turns out that then you only need to cook the potatoes and broth. Vegetables are calculated immediately, not by weight, but by the number of tubers that goes into one pan. And it’s cut in the same way: I prepared one portion and put it in a bag.

You need to experiment with taste. Some people don’t like frozen cabbage, and some can’t stand defrosted fried carrots. Now, try it yourself, no one will tell you.

What's the best way to freeze cabbage rolls?

Please note that you do not need to add half-cooked rice to the minced meat, as with the usual recipe, as it will simply spread. For this semi-finished product, pour boiling water over the rice and hold for about 10 minutes, then cool and mix with the meat.

Cabbage leaves must be blanched. Stuffed cabbage rolls store very well, but the taste, of course, is a little different from freshly prepared ones.

Stuffed pepper

Pepper from the freezer tastes good, but fresh is much better.

Dumplings, dumplings and chebureki

Of course, but be sure to freeze them on a board first.

And only after their edges have become stronger and frozen, put them in a bag.

Otherwise, instead of dumplings, you will get a strange mixture of dough and minced meat, which will simply be impossible to cook.

6. Dough and baked goods

Well, a lot of housewives don’t know whether it’s possible to freeze dough or not.

Yes, absolutely nothing will happen to him. This also applies to yeast dough, shortbread, and puff pastry. In the supermarket it is sold in this form, by the way.

Are ready-made filled pies frozen?

Yes, the pies tolerate freezing very well. Either fried or baked. That is, the freezer will not affect the quality of the dough.

But as for the filling, there are different options. The meat preserves perfectly, but becomes a little drier. The rice filling will become excessively soft, but the cabbage filling will remain just as tasty.

Is it possible to freeze pancakes without filling?

Yes. After thawing, they will become a little drier and crumble slightly, but this does not affect the taste much.

And if you add filling to them and fry them, there will be no difference at all.

Are bread and rolls stored in the freezer?

Yes, sure. The only thing you need to take into account is that after defrosting, the bread goes stale much faster and you need to eat it as quickly as possible.

Is it possible to freeze a cake?

Cakes can be stored in the freezer; there will be no damage to the dough. But creams behave differently. Oil preserves just fine, but protein does not smell very pleasant after defrosting.

7. Freezing ready meals

Are boiled eggs frozen?

If you freeze them whole, you won't be able to eat them: the boiled protein takes on a disgusting taste.

But the yolks, surprisingly, do not spoil at all. Therefore, to freeze boiled eggs, you need to get rid of the white shell and put the yolks in the chamber.

The question here is different: why?

Is it possible to freeze ready-made cutlets?

Fried cutlets tolerate freezing well and their taste after thawing differs little from regular ones. Of course, this will not be a freshly prepared dish, but still quite tasty.

What about sausage? You can: smoked, boiled, sausages, and small sausages. By the way, they are often frozen in the store.

Is smoked fish stored in the freezer?

It comes in cold and hot smoked varieties. Both can be frozen if there is any leftover after the holidays.

But it should be noted that cold smoked fish after defrosting has a better taste and consistency than hot smoked fish.

Should you freeze purees?

Mashed potatoes should be frozen only in the most extreme cases, since after defrosting the dish will not be the same at all. The maximum it can be used for is a casserole.

What soups can be frozen?

Kharcho behaves best when frozen, oddly enough, despite the presence of rice. But there it should be soft and boiled, therefore, its changed consistency does not affect the taste.

Why exactly kharcho? But because it does not contain boiled potatoes, which after freezing acquire a peculiar taste.

Is it possible to store pilaf in the freezer?

It is extremely undesirable to freeze pilaf, since the rice becomes watery and crumbly after defrosting.

In conclusion, I would like to say: a freezer is a convenient thing and you should not neglect this benefit of civilization. And you already know what foods can be frozen and then thawed!