Who knew that one of United States President Ronald Reagan’s enduring legacies would be National Frozen Food Day? Yes, March 6 is the official holiday – and you can observe the day at your house by brushing up on the best ways to freeze your favorite foods, from herbs to meat to cookie dough.
Meat
Chicken on sale this week? If you’ve stocked up, the Kitchn says the best way to keep your meat fresh is to wrap it tightly in butcher paper and then aluminum foil. Their suggestion is to ask your butcher to wrap it in paper for you; then all you have to do is wrap it again in foil at home. Don’t forget to mark what it is and when you got it in permanent ink on the outside.
Vegetables
Blanching – where you cook vegetables briefly in boiling water and then immediately submerge them into cold water – helps retain their freshness. Organic Gardening walks you through how to freeze vegetables using this blanching technique.
Pasta
Next time you make your favorite pasta dish, why not double it and freeze one for later? Pillsbury gives plenty of recipes you can make for your family like classic lasagna with turkey sausage.
Herbs
Wash and dice herbs before storing them in labeled freezer bags. Better Homes and Gardens lets you know what herbs freeze best diced and which ones freeze better in a paste form.
Bread
Keep your bread crisp after freezing by following these tips from Martha Stewart. Her advice? Thaw the bread for three hours at room temperature and then wrap it in parchment paper, followed by aluminum foil – and cook it for three to four minutes in a 400-degree oven.
Cookie Dough
Have piping warm cookies any time by freezing cookie dough balls with this method from GoodLifeEats. The key is to freeze the balls separately on a pan and then put them in a freezer bag to use later.
