What to freeze, and how to keep it safe

3/25/2012

The hustle and bustle of everyday life can get in the way of making healthy meals. But with a little planning, you can stock your freezer with healthy options for nights you just don't have the time or energy to cook. Here are some basic tips on choosing the right recipes and how to safely cook, freeze, and defrost them.

If you're looking for a stand-alone meal, make a double batch of meatloaf, casserole, or lasagna. As these dishes contain sauces or moist ingredients, they freeze well.

You can also make a double or triple batch of the following recipes that can be used in a variety of ways.

● Meatballs: Freeze in re-sealable freezer bags and take out only as many as you need.

● Stocks: Freeze in ice-cube trays or muffin tins and, once frozen, store in re-freezable bags.

● Tomato sauce: Nothing beats a homemade tomato sauce. Store in small batches.

● Muffins: Bake up extra batches, cool, and freeze.

● Soups: Freeze butternut squash or tomato soup as a mid-week dinner option paired with a sandwich or omelet.

The most important part of cooking up these dishes is making sure you do it safely. There are four simple steps that must be followed properly when cooking in large batches:

Cook

Cooking food to the correct temperatures is essential to kill any lingering bacteria. If you don't have a thermometer, buy one.

Cool

Food should be cooled as quickly as possible, and shouldn't remain at room temperatures for more than two hours.

Store

● Use freezer wrap or heavy-duty freezer bags to cover frozen meals.

● Make sure containers are airtight.

● Label or color-code items so you can easily identify what they are and when they expire (prepared dishes shouldn't be stored more than three months).

Defrost and reheat

The most common mistake when defrosting food is leaving it at room temperature, where bacteria thrive. There are three safe methods that can be used to defrost food: The microwave, the refrigerator and cool, running water.

Cook it right up

A few meatballs or a cube of frozen stock can be tossed right into the pot without previously thawing.