Tag: Freezer

Preserving from the Garden

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Green Beans

First, I wash my beans. I then shake them dry or dry them on a paper towel. I cut both ends off my green beans, then cutting the beans into two or three pieces. I transfer those pieces into a gallon freezer bag, use the water displacement method to remove extra air, then I label with item month and year, then I freeze. I have already done two large harvests this month and was able to fill this bag in just 2 weeks. I planted 12 green bean vines.

To do the water displacement method, fill a large bowl or pot with water. Seal your bag 3/4 of the way and remember the edge that is open. Begin submerging the bag into the water. Leave out the edge that is open, and once most air is removed, seal the rest of the bag. You can then flatten out the contents of the bag for easy storage.

Onions

When I harvested all my onions, I first had to let them dry out. So, I stored them in this container on my kitchen windowsill. The windowsill gets pretty warm but it doesn’t get much sun, just a bit when it’s setting, and it’s not very strong that time of day. Once the tops all browned, I began preserving. If you have a root cellar, you can chop off the tops just above the stem, and clean off the roots, then they can immediately go into storage. If you don’t have a dry space under ground like me, then you can simply dice them and place them in the freezer for future use. I got two full sandwich bags, and I have used them heavily before processing the last of them. I once again used water displacement method to remove air.

Carrots

Carrots can lose nutrients if you pick them and leave the tops on in hot weather. So, our harvest was in two batches. We emptied a bin, took the carrots inside. Cut the tops from the carrots. then repeated with the second batch. Once all the carrots were harvested, I scrubbed them to remove dirt and the roots. Once all were processed, I cut off the tops and the end of the root, then I sliced then and transferred them to gallon freezer bag. I then used water displacement to remove the air, labeled them, then added them to my freezer.

Tomatoes

My tomatoes were starting to go bad, and since I haven’t had any more to harvest lately, I figured one small canner of tomatoes was better than nothing for now. You aren’t supposed to use rotting or damaged tomatoes, however that is how my family has done it for generations. First, cut off any bad spots deep into the tomato. Sanitize your knife and the spots. Then treat them like normal tomatoes. Drop the tomatoes into boiling water, boil for 1-2 minutes, then transfer into an ice bath. After a minute or so, the skin will loosen from the fruit. Remove a tomato and place on a cutting board. Cut off the top stem then peel off the skin. Dice your tomatoes then add to a preheated jar. (I just soak them in very hot water.) Fill your canner 1/2 way with water and bring to a boil. Also bring a small saucepan of water to a boil, then add the needed number of lids and remove from heat. Push down on the tomatoes and add any extra juice from your dicing. Once near to the top, you need to add Lemon juice and salt. For a Quart add 2 Tbsp lemon and 2 tsp salt, and for a pint, add 1 Tbsp lemon and 1 tsp salt. Add more tomatoes/some very hot water to get to 1/2 inch from the upper lip of the jar. You will then need to stick a butter knife down the edges of the jar to remove air pockets. Then you can wipe the rim clean, add the lid and ring, finger tight, then once all are ready, add them to your water bath, add additional water to cover the jars, bring that to a boil, the process for 85 minutes. Once they are done, carefully remove hot jars and place on several towels on the counter, and let cool to room temperature. Check the tops to see if they sealed, remove the rings, wipe down the jars and label, then store in a dark and cool location for the most available storage time.

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Cucumber Lemon Ice Cubes

This is a quick way to a refreshing glass of juice in the summer. Simply blend, strain, pour, and freeze. You can also transfer them from the tray into a freezer bag to have lots prepared for your next picnic. The cucumber flavor is perfectly complimented with the lemon and sugar. The salt helps negate some sour, and that helps the cucumber flavor come out on top. It is helpful to serve this drink with a straw, since the cucumber and sugar will settle to the bottom as the frozen cubes melt. You can also omit sugar and salt if you prefer a flavored water experience instead. This is also a great opportunity to use up your extra cucumbers before they go bad!

  1. Wash 3 medium cucumbers. Slice into 1/2 inch slices.
  2. In a blender, add 2 cups of lemon juice, 10 Tbsp sugar, a pinch of salt, and a few cucumber pieces.
  3. Blend on high for 30 seconds, remove lid and add more cucumber pieces.
  4. Repeat step three until all cucumber is blended.
  5. Strain through a fine mesh strainer. Return to a cleaned blender, then pour into an ice cube tray.
  6. Carefully transfer to freezer and freeze for 8-24 hours, till solid.
  7. When serving, add 3 cubes per 16 oz of liquid.

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Homemade Hot Pockets: Meatball Mozzarella

These pockets are time consuming, but they can easily be frozen and reheated. It took me about 3 hours to make and bake these pockets, but I’ve tried the make the instructions best for time management, so it would hopefully only take about 2 hours. The biggest problem we faced was making sure to put deep enough vent holes in the dough, because we had 2 break out the side as a result. The dough should be tacky, but not sticky, so make sure you add enough flour before the first rise. Otherwise, these pockets taste just like Hot pockets, and the dough became fluffy and full. We made 9 pockets, but many had extra dough, so 10 would have been better.

  1. In a bowl, mix together 3 cups flour, 2 tsp active dried yeast, 1 cup of warm water, and 1 1/2 Tbsp oil. Mix until dough comes together. Oil a bowl, turn the dough in the oil, then cover and let rise till double, about 1 hour.
  2. Heat oven to 400 F.
  3. Take one pound of ground burger and place it in a large mixing bowl. Add 2 slices of bread crumbled, 1 Tbsp A1, and 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce. Mix together with your hands. Roll about 2 Tbsp of meat into a balls. Place the balls on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes.
  4. Open a jar of tomato sauce, season as if for a pizza (onion and garlic powder, parsley, oregano, etc.). Mix together.
  5. Once dough is doubled, and meat balls done, grease 2 large baking sheets. Divide the dough into 10 pieces.
  6. Take your dough and roll it into a round. Add a spoon full of sauce and spread it down one side of the round. Add 3-4 mini meatballs, and about 1/3 cup of shredded mozzarella. Seal, add vent holes, and place onto greased baking sheet.
  7. Repeat step 6 for all balls of dough. Bake in the oven at 400 F for 20-30 minutes till the top is crisp when tapped.
  8. Let cool for 5 minutes then eat. You can also freeze leftovers, reheat by microwaving those refrigerated for 1 minute, or those frozen for 2minutes and 30 seconds.
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Frozen Chicken Cordon Bleu Review

Walking through the frozen food aisle during this pandemic, we saw this fun little meal. We usually buy one frozen meal whenever we travel to the store because everyone has a day when they don’t want to cook. When we were split between frozen pizza, frozen burgers, and frozen chicken, Josh chose this and we ate it later that night.

The chicken did burst, however the cheese volcano far from emptied these stuffed chicken breasts. The chicken was deliciously juicy and the breading was very tasty. The cheese was a full sauce that wasn’t too thin or too thick. The ham was tasty, thick, and needing a knife to cut it. These chickens were very small though. These were small potatoes, and the chicken was nearly the same size. Each chicken was only about 4 inches long and 2 inches wide.

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What Food Can You Freeze? What about Canning?

Freezing is a great way to preserve food if you have an excess and you don’t want it to go bad. Freezing some food will change their texture and consistency, but many things you freeze will act completely normal in your choice of meal. I mention in passing in many of my recipes that I freeze certain things, but I think it would be helpful to have this list made for those who are curious what you can preserve in a freezer. The only thing about a freezer that you need to be aware of before you stock it is how often you lose power, and how long it us usually out for. A freezer can last 2 days unopened without power. If you lose power often or for longer periods, you may want to consider getting a generator.

What can you store in the freezer?

  • Bread – store bought in original package, or homemade wrapped or vacuum sealed to eliminate air and freezer burn
  • Meats – wrapped or vacuum sealed to eliminate air and freezer burn
  • Cheese – shredded lasts fine, blocks can have texture changes and hard cheeses preserve best
  • Prepackaged meats – this means hotdogs, sausages, hams, chicken, or turkey in vacuum. You can also freeze lunch meat as you get it from the store
  • Anything already frozen – prepared foods, frozen meals, frozen fruits or veggies
  • Grains – You can freeze flour, oats, cornmeal, rice, etc, however they tend to have a long shelf life as is. You’ll want to re-bag, label, and freeze to eliminate water exposure
  • Leftover cooked meats – extra turkey, ham, lamb, or pork from a holiday or event can be frozen and easily reheated. Meat prepared with sauces can also be frozen, however keep in mind dairy doesn’t freeze well
  • Stock – in a container that allows for slight expansion
  • Soup – you can freeze soups that are broth or stock based. Somethings in soup don’t freeze well like potatoes, and grains like noodles and rice will become mushy if you overcook them before freezing. Also don’t freeze a dairy based soup, dairy separates and becomes grainy
  • Diced fruits/veggies – Fruits and veggies can be frozen, however they will lose their crispness. This means things like lettuce wilt and become floppy, and whole carrots become gummy. However onions and peppers can be diced or sliced for stirfry or other sauteed recipes. Fruits can also be frozen and taste great in smoothies

Canning is a great way to preserve what you have and prepare for the future, limiting some of the items you need to buy over the next year or more. At this point I’ve only canned a few items myself, however this summer Josh and I are planting a garden, so I hope to get even more veggies canned this coming summer/fall.

Canning has been tested by the USDA and they have recommended times and methods for all things canning. You can find out more on their website or here. Below are some of the things I have canned. Follow the instructions listed under the USDA’s website for safest food practices.

What can you water-bath can?

  • Tomatoes
  • Pickles
  • Fruits
  • Syrup
  • Jams
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