Freezing
combination main dishes
Home and Garden Bulletin No. 40
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Freezing
combination main dishes
Vacant space in your freezer? Put some of itto use by freezing main dishes—prepared, readyto be heated or cooked and served. Days orweeks later you, your family, guests perhaps, canenjoy the results of your foresight.
Included in this publication are general directionsfor successful freezing of such main dishesas the stews, meat loaves, and casserole combinationsmade from recipes given on pages 6 to 19.
For tiptop quality and economical use offreezer space, plan your freezing and use of precookedmain dishes so that they will be in thefreezer no longer than 2 or 3 months. However,most of these foods if properly packaged andstored will not suffer serious quality loss if keptup to 6 months. After 6 months’ storage, qualityoften declines rapidly, but the food is still safe toeat.
Preparing the food
In general, prepare the food as you would if itwere to be served right away. Do not overcook.Some ingredients in main dishes that must be reheatedfor serving are better if slightly underdonefor freezing. If cooked well-done beforefreezing, foods such as vegetables and macaroniare likely to be too soft when reheated. Theyalso may have a warmed-over taste.
Soups and sauces thickened with ordinarywheat flour may tend to separate or curdle onthawing. Frozen gravies, sauces, and soups maybe somewhat thicker after thawing than whenfreshly prepared, but suitable liquid can beadded to give the desired consistency. Commerciallyfrozen soups, sauces, and gravies areoften made with waxy rice flour, which results in3a smoother product. If waxy rice flour is available,it is a good idea to use it. However, soups,sauces, and gravies made with ordinary flour canbe satisfactory if they are quick-frozen andstored at 0° F. for only 2 to 3 months. Stirringduring reheating helps to overcome separation,too.
Crumb or cheese toppings are best added whenthe food is reheated for serving.
Pastry crusts frozen unbaked are more tenderand flaky and have a fresher flavor than thosebaked and then frozen.
Cooling
Quick cooling of the food immediately after itis cooked stops the cooking and so helps keep thenatural flavor, color, and texture of the food. Italso retards or prevents the growth of bacteriathat may cause spoilage.
To cool, set uncovered pan of food in iced orvery cold water; change the water to keep it cold.Or set pan on ice. Or put the uncovered pan offood in a cold place.
Packaging
As soon as the food is cool, put it promptly intofreezer containers of moisture-vapor-proof ormoisture-vapor-resistant packaging material.Pack the food tightly into the container to reducethe amount of air in the package.
In quart containers, the food may be separatedinto two or three layers by a double thickness ofwater-resistant material such as cellophane betweenthe layers. This makes it possible to separatethe frozen block of food easily to shorten thereheating time.
Choose a size of container that holds onlyenough for one meal for your family. Quart containershold 4 to 6 servings; pints, 2 to 3. Useonly containers with wide top openings so thefood does n