Freezing & Storing Food

Q: I am looking for three or four-section glass storage containers, with lids, that are freezer, microwave, and (ideally) oven safe. The purpose is so I can make myself a bunch of healthy “packaged TV dinner” meals, with a veggie, potato/starch, and main dish all in one dish, then freeze them, and reheat when I get home from work. I have wished for this for eons and I can’t find them online. Do you know if this exists?

Q: I have a small apartment and small kitchen, but am beginning to preserve my own food. I was wondering how others store preserves — like jams, pickles, jellies, etc. — in a small space? Sent by Melissa Editor: It’s great that you are doing your own preserving, but I understand your storage dilemma. Remember that preserves don’t need to be stored in the kitchen — a closet or even under your bed can work!

We got our first dusting of snow this past weekend as we pulled out holiday lights and hunted for a Christmas tree, and a week of hearty soups sounds like the most soul-filling meal plan imaginable. I’m also taking the opportunity to make some big-batch some soups with help from my slow cooker in order to stock the freezer for my family, as we have a bit of travel and some house guests in coming up in December.

Maine’s cold, clean water makes it ideal for seafood of all kind: lobster, to be sure, but also oysters, those sweet and briny bivalves that we often associate with cooler climes. But, in Maine, you can (and should!) eat oysters all year round. We caught up with oyster farmers Valy Steverlynck and Eric Horne to find out the best way to shuck your oysters — and how to eat them (besides slurped straight from the shell).

While we’re talking about leaving things out on the counter, here’s another ingredient that sits on ours: Kosher salt and pepper in little dishes next to the stovetop. This is one of the first things we did when we started cooking regularly- a tip we learned from watching the Food Network many years ago…We tend to use up these little amounts quickly enough that they don’t get dirty or stale.

If you hit up a cheap country farmstand or went apple picking this fall, you may have come away with a bounty of apples. You may, like us, be wondering how to keep these apples fresh for as long as you can. Here’s what our local apple farmer told us about storing apples for the winter.• For every 10 degrees above 30°F, the apples’ lifespan decreases dramatically.

Did you know you can actually freeze caramelized onions? Yup, those flavor-packed little strands of sweet cooked onions freeze beautifully, so why not make a bigger batch the next time you’re caramelizing some for a recipe, or find yourself with a big bag of onions to use up. Here’s how we do it!

Some say freezing cheese is sacrilege, some think it’s only logical. On what side do you fall? And from a cheese professional’s point of view, what’s the reasoning for taking or not taking the icy plunge? I’m pretty definitive on the issue: Don’t freeze your cheese! But, as in most cheese matters, all rules are up to interpretation. So perhaps I should restate. Don’t freeze fine cheese.

Q:  I’m wondering if you have any tips on how to store sardines and other fish that come in pull-top cans (smoked trout, kippers, mackerel…) after opening. It seems as if there should be a way to keep the opened can in the fridge for a day or two, but the top doesn’t close without making things very messy! Any ideas?Sent by MaryEditor: Mary, we often wonder about this too! We sometimes just put open cans in a small covered Tupperware box in the refrigerator.

Q: My goal this holiday season is to make things in big batches ahead of time and freeze the extras. This way I have good home-cooked food to bring to parties and events without all the work and stress.My question is: which is better to freeze, cookie dough or baked cookies?Sent by JenEditor: Jen, we would probably vote for cookie dough, since nothing beats a truly fresh-baked cookie.

We don’t often think about it, but ice cube trays are some of the most useful tools in our kitchen. I rarely use them for their intended purpose — making ice. Instead, I rely on them all the time to create components for quick meals and to avoid wasting food. Here are 10 great uses for your ice cubes trays, aside from making ice. Avoid wasting leftover fresh herbs by freezing them for later.

We’ve been a little avocado-happy around here lately, what with the breakfast puddings, our new favorite salad, and even an attempt at avocado ice cream. Needless to say, there have been a lot of avocados floating around the kitchen.According to Cheryl Sternman Rule of 5 Second Rule, the best place to keep all these avocados is not necessarily on the counter as we’ve always believed.

When it comes time to prep for a big meal, I’m all doing as much work as possible ahead of time, which is why I spent the three months leading up to my wedding making and freezing fruit pies destined for the dessert table. Along the way I learned that frozen unbaked homemade pies are not only incredibly convenient, they also bake up better than freshly-made pies.

Q: In an effort to reduce food waste, I’ve been saving the zest and juice of any leftover citrus fruits that I have. What I don’t know is: how long will it last in the refrigerator? Can I freeze it? Any other good tips for using citrus zest?Sent by HarmonyEditor: Harmony, good timing! We wrote a post just yesterday on freezing citrus zest. You should also check out this post on measuring and storing lemon zest for more suggestions.

Q: I’ve tried storing potatoes and onions in the fridge, and inside a cupboard on the shelf, but they always seem to shrivel up, grow eyes, or go bad much faster than they ought to. What’s the ideal way to keep them fresh longest when I’m miles from the nearest root cellar?Sent by EleanorEditor: Eleanor, one immediate tip is to not store root vegetables and onions together, as they make each other spoil faster.

Do you use your freezer to preserve herbs, vegetables, or fruit? The freezer can be a powerful, overlooked method of preserving. Pesto, strawberry puree, tomato soup — stash them away now for colder times! One of my favorite ingredients, a handful of fresh herbs from the garden, is one of the simplest things to preserve in the freezer, and I just learned a new, better way to freeze herbs: In oil!

I’m always excited when I purchase cilantro. In my neighborhood you can get four bunches for a dollar, and even if I don’t need all four bunches I still bring them home. I figure I’ll find a way to use all of them up, but inevitably there’s one sad bunch all soggy and brown in the back of the fridge a week later. But not anymore! Curious about which methods kept cilantro fresh longer, Jodi Torpey of the blog Vegetable Gardener tested a few out.

Cooking pasta isn’t rocket science, nor does it take a great deal of time. But sometimes even five to 10 minutes can seem like too much when you’re on a tight schedule. Enter: frozen cooked pasta. Frozen cooked pasta reheats quickly, and ensures you have something warm and hearty in your belly before a pot of water could even come to a boil. Want to make some in your own kitchen? Here are a few tips! Cook your pasta ahead of time to just under al dente.

There is absolutely nothing more disappointing than getting ready for a big baking project and then realizing your yeast has expired. Trust me — been there, done that. But no longer! Stored in the freezer, our dry yeast will keep for months past that expiration date.Far from hurting the little yeast cells, freezing puts them in a state of suspension. Keep them in an airtight container where they are protected from oxygen and humidity. The glass jar the yeast comes in is usually just fine.

I went on a bit of a granola bender the other week for reasons best left between me and my obsessive brain. The upshot of this, as you can probably guess, was that I ended up with a lot of granola sitting on my counter. After foisting jars of it onto my friends and snacking on it every afternoon, I still had more granola than I could conceivably eat before it went stale. The solution? Freeze it.

How do you store your fresh herbs? Do you ever find them getting slimy in the back of the crisper drawer? Reader Jess just sent us this great tip for keeping herbs fresh for a long time. We’ve seen this before, but she illustrated it really well — take a look!Jess says: Snip off the ends of herbs and “plant” them in an old jam jar or a glass with some water. Cover with a plastic bag and secure with a rubber band.

Q: My husband and I love all kinds of hot sauces, so we always have several different kinds in the refrigerator. There is one, however, that always grows mold within a few days: harissa. The first time I stored it in the original can, covered with plastic wrap. Okay, rookie mistake. But the second time I put it in a glass jar and covered it with olive oil… only to discover it covered in mold again. What am I doing wrong?

My Gramma John was a tremendous baker. A farm wife and mother to eight kids, she spent her fair share of time in the kitchen. But she loved every minute of it, baking until the very day she passed away. I have great memories of spending time with her in the kitchen. Nowadays with my own small army of children, I love to bake as well. They love it even more. I love that I can tailor my baking for food allergies as well as dietary preferences.

If you’re cooking for a big family, there is plenty of advice out there for making dinner in bulk and freezing it — but what if you are just cooking for one or two people? Our readers recently tackled this very question and had some smart advice for small-family freezer meals, so you don’t end up eating the same batch of frozen lasagna for three weeks straight. Soups, stews, pasta sauces, curries, beans and cooked grains freeze well and are easy to make in big batches.

It’s been extra steamy in New York City the past few days, and I’m totally ok with it. Mostly because it’s been the perfect excuse (not that I really need one) to enjoy an extra helping of homemade ice cream everyday. Because really, there are few things better than ice cream on a hot summer day. Just as important as knowing how to make a great batch of homemade ice cream, though, is knowing how to store it properly.

Q: I have been given a large piece of prosciutto, and as there is only two of us, it is too big for us to eat at one time. I would like to know if it can be frozen or how else to keep it, and for how long? Sent by Lucy Editor: Prosciutto is a cured meat and will actually keep quite well for a few weeks in the fridge. I also think it would freeze fairly well, if needed — wrap it well to protect it from exposure to air and freeze for up to 3 months. Readers, any other thoughts?

Our youngest son has a summer birthday, the kind of birthday that gets ignored, poor guy. His cakes are usually afterthoughts, picked up from the bakery on the way home from work, or served at whatever restaurant he’s chosen for his party. This year, I was touched when he wanted me to make the cake for his eighth birthday myself, and I agreed, just as soon as I remembered my favorite, ridiculously easy cake.

Freezing food is a great way to have meals on the go or avoid last-minute trips to the grocery store. It also helps us not to waste food and is, in a sense, an extension of our pantry. But we’ve all been there: We searched through our freezer and pulled out a few things to thaw in the fridge and promptly forgot about them. Can you put it back in the freezer? Here are five things you should avoid giving a refreeze, and why refreezing in general is a big no-no.

Having the dinner table covered with more food than you can possibly eat in one sitting is the hallmark of Thanksgiving, and it’s hard to imagine scaling back for this once-a-year feast. The next day, though, the mountain of leftovers can seem a bit overwhelming — especially if you don’t think you’ll eat through everything anytime soon. The freezer can come to your rescue and help with preventing food waste!

The ability to freeze cookies and cookie dough is a such a lifesaver when I don’t have time to spend the whole day baking. It also means that there isn’t a temptation to eat up the entire batch of cookies; the cookie dough is ready-to-go in the freezer for unexpected guests or when I need a comfort food fix; and if I get my act together and freeze a variety of cookies, a cookie plate is at my fingertips.

It’s happened at least once that I’ve reused a plastic ice cream container to freeze something and forgotten to label it. Do you know how disappointing it is to reach for chocolate gelato late at night and realize that it’s actually gravy? Those are what we call teachable moments, folks. Since you don’t want to mistake your freezer meals, it’s important to label the packages for the freezer.

I’ve heard about freezers being left open and the contents thawing. Friends have lost hundreds of dollars of groceries when that’s happened to them. Accidental thawing was one of our considerations when we bought our chest freezer. In theory, the door/lid can’t really be left open by accident, thus reducing our risk of an accidental thaw. However, it wasn’t until the power failed to reach my freezer that I realized how vulnerable my freezer stash was to thaw and loss.

We all know that a freezer packed with meals is a serious accomplishment — a gift from your present self to your future self. But how do you actually stock it up? One way to productively fill your freezer is to share the work with friends. I did this recently, and this week I’m showing you the freezer meal party I threw with my mom and sisters. What does a freezer meal party actually involve? How do you coordinate the shopping and planning and cooking?

Yesterday I shared the freezer meal party I hosted with my mom and sisters (50 meals, $300!). One important thing to figure out when cooking for the freezer — whether it’s one meal or 50 — is how you’re going to package it. You probably know the basics of freezer packaging (see Jessica Fisher’s rundown of the essentials here), but I wanted to share three of my current favorites for getting meals packaged up neat and tight.

During my first year of marriage we spent over $500 a month to feed the two of us, the same amount I spent 15 years later to feed eight of us! Yikes! Clearly, I’ve reformed my ways since then — and my freezer has played a big part in the process. I shake my head in disbelief at 23-year old me who would buy chicken breast for $6 a pound just because she had a craving for chicken that night.

Once upon a time, I had a hard time using up a loaf of bread before it went bad. Nowadays, with a crew of hungry kids, I’m lucking if a loaf of bread lasts one sitting. Either way, freezing baked goods come to the rescue. If yours is a small household that might not use baked goods quickly, the freezer can help you extend the shelf life of your favorite goodies so that you have time to enjoy them.

I scream. You scream. We all scream for ice cream. Am I right? As I’ve mentioned before, ice cream is an important part of my freezer stockpile. In summertime I store the canister to our ice cream maker in the freezer whenever it’s not in use so that we can quickly and easily get churning. If you’ve followed the Freezer Cure for any length of time, though, you know that the freezer is for more than just ice cream. Especially in the dessert department!

How do you keep your eggs stored in the fridge? Do you stick with the carton, or leave them loose in a bowl or pretty tray? If you ditch the carton and keep your eggs piled in a bowl or other type of open container, exposed to the other items in the fridge, it’s time to rethink your strategy. While arranging your eggs in a pretty tray or the caddy that came with your fridge might look pretty, there’s a better way to store your eggs.

If your freezer makes ice, then your ice cube tray is probably sitting empty, frozen and alone, in the freezer door, or abandoned in the back of a cabinet somewhere. Go and get it right this instant, because the ice cube tray is a brilliant cook’s tool, and can — nay, should! — be used for freezing many other things besides ice. Individual storage areas? Check. Small portions? Check. Totally freezer-friendly? Obviously.

Where do you store your olive oil? It’s tempting — and awfully convenient – to store oil right next to the stove, within arm’s reach, but is that really the best spot? Olive oil is a pantry staple that we use almost daily, and whether you have a standard work-a-day oil, or fancy bottle of extra-virgin, the key to making sure it lasts is proper storage.

It’s easy to eat more salads and greens as the weather warms up. You might crave something cool and crisp, or the CSA you joined is kicking into high gear and loading you up with lettuces and greens. Do you know the best ways to wash, dry, and store your greens? A little how-to can help make prep easier, plus extend the life of your produce. Here are our best tips!

Q: I would like to pre-make scones that I can freeze and then later take out to bake in small batches as an easy, on-the-go breakfast for myself or my impatient toddler. What is the best way to do this and still preserve the moist interior and crisp crust? Should I bake them straight from the freezer (and how does that affect baking temp/time)? Should I let them thaw first? Should I bake them before I freeze them? Thanks for any suggestions and advice!

Q: I baked a turkey breast, which was completely unthawed. Is it safe to freeze some of the slices from that turkey breast to use in a month or later? Sent by Thellma Editor: Yes, as long as the turkey breast was completely cooked through, you can freeze it for another time! Keep it tightly wrapped to prevent freezer burn. Readers, any tips on freezing cooked turkey?

We all experience it — the anxiety that comes with bringing fresh produce home from the market, a little worry that settles in around day three when you haven’t yet used the new inventory. The first day holds so much promise and excitement for all the potential dishes that will come. There’s a new recipe for cauliflower hummus (wink, wink) you want to try. You expect to cook a beautiful bunch of Swiss chard with garlic and herbs, and wilt it down into a frittata filling.

Q: Can you freeze cooked quinoa? Sent by Williams Editor: Yes, you can definitely freeze cooked quinoa; it’s one of our favorite healthy meal shortcuts. Let the cooked quinoa cool down completely, then transfer it to a resealable plastic bag. Press all the air out before sealing, then pat the quinoa into an even layer before freezing. It’s ready to go whenever you need a quinoa fix; just thaw overnight in the refrigerator!

Enjoying warm weather with a trip to the beach means lugging towels, toys, maybe a beach chair or two, and of course, a cooler full of drinks and food. You want to keep the contents of your cooler as cold as possible for both food safety and so drinks stay icy-cold and refreshing, so here’s a tip on how to give your cooler a little extra insulation at the beach! This little trick is so simple and smart — you’ll wonder why you’ve never done it!

Q: How do you keep green onions fresh for more than a few days? I just threw out two bunches I bought only three days ago. What’s the trick to making them last longer? Sent by Dennis Editor: I’m curious as to how you’ve been storing your green onions. We store green onions, or scallions, the same way we store asparagus. After removing the rubber band, stand the scallions in a jar, cover the whole thing with a plastic bag, and keep it in the fridge.

Q: I’ve read every suggestion to keep my fresh carrots fresh in the fridge, but I want to buy a lot of them from my excellent farmers market while I still can. I plan to stock up this week, and want to know what’s the best way to preserve them. Maybe canning or freezing? Although, whenever I’ve had frozen carrots in a bag of mixed veggies, I haven’t enjoyed the overall texture. Should I can them in a pressure cooker?

Q: I just moved to a warmer climate where my virgin coconut oil is almost always liquid. Now I don’t know how to handle it! Scooping liquid oil out of the jar with a spoon is messy, and keeping the jar in the fridge makes the oil too hard. I’ve been thinking about trying to transfer the oil to a more pour-friendly container, but I’m not sure what would work best. Any recommendations (or alternative strategies)?

Q: I have a dozen pears sitting in my kitchen ripening, and I am about to get on the road for the next two weeks. I would like to save the pears and enjoy them later since they are so tasty. Can I freeze pears? If so, how should I do it? Dice them? Slice them? Do I peel them? Will they brown in the freezer? Otherwise, what’s the best way to preserve them? Your expert advice is very much appreciated!

Q: I have some maple syrup that is beyond crystals — it’s like pieces of quartz with a little syrup. Should I pitch it or is there some way to save it? Sent by Sylvia Editor: There might be! The first thing we suggest is placing the bottle in a very hot water bath. If that doesn’t help, your next option is to splash the hardened maple crystal with hot water, a small amount at a time, until you see it begin to melt.

Q: Shelled walnuts that were stored in the refrigerator turned black. This happened in hot, humid tropical weather. Does this mean the walnuts went bad? How can walnuts be stored in tropical weather to get the maximum shelf life out of them? Sent by Asana Editor: If your walnuts have turned black, they’re bad. Give them a whiff. Do they smell like paint thinner? That’s a sure sign it’s time to toss them.

Brown rice seems like any other dry good, right? Buy a big bag and throw it on a shelf in your pantry, and it will last for what often feels like an eternity. Well, not exactly. What makes brown rice not only more nutritious than white rice, but also extra nutty and flavorful, is that its bran and germ are still attached, which contain oils that are full of good, unsaturated fats. While that’s great from a health and taste perspective, those oils unfortunately go rancid pretty quickly.

Is a spicy stir-fry on the menu this week? Are you going make a really zippy cup of ginger tea to beat the winter chill? Ginger is one of our go-to ingredients for adding flavor and heat to a dish, but before you can add it to the recipe of your choice, you’ve got to pick up the perfect hand or knob. Here are a few tips to help you do just that. Picking a fresh hand of ginger requires you to use a few sensory cues. Look for ginger with shiny, taut skin.

Q: The Ezekiel bread I had been using is sold frozen, and then you refrigerate it. I have now found a bakery that sells sprouted bread fresh. Should it be refrigerated? Sent by Sandra Editor: Sprouted breads, especially when purchased fresh from a bakery, tend to be more susceptible to spoilage because they lack the preservatives found in commercially produced bread. How you store the bread really depends on how quickly you’re going to consume it and how you plan on using it.

While the grocery store shelves are stacked with a variety of prepackaged mushrooms, I always prefer to scoop up my haul from the loose bins; it’s the best way to buy just the amount that I need. When buying mushrooms this way, whether at the grocery store or farmers market, there’s one simple thing to do when you get home to ensure your mushrooms stay fresh for as long as possible.

Is there anything more connected to the way we feel about ourselves (deep down) than our refrigerator? Movies use this correlation all the time — just think of Oscar’s moldy-sandwich fridge in The Odd Couple, Sigourney Weaver’s portal-to-another-dimension fridge in Ghostbusters, or basically every movie ever where a bachelor opens his refrigerator and finds sour milk, so we know he’s unhappy.

It’s long been an argument that fish (and in this case, salmon) is never as good on the second day. Yes, I’ll agree that it’s superior freshly cooked, but just like any other food, there are times when you’ll have leftovers — no matter how hard you try to buy and cook just the right amount. But leftover salmon can actually be just as good if you know the right way to reheat it.

Q: I am moving from NYC to Houston, Texas, but my belongings will be in storage in Texas for about three weeks. I have a great number of spices and terrific grains from my winter CSA that I know I won’t finish before the big move. I imagine my storage situation will be climate-controlled, but I can’t guarantee it. What from my pantry could survive transit and three weeks of storage in Texas in June, and what should I pitch?

Every week, without fail, the first item I write down on my grocery shopping list is salad greens. A simple green salad appears almost nightly on my dinner table, so it’s important that I have an ample supply geared and ready for the week. And it’s equally, if not more, important that those salad greens stay fresh throughout the week. Here are three ways to make that happen. My go-to way to store salad greens is always in the spinner.

Tomato storage can be quite controversial. Many hold on to the belief that tomatoes should under no circumstance be stored in the refrigerator. Some have never heard such advice. Some keep their garden tomatoes on a kitchen windowsill and, while it is incredibly charming, it might not be the best way to store whole tomatoes. The best way depends a bit on temperature and timing.

The Sunday Scaries are a real thing. Nervousness about the week ahead sets in just around breakfast time — here’s a way to conquer it. Do this when you’re making that leisurely pancake breakfast in your pajamas at 10 a.m. and know that Monday morning is going to be a little less painful because of it. It’s a little tip, but a brilliant one. Double up that batch of pancakes or waffles and cook them all up.

Anytime fries for true french fry fanatics.

You did the work and baked up a beautiful batch of muffins or quick breads. If you find yourself with leftovers, make sure you’re storing these baked goods correctly for maximum freshness. Before you pack muffins or quick bread aways, cool them completely. After coming out of the oven, let these baked goods briefly cool in the pan before transferring them to a wire rack to cool all the way. Even if they’re just a tiny bit warm, muffins and quick bread continue to emit heat.

Keep those precious green jewels fresh as long as possible.

After Thanksgiving dinner comes to an end and you’ve snapped out of your turkey coma, it’s time to tackle the leftovers. From the turkey to the sides to the sweets, here are the best tips to help you use up, freeze, and repurpose everything that remains. Get ready to hit the ground running. Arm yourself with recipe inspiration to tackle to leftovers, from the turkey to the stuffing to the pies, before you even sit down to Thanksgiving dinner.

Whether you’re getting a head start on holiday baking or have more cookies than you know what to do with, remember that your freezer is your number-one ally. From mounds of cookie dough to baked cookies, here are five important things to know about freezing cookies. While most types of cookie dough freeze wonderfully, some doughs work better than others.

Whether you’re trying to get a head start on holiday baking, or you find yourself with extra cookie dough or a bunch of baked cookies, the freezer just might prove the ideal spot to stash them. Here are three clear signs your cookie recipe is freezer-friendly. In general, cookie recipes — like shortbread, sugar cookies, drop cookies, and icebox cookies — that include a lot of butter make for a dough that freezes, and eventually bakes up, quite well.

Time to bring your winter stew into weeknight territory with a few freezer shortcuts. Start off by spending a little time in the freezer aisle of your grocery store and you’ll find a multitude of smart shortcuts that make for hearty stews with minimal prep. These little gems bulk up the vegetable content of a stew while adding rich, aromatic flavor — plus, they fancy it up without even trying.

I firmly believe that having chocolate on hand — whether in the form of powder, baking bars, snacking bars, or chips — is always a good idea. You never know when the craving for brownies will strike, when an unexpected celebration calls for cake, or when you just need to break off a square of good dark chocolate and have a moment. As important as it is to have the sweet stuff on hand, it’s equally important to store it properly to maintain freshness.

Keep a bag of frozen tortellini tucked away in your freezer and you can rest easy knowing that a quick meal is always at the ready. This series on fast tortellini dinners will show you how to transform frozen tortellini into dinner using pantry staples and a few surprising techniques. Pasta sauce is just the beginning! Dinner tonight should most definitely be this almost-instant pasta soup.

One of my favorite things to get pulled from the ground in this bright, fresh season are spring onions. They’re often forgotten, due to impending excitement over things like asparagus ramps Spring onions are essentially just young onions that are harvested before they have a long summer to mature into the larger, paper-skinned ones we eat regularly. That’s exactly what makes them so special! They taste like the best, sweetest version of themselves.