Is Your Freezer Big Enough?

When I first heard about Once a Month Cooking with Freezer Recipes, I had a mixed bag of feelings. I was excited, intrigued, intimidated, relieved, but above all, I was curious. I was not sure if all the food I cook would fit in my tiny freezer which already throws things out at me every time I opened it. Is your freezer big enough?

The thing about freezer recipes is that you have to see what others don't see to be doing something so smart. That's what brings me to the point that if you are smart, you can find a way to fit everything your freezer recipes in your little freezer.

Here are a few clever techniques you can use:

1. Store is freezer bags not containers. The containers take up too much space. You can also reuse the freezer bags if you put each dish in a Ziploc bag before you put it in the freezer bag. You may be able to store more than one freezer recipe in one bag.

2. Lay the bags down in your freezer instead of standing them up. Once the contents are frozen, stand the bags up. It will be easier to access the food if it is standing up like a row of books rather than if you have to dig it out.

3. You might have some recipes that need to be frozen in the pan you cooked them in. Well, here is what you can do. Freeze those items in the pan and when they freeze, take them out and put them in a bag. Line your original pan with aluminum foil to make it easier to transfer to the bag.

4. Use aluminum foil whenever you can. Some freezer recipes like pizza can easily be wrapped up to give you some more space in your freezer.

5. Only buy what you need. Remember you will not be cooking for a while once you cook in bulk with freezer recipes. So limit your shopping of freezer items to only those things you will cook on your cooking day and things you need everyday like Popsicles for kids, ice-cream that you will eat etc.

These are just a few tips that you can use to maximize your freezer real estate for your Freezer Recipes. There are more clever tips and ideas you can use in 'Frugal Mom's Guide to Once a Month Cooking'. Visit http://www.usfreeads.com/2516734-cls.html to check it out.

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Freezing Fish - Keep Your Fish Tasting Fresh In The Freezer

While fish is great fresh, it is not always possible to eat it right away. If you have some fish that you cannot eat within 2-3 days, it is a good idea to go ahead and freeze it so it will not go bad. Of course, to make sure your fish is frozen the right way, you need to avoid just throwing it into the freezer. To get the best quality and to keep it tasting fresh even out of the freezer, here are some tips for freezing to keep in mind.

Eliminate Air

First, realize that air is a big problem when freezing fish. If it is able to touch the fish it will definitely cause problems. The best option is to vacuum seal your fish before freezing. If you cannot do this, tightly wrap up the fish so no air is able to get to it and make it go bad in your freezer. It is a good idea to purchase a vacuum sealer if you are going to be freezing fish on a regular basis, since it will save a lot of money by keeping fish nice and fresh.

Glazing

Another way that you can avoid allowing air to cause problems is to glaze the fish. This can be done by taking fillets, dipping them into very cold water, and then putting them on a pan to freeze. After the water freezes, you should repeat the process. The goal is to have about ¼ inch of ice as a glaze on the fillets. Once they are well glazed, store in a plastic freezer bag.

Know How Long to Freeze

It is important that you know how long to freeze your fish to ensure you enjoy it while it is still at its best quality. You should not allow it to be frozen for any more than six months. It should be fine up to this point but after six months, the quality is going to begin to decline. If you are freezing fatty fish, like trout or salmon, you will need to avoid freezing longer than three months because they lose quality even faster than other varieties.

Fish You Should not Freeze

Some types of fish do not do well frozen, so it is best to avoid freezing them. The fattiest types of fish are the ones to avoid freezing. This can include sardines, herring, mackerel, and bluefish. While you can glaze these fillets, the quality goes downhill very quickly so it is best to simply use these types while they are fresh.

Thawing the Fish

Not only is it important to know how you should be freezing your fish, but you also need to know how to thaw it back out. Make sure that thawing is done very gradually. It is not a good idea to put fillets into a microwave to try to thaw them. It is a better idea to allow them to thaw out in your refrigerator or put into cold water to thaw them out as well.

Freezing and thawing fish the right way is important. This way you have the best quality of fish for oven baked fish recipes. Another way to use up leftover fish you have frozen is to find a good fish taco recipe that will allow you to use it up.

EasyFishRecipes.net - The Only Thing Better Than Our Recipes Is Catching Them Yourself!

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