The Cook's Pantry, Part 3: The Freezer!

By Sylvie Ryan, Boise Co-op Culinary Educator

My mother is quite the expert when it comes to freezing hand-picked fresh fruits, garden vegetables, homemade pie crust, leftovers and such. She owns a trunk freezer, and we never ran out of bread, meat, fish, herbs, and homemade stock. I learned a lot from her techniques, but was never willing to invest in such a large item (and didn’t have the room for it, either). My home freezer section is quite small, but I always know it contains staples I can rely on. It’s a wonderful way to enjoy vegetables and fruits from the garden in the middle of winter.

Some of the things you’ll always find in my freezer include:

• Loaf Breads, pre-sliced so I can use only what I need.
• Naan Bread or Pita Bread, which make quick and delicious individual pizzas.
• Corn or Whole Wheat Tortillas, which I use a lot in Mexican casseroles, quesadillas and other Latin fare.
• Edaname, which makes a wonderful and healthy snack. 
• Homemade Stock, whether chicken, fish or vegetable. A great trick is to freeze them in ice cube trays so you can use them as needed in recipes. 
• Pesto, in small containers. I make a lot of pesto in the summer and love using it all year long on pizza, pasta and soups. 
• Lunch size containers of leftovers,. When I make soups, lasagna or any casserole, I save enough for at least one individual portion for a cheap, easy, and quick lunch. 
• Frozen garden peas, as I often make Potage Saint Germain, a pea soup. 
• Frozen berries for scones, muffin or cobblers. 
• Handpicked cherries and Italian plums. My friends have a small orchard and these freeze very well and allow me to enjoy fruit pie in the winter. 
• Homemade pie crust. I always make extra pie crust and reserve some that I roll out and line in a pie dish, I then put it in a freezer bag and it keeps for 2-3 month. It makes for a quick, improvised dessert. 

Freezer Storage Tips

I would say that the most important step is to write the date on your packages or containers before freezing them. Some items get freezer burned faster than others. The type of package matters as well. Invest in some good quality, heavy duty freezer bags, as they make a difference. I reuse mine numerous times. Her are some guidelines regarding freezer storage of items:

Pie crust: 2 months

Bread: 3 months

Tortillas: 3 months

Fresh fruits: about 6 months to a year

Meats: typically 6 months to a year

Stocks: 6 months to a year

Soups: 4 months

Casseroles: 2 to 3 months

Chicken: 1 year

Fish: 6 months

Most vegetables: 8 months to a year