This one is for Jen, because I know she is afraid of freezing meat. I live by it. I am a huge planner, so I buy way ahead at the grocery store. At any given time we have 48 rolls of toilet paper, five bottles of shampoo, eight cans of soup and 50 bottles of water and sports drinks.
When I lived in an apartment, I couldn't buy too much meat ahead because I only had the freezer attached to my fridge. I invested in a freezer when we bought the house, just a small used one that was my grandmothers. When meat is on sale at Giant for buy one get one free, I stock up. You can beat two 2-pound roasts for $10. I always buy boneless, skinless chicken breasts in bulk when they are buy one get one. For about $20, you can get 10 or more large breasts. When I get them home, I divide them into freezer bags, about two to each. I usually trim them down to normal size and freeze the trimmings as chicken tenders. I write what it is and the date on the outside of the chicken and pop it in the freezer. The day before I use it, I put the chicken in the refrigerator to thaw. If it's too much for the recipe I am using it for, I cook it off and save it for casseroles or chicken salad. The thawed chicken/pork/beef is no different than what you buy fresh. Once you add the seasoning, etc, you will never know the difference.
Today, I put a piece of pork that was thawed from the freezer in the slow cooker with beef broth, mushrooms, onions and seasoning. I'll serve it with mashed potatoes and a vegetable. YUM!
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3 comments:
I think the key for me is freezing it in correct portion sizes and figuring out the right kind of bags to keep them in.
I did buy three pounds of lean ground beef on sale at Karns this evening and asked him to put it in three 1-lb bags. The meat counter man gave me a tip to smash them flat and remove the twist tie for better storage.
A sack of frozen chicken breasts, however, frighten me because it's too much to use at once, yet I'm afraid of thawing in fridge and refreezing what I don't use.
If you buy small pint freezer bags and put one chicken breast per bag, it would be the perfect size for one person. You could use just one at a time. As long as you take it out the night before and use it or cook it the next day, you will be fine. If you find that you can't use it, boil it for a few minutes in water and put it in the fridge. After it's cooked, it lasts a few days. I use it for chicken salad or in casseroles. Casseroles always call for cooked chicken.
Jen,
I buy those frozen salmon filets that come vacuum wrapped. The directions say to take them out of the vacuum wrap, put in a plastic baggie and submerge the baggie in lukewarm water until the filet is thawed. It's a lot quicker than thawing in the fridge for when you are forgetful like me. It also works for chicken. Haven't tried it on other types of meat.
You can also wrap meat in freezer paper, which I've heard is better, but haven't started doing that yet. The key is to separate when you get home from the store.
As for the sack of frozen chicken breasts- you can just take one out at a time and thaw as needed or even cook frozen on a George Foreman depending on the instructions on the bag.
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