The Freezer is your Friend

Hi everyone!

 I thought I would start a new series with the theme of 'The Freezer is your Friend'.
To begin I am going to look at this weeks top five items that I like to freeze.
Maybe a little different but I am always amazed by how many people don't know what you can use your trusty freezer for.

1. Chillis

The first food on my list is the humble chilli. Throughout my day-to-day cooking I would tend to use quite a lot of chilli but I wasn't always able to have some to hand. This led me to do some research and I soon discovered that they can be frozen in different forms.

 The whole chilli can be put on a shelf in a small bag and then taken out and grated from frozen. Or they can be chopped into small pieces and again put in tubs or bags. Just make sure they are sealed well or you could end up with other foods tasting 'hot'. Just take out what you need. No need to defrost.

2. Celery

Second on the list is celery. I make lasagne and again don't always have celery in the fridge. I now cut the celery into  pieces the size I need for lasagne and freeze in freezer tubs. I also cut some for soups and stews ready to throw into the pot! Again no need to defrost.

3. Cheese

I like to stock up on cheese, especially Cheddar. So on shopping day I buy enough to last, hopefully a month (that's if my daughter doesn't get her hands on it!) To freeze, simply cut into the size you like to use and cover in tin foil then put in a plastic bag and seal. Take out a few hours before use or if really pushed it can be grated straight away.

I also freeze Mozzarella and Parmesan. The latter isn't a cheese I  would use a lot but it does freeze well and grates without problems. Just store as before. Where cheese is concerned the only problems I have encountered would be with soft cheeses - soft cheese is not good to freeze.

4. Garlic

One ingredient I never previously thought to freeze is garlic. There came a day when I was making dinner and I had none left to make my lasagne so had to make a special journey to get some.
Having to nip out was not ideal so I decided to always make sure I always had some. For this I thought using the freezer would be ideal - I therefore, decided to try and freeze it.

You can freeze the whole head but I prefer to chop it really small for dishes and freeze in plastic tubs. Always make sure , like the chillies, that the garlic is well sealed so as not to flavour other foods.

5. Mushrooms

Mushrooms are my fifth food to freeze this week. Now I am aware that there are some people who don't like to freeze them but I, personally, have had no problems.

I simply slice and cook slightly in butter or peanut oil, drain , tap dry with paper towel and freeze in a suitable container. Frozen mushrooms can be used for pies, casseroles or can be quickly re-fried to have with a big juicy steak!

What About You?

So there we have it my top five 'Freezer is your Friend' ingredients for this week. Let me know what you think about using your freezer. Have you any tips for me?