Home Freezing
Freezing is very popular, especially with those who cook for a family. It enables the cook to plan ahead and make use of abundant supplies of fresh fruit and vegetables; cut down on shopping time by bulk buying and cooking; cater for unexpected guests and enjoy out-of-season foods.
If the following points are followed then freezing is also a time and money saver:
| 1 | Choose the right size of freezer, approximately 2 cubic feet of freezer space for each member of the family. |
| 2 | If your freezer is full it is cheaper to run. Open the door or lid as little as possible. |
| 3 | Clean out the freezer every six months. |
| 4 | Good quality foods at their peak of freshness are essential. |
| 5 | Handle food as little as possible and make sure everything is spotlessly clean. |
| 6 | Cool food thoroughly - never freeze warm or hot food. |
| 7 | Freeze food in quantities most likely to be used. |
| 8 | Label clearly, giving the weight, name and the date on which it was frozen. |
| 9 | Store and use the food in rotation; it is a good idea to keep a record book. |
| 10 | Use good quality packaging materials; heavy gauge polythene bags, polythene sheeting, aluminium foil, foil dishes, basins and freezer tape. |
Packaging
It is important to pack foods carefully to ensure they can be eaten at their peak of perfection. Foods packed in liquids or liquid alone, should be given 1 cm (1/2 inch) head space to allow for expansion during freezing. Exclude as much air as possible from solid packs. The following packs are most suitable for freezing:
| 1 | Heavy gauge polythene bags - An assortment of sizes are available. Seal with special covered metal twists or freezer tape. |
| 2 | Aluminium foil - Ideal as an inner wrapping to exclude all air from the food. Overwrap with polythene. |
| 3 | Polythene sheeting - useful for foods of an irregular shape and individually wrapped pies or cakes - seal with freezer tape. |
| 3 | Foil Dishes - Good freezer-to-oven containers for pies, tartlets and puddings |
| 4 | Polythene boxes - Storage boxes with airtight lids. Always choose the size carefully to avoid too much airspace. |
| 5 | Waxed tubs - With airtight lids suitable for liquids and squashable foods. |
| 6 | Freezer tape - Ordinary adhesive tape will not stick at freezer temperatures. Use special tape for airtight packages. |
| 7 | Labelling - Write clearly on the packaging or use stick-on-labels to show the weight, name of food and date on which it was frozen. |
Maximum recommended freezer storage in months.
| Uncooked | Cooked | |
| Scones | ||
| Rich or Plain | - | 1 |
| Drop | - | 1 |
| Tea Loaves | - | 6 |
| Biscuits | 6 | 6 |
| Pastry | ||
| Short | 6 | 3 - 6 |
| Suet | - | 3 - 4 |
| Hot Water Crust | - | 6 |
| Choux | 3 | 3 |
| Cakes | ||
| Victoria Sandwich | - | 6 |
| Sponge | - | 6 |
| Fruit | - | 6 |
| Gingerbread | - | 3 |
| Decorated Cake | - | 3 |
| Puddings | ||
| Steamed Sponge | - | 3 |
| Baked | - | 2 - 6 |
| Pancakes | - | 6 |
