I recently read a Mark Bittman article in the NY Times about freezing food. If you have not read this article, hop to it! It is an invaluable resource chock full of great tips and information regarding freezing food. The article was just what I needed to broaden my freezer-burned horizons and get my freezer doing the best job it can do. In case you are wondering what “tray freezing” is – well, it’s simple. Have some food you want to freeze? Spread it out on a large tray or cookie sheet – you can line the sheet with wax paper to minimize sticking and cut down on cleaning time. Stick the tray in the freezer. Close the door. After a few hours, dump the food into a plastic zipper bag and you’re done! I have fallen in love with this technique. In addition to cookie dough I’ve used it for berries, meatballs, vegetables and breadcrumbs. Some vegetables may need to be blanched first…just do a quick google search to help figure that out.
A quick case study: bell peppers. I purchased a large bag of mini sweet bell peppers at Costco, which were threatening to go bad in my fridge. I chopped them up, applied the tray freezing technique (no blanching required for peppers) and voila! Chopped peppers at my fingertips and no wasted food. Love it!
If you haven’t done any tray freezing, give it a try. If you’re a pro, please share your favorite foods for tray freezing and any other tips you may have!
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