Foods that Don't Freeze Wellby Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger 09 Jan 2008 04:57 AM Freezing meals and ingredients for meals can be a smart idea when it comes to frugal living. Meal planning and having dinner ready to just pop in the oven on busy nights certainly makes eating out less desirable, and that immediately helps your budget. Buying food in bulk and then freezing the excess can also save you money by reducing your grocery bill. One thing to keep in mind, though, is not all foods freeze well. You can wind up losing money if you freeze something that winds up being thrown away. Here then, is a guideline on foods that won't freeze well, as well as some tips on making the outcome for these foods a bit better. Baked or boiled potatoes. They will turn mealy and mushy. A better bet is to cut the potatoes into fries. Cooked pasta. This can get mushy. If you undercook the pasta and then add it to a baked dish such as baked ziti, you'll get a better result. Cooked egg whites. They tend to turn rubbery. Lettuce, celery, cabbage, cucumbers. Bad news here. You'll wind up with limp, strange-colored mush that stinks. You can avoid this result by marinading or pickling first. Icing with egg whites. This will change consistency and will weep liquid. Alfredo and other cream-based sauces. Cream bases will separate when you thaw them. Mayonnaise or salad dressing. This tends to separate, too. Sour cream. It will separate and become watery. Spices and seasonings. Many spices and seasonings change when frozen, becoming stronger or more bitter. Season lightly before freezing, and then add additional seasoning before reheating or when serving. Here is a quick breakdown. Salt can lose its flavor and may even increase the tendency of fatty foods to turn rancid. Pepper, garlic, green pepper, oregano and basil can become strong and a bit bitter. Onion can change flavor a bit, although I still freeze chopped onion and use it in meals with success. Curry can taste a little musty. Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here. Related Articles: 3 Meals that Feed Your Family for $1.50 or Less Save 50 Percent on Meat, Fish and Poultry Learn more about Mary Ann Romans  Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat. Relevantfrugal tags User Comments georgiamamaof4 (30) 10 Jan 2008 07:01 AMHow about zucchini? I had an abundance a couple years ago that I decided to shred and freeze thinking that zucchini bread in December would sound pretty good. The bad thing is when I thawed it out there was SO much liquid it was hard to deal with. What could I have done better?  Mary Ann Romans |
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