The Freezer - A Food Storage Tool

January 2014

Freezers: they are in practically every house. Some houses even have two. But are you using your freezer to its full potential?

First off, do you know what’s in your freezer? Take fifteen minutes and organize it. Don’t keep the box of 30 corn dogs if there are only 2 corndogs left. Consolidate. Check the size of your containers, if you can move something into a smaller container, DO IT! Throw out anything that your family won’t eat. Throw out any meals over a year old or anything that has been destroyed by frostbite.

After you have consolidated and chucked unwanted or old items, you need to layer your food in a smart order. Raw meats should always go at the bottom of the freezer. If for some reason there is a power outage or open door and they thaw they won't leak juices onto other foods below. Cooked meats and meals should be layered next. They might leak juices and ruin other foods if they thaw, as well. Above those keep the fruits and vegetables. And finally put breads and baked goods at the top, so they don’t get squashed.

Now that your freezer is nicely organized, how full is it?  Freezers work most efficiently when at least 75% full. The less space available the less the freezer has to do to keep the temperature down. If your freezer is less than 75% full, you can store water in it to fill the space AND increase your water storage supply! Milk jugs, plastic applesauce jars, soda bottles, etc. work great, but be sure to leave some room at the top for the water to expand as it freezes. For those of you who have a full freezer, make sure you can navigate through your frozen goods. It shouldn’t take two minutes to position everything so you can close the freezer door.  It’s also recommended that you label by listing the item, quantity, cooking instructions, and date.

There is no One-Size-Fits-All Method to freezer cooking. Some people spend one day--eighteen hours--cooking a month’s worth of freezer meals. Some people batch cook, which is doubling, tripling or quadrupling a recipe that you’re already making and freezing the extra “batches.” Again, there is no One-Size-Fits-All Method to freezer cooking. If you don’t like casseroles, don’t cook them! Start with recipes your family already loves and makes on a regular basis. Think about how parts could be adapted and made ahead of time and stuck in the freezer. Be realistic with your time, energy, and money. Choose a plan of action and jump in!

The following are recipes using food storage items that freeze great.

Homemade Refried Beans 

Turn the crockpot on High and dump in the following:

2 1/2 cups pinto beans—previously soaked for six hours or overnight

1 chopped onion

1 tsp cumin

Pour 8 cups of boiling water over the ingredients in the crockpot.  Cook on High for 6 hours.  Then remove most of the excess water.  The more water you remove the thicker the refried beans will be.  Better to take out too much and then add some back in than to leave too much water in.

Mash the beans.  Add 2 tsp. of salt.  Add 1/3 lb. of cheese (cheddar, monetary jack, colby jack) cut into cubes or shredded.  Mash again until cheese melts.  I serve the beans from the crockpot to help keep them warm, but I do turn it off.

These beans make a great dip especially with a couple teaspoons of taco seasoning, but we usually make them for burritos with the normal works:  tortillas, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, sour cream, etc. I freeze the leftovers in one cup quantities and use them in recipes requiring refried beans or spread them between corn tortillas. Yum! However, I’ve only been able to test these beans in the freezer for 2 months. They don’t last that long at my house! The consistency does hold up for two months.

Fiesta Chicken Enchiladas

1 Tbsp oil ½ cup onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic 1 lb chicken breast, cooked and shredded 1 cup salsa, divided 4 oz cream cheese, cubed

1 tsp ground cumin 1 cup black beans ½ to 1 cup quinoa, cooked 1 cup shredded cheese, divided ½ cup chopped cilantro Flour tortillas

Heat large skillet with oil on medium heat. Add onions and sauté until soft and translucent. Add garlic and sauté for one minute. Add chicken, ¼ cup of the salsa, cream cheese, cumin, black beans, and quinoa; mix well. Cook until heated through, stirring occasionally. Add ½ cup of shredded cheese. Add cilantro when cheese is melted; mix well. Pull off heat.

Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray 9x13 pan and pour and spread 1/4 cup of salsa on the bottom.  Warm up a tortilla in a frying pan (lightly sprayed with Pam) on both sides.  Place slightly browned tortilla on a plate and spoon about 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture onto each tortilla. Roll up each burrito using the Taco-Bell-Bean-Burrito method (I learned this method at BYU where I bought many a bean burrito) and place seam side down in the 9x13 pan.  Continue to roll up the chicken mixture in tortillas. I make as many as I can, usually around 10 or so.  Pour remaining salsa over the enchiladas and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Put into the oven until heated through, 20-25 minutes.

Energy Bites

¼ cup butter or margarine

½ T chia seeds soaked in ¼ cup water for ten minutes

1/3 cup sugar (or honey)

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup old fashioned rolled oats

1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/3 cup ground flax seeds

1/3 cup whole wheat flour

pinch of salt

½ cup chocolate chips

In a large bowl combine butter, chia seed/water gel mixture, sugar, and vanilla; mix well. Add dry ingredients and mix until combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Scoop out on to a plate or cookie sheet like you would cookie dough. Place in freezer to flash freeze for 30 minutes or so. Place bites in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer for quick and easy snacks.

You can use peanut butter as a substitute for the butter and chia seed gel.