FOOD FREEZING TIPS: HOW LONG CAN I STORE FOOD?

IS IT CRAZY THAT I FREEZE EVERYTHING??? I DO! CHEESE, COOKIES, BREAD, CAKES, MUFFINS, MEAT, VEGGIES, FRUIT - YOU NAME IT - I'VE FROZEN IT. I THNK IT'S BECAUSE I LIKE TO MAKE THINGS IN RIDICULOUSLY LARGE BATCHES AND THEN PULL THEM OUT OF THE FREEZER WHEN I DONT WANT TO COOK. I ALSO HATE THE FEELING OF THROWING SOMETHING OUT - LIKE MOLDY BREAD - SO I ALWAYS FREEZE MY BREAD. THIS CHART BELOW MIGHT HAVE ME BE THROWING OUT SOME OF THE REALLY OLD STUFF I KNOW IS HIDING IN THAT FREEZER :) EEK!

FREEZE IT RIGHT or IT MIGHT BE WASTED :(

There's nothing worse than taking out that meal you froze last month only to realize it's frost bitten and ruined. If you're going to freeze it - definitely do it right. I at-the-least double wrap everything I freeze. I'm on this kick lately where I'm trying to avoid plastic. Which is such an challenge! But if you're drinking the same cool aid as me, I first try to wrap the food in MYLAR BAGS, THEN PLASTIC WRAP or FREEZER ZIPLOCS. All the links are below on my favorite brands. 

 

MYLAR BAGS

I've strayed away (as much as possible) from letting plastic touch my food. This is really a challenge - but one I've attempted. So lately I've been putting the food in these mylar bags, and then wrapping them in plastic wrap or freezer-ziplocks. 

FREEZE-TITE

So the best plastic for freezing IMO is Freeze Tite:

FREEZER ZIPLOCS

You'll also want to stock up on quart and gallon size freezer bags. If you're trying to avoid plastic - simply put them in the mylar first and THEN the plastic to keep air out.