Can you refreeze spaghetti? How to freeze: For store-bought bread, you can store in the original packaging. For homemade or bread purchased in the bakery, make sure it’s cooled completely, cover in plastic wrap and then wrap it in foil. This double wrap will ensure it keeps its freshness. Storing: Store-bought can be stored up to 3 months and homemade bread up to 6 months. Any longer, and your bread may suffer from freezer burn. Whether it’s soup, a casserole or cooked meat, pre-made meals and leftovers are great to freeze and enjoy later. How to freeze: Make sure food has completely cooled on the counter (no more than two hours) or in the refrigerator and place it in a freezer-safe container or bag and seal tightly. Putting hot food directly in the freezer can bring down the temperature of your freezer and partially defrost whatever else you have in there.
Leave a little extra room for liquids: You can also freeze soups, sauces and stews in airtight containers. Liquids expand so you’ll want to fill freezer bags and containers only three-quarters of the way, so they don’t explode. Freeze fruits and vegetables: Freezing seasonal fruits and veggies is great, especially this time of year. Freezing your fresh garden veggies now will allow you to use them all year long. Same with in-season fruits, which are sweeter and perfect to add to your smoothies. Casseroles can be frozen either cooked or uncooked, but it’s a bit better to freeze uncooked or partially cooked casseroles as opposed to freezing fully cooked casseroles.
Rotisserie Chicken – We like to buy pre-cooked rotisserie chickens at the store (especially if they’re on clearance), debone, and freeze for later use in a casserole! Pork – We usually buy it in bulk and then freeze it in smaller, meal-sized portions. Especially if we’re talking pork chops! Fish/Seafood – This is another one that we prefer to vacuum seal when we need to freeze it. It really helps it to stay fresh! Lunch Meat – Buy it in bulk when it’s on sale and then freeze in the individual packages. Just pull them out a day or two before you need them to thaw! Hot Dogs/Sausage – Once again, we buy these on sale and throw them in the freezer as-is. Just put them in a freezer bag as an extra added layer of protection! If your family won’t eat a whole pack (or half a pack) at once, then portion them into smaller amounts before freezing. Eggs – Yes, you can freeze them! Scrambled eggs, breakfast burritos, egg muffin cups, egg sandwiches, you name it. Thaw them overnight in the fridge and you can have some easy and protein-packed breakfasts in the morning! See extra information on can you freeze yogurt.
Previous research notes that freezer burn is a condition where exposure to air within the freezer causes moisture loss, and that subsequent dehydration can lead to food that’s dry; has ice crystals on it; and shows changes in flavor, color, and texture after thawing. This doesn’t affect safety, Baker says, but it may make the food unappealing in terms of flavor and texture. Do: Put Dates on Each Food Once you put items in the freezer, their “sell by” date can act as a helpful guide for when you bought it, but it’s also a good idea to get into the habit of using a label system — freezer tape is very handy — and rotating older items to the front to be used sooner. That way, you can freeze up to the appropriate time frame for each food type, says Janilyn Hutchings, certified food safety professional and food scientist at StateFoodSafety, an Orem, Utah–based food safety certification and training program for the hospitality industry. Here are some general guidelines.