Can you refreeze sour cream? 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.
To prevent pieces from freezing together (and for freezing delicate fruits like berries), spread the pieces out in a single layer on a plastic wrap-lined sheet pan. Once they are fully frozen, transfer the pieces to your container and place it immediately in the freezer. With this method, any ice films form around each individual piece, rather than freezing all the pieces together in a big chunk. Many nights if I am making a lasagna or baked ziti, instead of making one, I make two: one to eat right away and one to freeze later on. Cook once, eat twice. It’s the same amount of work and you will be happy to have a casserole prepared on those busy nights. It’s also great to have a made-ahead dish on hand when you want to bring something to someone who’s sick or having a baby.
Saves You Time – If you prep and store foods properly, then you can take advantage of your frozen stockpile to create delicious meals quickly! It’s Easy and Convenient – It is so much easier to shop your freezer than to make a last-minute run to the grocery store when you realize your fridge is empty! Does that happen to anyone else? Enter your freezer. That bad boy can freeze so many foods we bet you didn’t know you could freeze! So, which foods can you freeze that’ll still taste great once they thaw? Let’s go over our favorite foods to freeze! Pizza – You could easily make your own pizza at home and freeze before baking. Then pull it out and put it straight into the oven to cook. A quick frozen pizza that’s homemade? Sign us up! Read additional info at Can You Freeze Ricotta Cheese.
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.