Ricotta cheese freezing tips? How to freeze vegetables: Wash and prepare vegetables as you would for consuming, such as chopping carrots or cutting broccoli into florets, and let them dry completely. For optimal taste, cook vegetables al dente (just before fully cooked), let them cool completely and then place in a freezer container. Storing: Fresh fruit and vegetables can last 8 to 12 months in the freezer, but beyond this time, you may lose quality in taste. When frozen correctly, frozen breads can maintain freshness.

Sign, seal and deliver (to the freezer): Jot down the item name and date on every meal-prep item you freeze. Depending on what’s inside, I like to scribble other details as well, to help me out when I pull meals from the freezer. You might want to make a note of the recipe name, freeze date, number of servings or portions and reheating/cooking directions. Use good quality freezer bags to freeze soups, beans and sauces. They save space because you can lay them flat to freeze. Once frozen, you can stack them up on top of each other or keep them in bins upright.

Yes! Produce is one of those food types that seem to go bad before you can eat it. The beauty of freezing fresh fruit and veggies – it can be past its prime and you can still freeze it for smoothies or cooking in something else! Bananas – Whole, sliced, blended, whatever floats your boat! They make a delicious addition to a smoothie and obviously make good banana bread. Berries – Whole cranberries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, etc. These are all super easy to freeze and they’re GREAT in smoothies! Fruit – Sliced watermelon, cantaloupe, peaches, grapes, kiwi, etc. freeze well. Just make sure you flash freeze (spread them out on a sheet pan and freeze) before putting them into a freezer baggie or else you’ll end up with a huge clump of fruit that you’ll never get apart! Read extra details on can you freeze butter.

Don’t: Let Leftovers Sit Out Before or After Freezing A common misconception is that any bacteria in leftovers will be killed by freezing. Unfortunately, that’s not the case, Wu says. “Many foodborne microbes can withstand freezing and pose a problem later when the food is thawed, especially if it’s not subsequently cooked sufficiently,” says Wu. “This is why, for example, not every fish can become sushi fish.” The U.S. Food & Drug Administration also points out that it’s unsafe to let food thaw at room temperature because bacteria can multiply rapidly and create toxins that will survive the cooking process — even if the food is cooked to temperatures that kill the bacteria themselves.