Can you freeze....?????

[KatieV]

Hi,

I've been taking advantage of lots of local farmers markets in our area recently, but this has also raised a few surplus food stuff issues.

So I thought that I would start a topic to see what people have has success & failures with in freezing.

I got a huge box of tomatoes and have made soup and relish, but I was wondering can you simple freeze whole tomatoes raw, without cooking or blitzing beforehand?  They would be handy when making up a tomato sauce etc to just get out what you needed, when you needed.  I usually have tomatoes on hand, but these are used for DH's and my lunch, so I wanted to keep a frozen stash for cooking.

I have had success with garlic cloves being frozen, also with mint/basil leaves, egg whites.

I've just picked up some red onions today and wondered if you could freeze these, given their high water content???  Would it be best to quarter before freezing?  Any thoughts, experience would be gratefully received.

Thanks,
Katie

[pumpkin pie]

Hi Katie, I have frozen tomatoes before, but I tend to skin them first, weigh them and write on the bag the weight. I have also frozen onions when they were cheap, especially when you want to make tom chutney and need lots of onions, they always seem expensive at that time, you can blanch them before freezing, but only quickly, I froze my last lot without blanching, but havn't used them yet and they did tend to make the freezer smell, whereas the blanched ones didn't seem to do that so bad. I sliced them and again weighed them and put them in 1kg lots.  I also freeze stone fruit, especially as they seem to come at christmas time here in Adelaide, just when you are busy doing christmas stuff, so I de-stone them, again weigh and freeze, then when you are not so busy they are there ready for you.  Good to hear you can freeze garlic, do you need to treat it before freezing? Cheers.

[faffa_70]

I freeze tomatoes whole, skin and all (as we have huge gluts when we grow them) and use them for sauces, soups and stews.  If you need the skins off, they actually slip off quite easily when they are frozen and just starting to thaw

[judydawn]

PP, I have frozen garlic successfully - just peel it and keep it in a ziplock bag. Dad used to grow his own sweetcorn & tomatoes, both were frozen fresh from picking with no blanching. The sweetcorn was cooked later in its frozen state.

[thermie crew]

Good to hear about the tomatoes-I've got lots from the garden at the mo.

I grate zuchinni in the thermomix and then freeze it in the size quantities I use for quiche, zuchinni bread etc. Works fine in these recipes at least.

Look forward to hearing what else I can freeze 

[earth mumma]

I freeze my veggie stock concentrate.  I find in my freezer because of the salt it doesn't freeze solid and I can just scoop it out of te jar.  As I use 100gm of salt instead of 150-200gm, it sometimes goes mouldy in the fridge - especially during summer when I don't use as much.  I don't freeze but pickle beetroot when it is plentiful and store the jars in the outside fridge.  Bananas get frozen as does watermelon (cut into cuks) if we don't eat it in time.   

[KatieV]

Thanks for all the good advice.

PP as JD has advised, I simply peel fresh garlic (I purchase in bulk) and put into a zip lock bag.  So easy when you need a clove, just grab out of the freezer.  There is so much fresh produce going at such good prices at the moment that it's good to stock up.  Who knows what impact all the flooding in QLD & VIC will have on our produce prices?

Thanks Earth Mumma for the watermelon tip.  I have a huge batch in the fried that I'm struggling to get through and didn't think to freeze as I thought it would come out too mushy.

I also freeze my dried yeast (JD, I know you do this too).  Freezing the veggie stock is also another handy tip I've picked up from this forum.

I made cinnamon scrolls yesterday (from a recipe on this forum) and they also freeze well.  Simply reheat for 10sec.

[Yvette]

Good to know about the garlic I freeze chillis

[obbie]

Hi I freeze
banana
berrys,
mulberrys
passionfruit
chopped up leeks
chopped onions
beans (blanched)
vege stock concentrate
mangoes sliced up
bell chilies
muffins
fruit cakes
juices

Robyn

[cookie1]

I freeze almost anything. If I am unsure I freeze a bit overnight and see.

[Yvette]

Has anyone frozen ginger? I thought if you peeled and cut in into thin circles it might be ok.

[jeninwa]

I wrap my fresh ginger in paper towel then place it in a ziplock back and it keeps in the fridge for 3 weeks or same method and freeze, slice it still frozen or grate as needed.

[judydawn]

It's a great idea, saves wastage.
There are hints on this website about other foods too http://foodwise.com.au/?s=freezing

[Yvette]

Thanks ladies Judy you are a wealth of information interesting website thank you

[zebraa]

I keep my ginger in a jar of sherry in the fridge. Keeps for yonks. I then use the gingered sherry in risottos or salad dressings.