I always freeze stock, but only after boiling it down to a syrup consistency (glace de viande). We're talking a reduction of at least 90% volume. Ten to fifteen pounds of chicken parts will yield about an ice cube tray of concentrated stock (14 cubes.) It looks a bit disheartening when you do it, but it saves so much space and is so versatile when you want to amp up a sauce or soup (or you could just reconstitute as a regular stock.)

I've also frozen a good portion of my chile pepper yield this year. Tomatoes usually get frozen, too (sometimes whole, sometimes already sauced), but this year I didn't have a bumper crop.

And, of course, leftovers of all sorts, leftover fresh veggies get chopped up and frozen before they spoil in ziplock bags, herbs I generally skip, leftover bones, etc.

I freeze most of the things mentioned previously in this thread, especially bread and baked goods, stock and ingredients for stock (bones from roasted meats, vegetable trimmings), and assorted leftovers. Other things in my freezer include:

• Volatile spices, such as paprika, cayenne and curry powder. They keep their oomph longer.
• Coffee, ditto.
• Whole grains, such as wheat berries -- anything that still has the bran -- it keeps them from becoming rancid.
• Cooked grains. I make extra and keep them frozen for quick reheating.
• Citrus juice and zest. If lemons or limes are on sale, I zest and squeeze in quantity. The juice goes in ice-cube trays.
• Ice-cream maker canister. When I have the space, I store it in the freezer, so I don't have to plan ahead. (Ice creams are better if you give the base a long cure in the fridge, so there's time to get the canister frozen, but sorbets and such don't need time.)
• Chopped liver.
• Heavy cream. If I have extra that's at risk of going bad, I freeze it. I don't use the frozen cream for whipping, but it's fine as an ingredient.
• Vodka and gin.
• Homemade bolognese and marinara sauce.
• Browned ground beef and sausage, ready to use in quick meals. I especially like to have a supply of browned chorizo on hand. Combine frozen browned chorizo, frozen rice, nuke and use as a burrito filling with fresh onion and cilantro.

Ah, yes, paprika. I generally keep it in the freezer to preserve it, but also because, no matter what I do, it seems that weevils or flour moths find their way in there. They don't disturb my flour, but they love my paprika.

Binko,

I suspect the eggs are in the paprika when you buy it. Next time take half of it and zap it in the microwave. Compare it against the untreated portion.

Geo

the sleeve wrote:I have an awesome Chipotle Beer Batter for deep frying. I fried fish yesterday and have a bunch left over. Any thoughts on freezing the batter?

Not a good idea to hang on to any kind of batter/breading that has come in contact with protein. Standard procedure in kitchens I've worked in is to toss any breading/batter.

The reason being that the defrosted batter will contain small particles/ shreds/ pieces, of the catfish/haddock, whitefish/ or whatever you breaded in the first place. So, in effect, you're taking a chance in order to save 75 cents worth of flour and egg.

Hi,

I froze stock from the turkey and leftover gravy. I am making a turkey for Christmas, both will come in handy at some point or another.

Regards,

I freeze most of the things mentioned previously in this thread, especially bread and baked goods, stock and ingredients for stock (bones from roasted meats, vegetable trimmings), and assorted leftovers. Other things in my freezer include:

- Volatile spices, such as paprika, cayenne and curry powder. They keep their oomph longer.
- Coffee, ditto.

I've been told loudly by at earnest employees at three discrete coffee emporia to never, ever freeze either coffee beans or ground coffee - the dry air of a frost-free environment freezer-burns coffee terribly. YMMV.

Geo wrote:Binko,

I suspect the eggs are in the paprika when you buy it. Next time take half of it and zap it in the microwave. Compare it against the untreated portion.

Geo

This was my guess as well. Same thing happens with about half the powdered chilis I have. I keep them well sealed in a spice jar or Tupperware container, and, over time, they develop these little web-like thingies in the corners. I'll have to try it scientifically and do what you suggest and see what happens.

sundevilpeg wrote:

I freeze most of the things mentioned previously in this thread, especially bread and baked goods, stock and ingredients for stock (bones from roasted meats, vegetable trimmings), and assorted leftovers. Other things in my freezer include:

- Volatile spices, such as paprika, cayenne and curry powder. They keep their oomph longer.
- Coffee, ditto.

I've been told loudly by at earnest employees at three discrete coffee emporia to never, ever freeze either coffee beans or ground coffee - the dry air of a frost-free environment freezer-burns coffee terribly. YMMV.

Here's one person's attempt at scientifically comparing espresso that's been frozen for 4-weeks, 8-weeks, and not frozen. Results: no statistically significant difference in taste was noted by the tasters across 16 pairs of double shots at four sessions.

At the coffee house I worked for a couple years in college, baristas were taught that freezing preserves freshness. I don't care either way, but I haven't noticed any ill effect from freezing, and the one attempt at a study above seems to agree.

No science to share on this--just common sense. Properly frozen (airtight, impermeable packaging--foodsaver, etc.)=no flavor damage. If the package is susceptible to freezer burn, it will taste like crap because freezer burned food always tastes like crap. Don't know why coffee beans or grind would be any different.

Binko--

"duh" on us! We shoulda asked our friend google! Here's a pretty good answer. Checking out some other sources, it seems that the typical pest in paprika and chilis is the cigarette beetle. Probably the microwaving will work on any given batch, but then it's a question of keeping that batch clean contra the guys that are probably already established in our pantry.

Geo

sundevilpeg wrote:I've been told loudly by at earnest employees at three discrete coffee emporia to never, ever freeze either coffee beans or ground coffee - the dry air of a frost-free environment freezer-burns coffee terribly. YMMV.

My mileage does vary considerably. But then, I'm not in the business of selling coffee.

Coffee beans frozen in appropriate packaging make fine coffee, indistinguishable from fresh -- to me, at least. Beans left at room temp for long periods get stale; while stale coffee can brew up a drinkable product, connoisseurs would probably notice a difference from fresh or frozen.

The one thing to make sure of is that you don't let moisture condense on the frozen beans before returning them to the freezer.

You might be interested in this article:

Coffee: To Freeze or Not to Freeze, Procedures and Results wrote:When the results were examined according to the three scored parameters, the overall preference, the crema, and the intensity of the taste and aroma, no statistically significant differences were noted among the coffees studied or the other variables of the study. What this means is that none of the tasters could consistently differentiate among the shots made with previously frozen or never frozen coffee.

Can I freeze a pasta salad that contains swiss chard, bacon, and chickpeas? There is no dressing. I worry about the chard getting nasty.

Thanks

Sure - just as spinach freezes well, chard should freeze well too, unless you want to try and retain a bit of its crunchiness.

Nah, it's been cooked down. Thanks!