If you have prepared a meal and attendance is low, one option is to freeze all or part of the leftovers for your next assigned evening. The following are guidelines consolidated from the websites for the USDA and several universities with culinary studies.

If you put any leftovers in the church freezer, to insure that they are not discarded, MARK them carefully with your name and the date you put them in the freezer.

If you have any contributions or corrections to this material, send them to formadmin@ucpnh.org.

To successfully freeze food, there are some simple rules you need to follow. The two most important bits of advice are:

• wrap food very well to avoid freezer burn (dehydration)
• identify and track what is in the freezer

General Rules of Freezing

• Your freezer temperature should be below 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a thermometer to check the temperature.
• Remember that freezing will not improve food; it will just keep it at its original freshness and quality.
• Use microwave safe plastic wrap if you plan to thaw or cook the frozen food in the microwave.
• You can freeze ingredients for a casserole in individual packets (Ex: chicken, vegetables, cheese), then place the smaller packets into one large bag. Label well, include thawing and baking instructions, then freeze.
• Leave as little air as possible in the freezer containers by removing as much air as possible from freezer bags before sealing them and by using freezer safe containers that closely fit the amount of food being frozen.
• Wrap meats and baked goods tightly with foil before you place them in freezer bags.
• Freezing meat in the packaging from the store (plastic wrap on Styrofoam trays) isn't ideal and won't hold up well to the freezer temperatures. Use them within a month.
• Freeze in smaller or thin portions so the food cools faster and thaws faster for best quality. Freezing small quantities ensures rapid freezing that results in small, rather than large, crystals forming and minimizes damage to the structure of the food.
• To make sure your food freezes as quickly as possible to discourage bacteria growth, use small containers with a capacity no bigger than 4 quarts. Ideally, the food should be less than 3 inches thick within the container.
• If you're cooling a lot of hot food, like a large saucepan of stew or chili, portion it into smaller, shallow containers.
• Label and date freezer bags or containers, even if you think you'll be using the contents within a week or two.
• Place the food items in the coldest part of your freezer, if you can, until they're completely frozen.
• Try to use your frozen foods within two to three months. See time guidelines below.
• When freezing dishes containing dairy foods, keep in mind that while milk can be frozen, it might separate a little when thawed. Hard and semi-hard cheeses can be frozen in 8- and 16-ounce blocks that have been wrapped in plastic, then put in freezer bags. While the cheese will still have its characteristic flavor when thawed, it could be a bit crumbly and tends to work best when added to cooked dishes. The cheeses that fare the worst with freezing are cream cheese and cottage cheese. Blue cheeses are most likely to become crumbly.

For safe thawing, follow theTHAW LAW:

• Never thaw foods at room temperature. You can safely thaw food in the refrigerator. 4 to 5 pounds of frozen food takes about 24 hours to thaw.
• Thawing food at room temperature only works with muffins, breads, and other baked goods.
• You can also thaw food outside the refrigerator by immersing it in cold water. Change the water every half hour to keep the water cold.
• Always defrost food thoroughly and avoid re-freezing.
• You can thaw food in the microwave, but if you do, be sure to cook the food immediately after it's thawed.
  

Food

Freezer Time

Refrigerator Time

Special Tips

Bacon and sausage

1 to 2 months

7 days

Breads, Muffins, Biscuits, Coffee cake

Up to 1 month

Cool completely before freezing. Do not frost. To thaw, loosen wrap and let sit at room temp 2-3 hours. To heat, wrap in foil, reheat 350 degrees 15-20 minutes.

Butter

Up to 9 months

Freeze in original packaging, placed into heavy duty freezer bags. Thaw in refrigerator or in microwave.

Cakes

Varies

Egg-white cakes: 6 months
Whole egg cakes: 4-6 months
Egg yolk cakes: 2 months
Containing shortening: 2-4 months
Cupcakes: 2-3 months

Cakes, Frosted

Up to 3 months

Butter cream frosting freezes well. Custards and egg white frostings do not. Cool completely. Place unwrapped cake in freezer to harden frosting before wrapping. Thaw loosely covered overnight in fridge.

Cakes, Unfrosted

Up to 6 months

Cool completely before freezing. Place cakes, especially angel and chiffon, in cake container to avoid crushing. Thaw, wrapped, at room temperature 2-3 hours.

Casseroles

Up to 3 months

Cornstarch sauces can be frozen when mixed with other ingredients in a casserole. Slightly undercook casseroles, as they will finish cooking during reheating. Thaw partially in package to prevent overcooking. Heat partially thawed or frozen food in top of double boiler, or at 400 degrees, 30 minutes or bake in original casserole dish.

Chicken or turkey, parts

9 months

1 to 2 days

Chicken or turkey, whole

1 year

1 to 2 days

Chops

4 to 6 months

3 to 5 days

Cooked fish

4 to 6 months

3 to 4 days

Cooked meat & meat dishes

2 to 3 months

3 to 4 days

Cookie Dough

Up to 3 months

Wrap well. Let thaw in refrigerator overnight before baking unless the recipe states the frozen dough can be baked. Shape into cookies before freezing for fastest baking.

Cookies, Baked Frosted

Up to 2 months

Freeze uncovered on cookie sheets until cookies and frosting are firm. Then stack in layers in freezer container, wrap well and freeze. Thaw, wrapped, at room temperature.

Cookies, Baked Unfrosted

Up to 1 year

Cool completely, wrap well in layers in freezer container and freeze. Thaw, wrapped, at room temperature. For crisp cookies, thaw unwrapped at room temperature.

Deli: egg, chicken, tuna, ham, macaroni salads

Doesn’t freeze well

3 to 5 days

Dressing

1 month

Put in greased casserole before completely thawed. Add a little water to the dressing. Heat at 350 degrees, or heat over boiling water.

Eggs, Fresh, in shell

Don't freeze

  4 to 5 weeks

Eggs, Hard cooked

Doesn't freeze well

1 week

Eggs, pasteurized or substitute

1 year

10 days

Eggs, pasteurized or substitute, opened

Don't freeze

3 days

Eggs, Raw yolks, whites

1 year

2 to 4 days

Fish

Fatty, 2 to 3 months
Lean, 6 months

1 to 2 days

Wrap tightly in heavy duty freezer wrap or plastic bags. Thaw overnight in refrigerator before cooking.

Fish, Smoked

2 months

14 days

Frosting

1-2 months

Frozen frostings lose some gloss and ones with much granulated sugar may become grainy. Cooked frostings may crack. Confectioners’ sugar frostings freeze best.

Frozen dinners and entrees

3 to 4 months

Fruits

Up to 6 months

Freeze loose small fruits in single layer on cookie sheet until firm; then package in airtight freezer bag or container and freeze. Thaw in refrigerator.

Giblets

3 to 4 months

1 to 2 days

Gravy & meat broth

2 to 3 months

1 to 2 days

Ground meat, beef, turkey, veal, pork, lamb, Uncooked

3 to 4 months

Ham, canned, labeled “Keep Refrigerated,” opened

1 to 2 months

3 to 5 days

Ham, canned, labeled “Keep Refrigerated,” unopened

Don’t freeze

6 to 9 months

Ham, fully cooked, half

1 to 2 months

3 to 5 days

Ham, fully cooked, slices

1 to 2 months

3 to 4 days

Ham, fully cooked, whole

1 to 2 months

7 days

Hot dogs

1 to 2 months

opened, 1 week

unopened, 2 weeks

Lunch meats,

1 to 2 months

opened, 3 to 5 days

unopened, 2 weeks

Mayonnaise, opened

Don’t freeze

2 months

Meats

Fresh: 1 year
Cured: 1 month

Do NOT refreeze thawed meats. If you thaw frozen meat, cook it in some form, then it can be refrozen. Cured meats should be frozen for just one month. Do NOT freeze stuffed chicken or turkey. Make sure to reform ground beef into thin patties before freezing for quick thawing.

Meat loaf

3-4 months

Unbaked: Unwrap. Bake at 350 degrees, 11⁄2 hours.

Baked: To serve cold, thaw in wrappings in refrigerator. To reheat, unwrap and bake unthawed at 350 degrees, about 1 hour or until all meat is hot.

Milk, Cream

Difficult to freeze unless whipped

Milk, cream and light cream will separate
Whipped heavy cream will freeze well. Place dollops on cookie sheet, freeze until firm, then place in bags and freeze. Let thaw in refrigerator.

Pastas, Cooked

Up to 2 months

Cooked pastas lose quality when frozen. Undercook and freeze in a sauce for best results. Thaw overnight in refrigerator before reheating.

Pastry

2-3 months

Thaw in wrapping at room temperature, 10-20 minutes

Pies, Baked Fruit or Nut

Up to 4 months

Cool completely before freezing. Cover with inverted pie plate until firm. Wrap well. To heat, unwrap, bake at 325 degrees for 30-45 minutes until warm.

Pies, Custard, Cream, Meringues

Don’t freeze

Pies, Unbaked Fruit

Up to 3 months

Before filling, brush bottom crust with egg white to prevent sogginess. Add extra tablespoon of flour to filling. Don't cut vent holes in pastry. Cover with inverted pie plate until firm. To bake, unwrap, cut vent holes, bake at 425 degrees 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees, bake according to recipe until center bubbles and crust is brown.

It is much better to freeze a fruit pie before baking than after — the texture suffers substantially if frozen after cooking. If you must, thaw it at room temperature for about three hours, and then crisp it in a 450°F (235°C) oven for about 20 minutes.

If you can freeze the pie before baking it, don’t defrost it. Bake it unwrapped at 425°F (220°C) for 15 to 20 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350°F (175°C) for the remainder of the cooking time. The total baking time will be about 20 minutes longer than for an unfrozen pie.

Pizza

1 month

Unwrap. Bake unthawed at 450 degrees, 15-20 minutes.

Potatoes

Varies

Baked/stuffed: Unwrap and bake without thawing at 400 degrees till thoroughly heated and lightly browned (15-20 minutes). 2-4 weeks
Mashed: Thaw just enough to separate layers. Slip into top of double boiler. Or, heat over boiling water. Stir while heating. Or, fry patties slowly without thawing. 2 weeks
New: Boil till barely tender and package. Thaw in bag. Use as fresh cooked. 1 month

Poultry, Cooked

4 months

Poultry, Uncooked parts

9 months

Poultry, Uncooked whole

12 months

Roasts, Uncooked

4 to 12 months

3 to 5 days

If freezing meat and poultry in its original package longer than 2 months, overwrap these packages with airtight heavy-duty foil, plastic wrap, or freezer paper, or place the package inside a plastic bag.

Sandwiches

Up to 2 weeks

Don't make sandwiches with jelly, mayonnaise, cooked egg whites or raw veggies (especially lettuce). Choose peanut butter, cream cheese, meats, shredded cheeses, grilled and cooked veggies. Spread bread with a very thin layer of butter before layering. Thaw at room temperature in wrappings, 3-4 hours. Frozen sandwiches in lunchbox will thaw in 3-4 hours and keep other foods cool.

Sauces

Up to 3 months

Most sauces will separate after being frozen. If mixed with other ingredients, freezing quality will increase. Sauces with cornstarch and cheese lose quality fastest. Leave some head space for expansion when freezing in plastic containers.

Sausage, raw from pork, beef, chicken or turkey

1 to 2 months

1 to 2 days

Shrimp, scallops, crawfish, squid, fresh

3 to 6 months

1 to 2 days

Smoked breakfast links, patties

1 to 2 months

7 days

Soups

Up to 6 months

Cool completely, skim off fat. Place in rigid plastic containers, leaving 1/2" head space for expansion.

Steaks

6 to 12 months

3 to 5 days

Stew meats, raw

3 to 4 months

1 to 2 days

Stews

2 months

3 to 4 days

Variety meats (tongue, kidneys, liver, heart, chitterlings)

3 to 4 months

1 to 2 days

Vegetables

Up to 6 months

Blanch before freezing. Remove as much air as possible from package before freezing. Vegetables with lots of water like salad greens and tomatoes do not freeze well. Do not freeze deep fried vegetables.

Most frozen vegetables can be cooked straight from the freezer, with the exception of corn on the cob, which should be partially defrosted first.

Waffles

Up to 1 month

Cool completely before freezing. To heat, wrap in foil, reheat 350 degrees 15-20 minutes without thawing first.