Making food ahead and freezing it can be a lifesaver. With a little advance planning, you'll be able to reach into your freezer and pull out everything you need. Right now, clear some space in your freezer to make room. Once the freezer is well stocked, you can relax and enjoy stress-free entertaining.

Make the Most of Your Frozen Assets

• Always cool hot food to room temperature before freezing.
• Select containers slightly larger than the food being frozen to allow room for expansion. Too much air leads to freezer burn.
• Shut the door! Fluctuating freezer temperatures cause the water in foods to thaw slightly and then refreeze. This allows ice crystals to form and results in mushy food.
• Leave a little space between containers so air can circulate freely. Once food is frozen, you can stack containers close together.

Freezer Fact
Food kept solidly frozen for a long period will not become unsafe to eat, but it will lose appearance, nutrients and flavour.

6 Ways to Get Freezer Friendly

• Clean out and organize items currently in your freezer.
• Stock up on freezer-safe containers and wraps. Margarine and yogourt containers are fine for short term.
• Buy permanent markers or stickers to label and date packages.
• Colour Code freezer packaged of chicken, pork and fish which can look the same when frozen. Use yellow dots for chicken, red for pork and blue for fish.
• Ensure freezer is 0°F or lower.
• Post a contents list on or near your freezer. Add or cross off items as required.

Freezing 101

These simple do's and don'ts will help you keep your freezer full of dinner options.

Freezing DO's

• DO label items before adding them to you freezer. Include a description, the serving size and the date.
• DO keep a list of what is in your freezer and the dates things were added. Cross things off as you remove them.
• DO store similar foods together staples on one shelf, casseroles and prepared food on another.
• DO freeze foods in individual portions. You can thaw only what you need and your thawing time is shortened.

Do Freeze

• Cheesecakes - Cut when partially frozen for perfect slices.
• Cookie Dough - Drop batter onto baking sheet covered in wax paper, freeze until firm then store in a plastic bag. For fresh cookies, take a few pieces from the bag, thaw for 20 min and bake according to recipe.
• Cakes - Save the garnishes, glaze and decorating for just before serving.
• Chocolate Barks, Truffles - To prevent moisture beads from forming, wrap chocolate in foil (shiny side in) before freezing. Bring to room temperature before unwrapping.

Freezing DON'Ts

• DON'T choose containers that are too large for the food. Squeeze excess air from freezer bags before sealing.
• DON'T fill your freezer with baking dishes. Line dishes with foil before assembling a casserole, wrapand freeze the finished casserole and then lift from dish and store in a resealable freezer-weight plastic bag.
• DON'T fill containers of soups, stews and sauces to the very brim. Leave 1 inch of space to allow for expansion during freezing.

Don't Freeze

• Jell-O desserts
• Candy
• Dips
• Cheese (frozen cheese is fine for cooking)
• Cream sauces
• Mayonnaise or Miracle Whip Dressing mixtures
• Salad greens

Packing

Tightly wrap food in freezer wrap or bags, making sure all air is out of wrap and tightly secured. Foods can also be stored in heavy aluminum foil that is fitted tightly around food or in plastic containers. Leave a headspace of 1-2 cm for liquids as they will expand in the freezer.

Thawing

Thaw frozen foods in the refrigerator or in a sink full of cold water. Thawed foods cook more evenly than frozen.