Freezing, storing best with foil, bags

Make-ahead tips:

• Properly packaged, many foods can be frozen for one month without suffering any significant changes in quality or flavor, so consider making double batches of some of your favorite foods and freezing the extra for later.

• Freezer storage bags, quality plastic wrap, press-and-seal wrap, heavy-duty aluminum foil and containers designed specifically for the freezer will help reduce freezer burn and keep food tasty.

• For large dishes, in their book, The Casserole Queens, Crystal Cook and Sandy Pollock recommend lining the baking dish with heavy-duty foil, leaving a generous overhang on all sides, before assembling the ingredients, then freeze. Once the casserole is frozen, simply lift it out of the dish, wrap it up and return it to the freezer. This will save space in the freezer, and leave your baking dishes available for other meals. When you're ready to use the frozen casserole, simply place it back inside a baking dish and thaw in the refrigerator overnight or according to the recipe instructions.

• For small meals, or individual servings, heavy-duty, reusable (and recyclable) foil pans work well.

• Remember to label the food with the date, recipe name, thawing and heating instructions.

• Don't overlook leftovers. Leftover pot roast (beef or pork) can be shredded and combined with bottled barbecue sauce, then frozen for easy barbecue sandwiches later. Simply place the sauced meat in a freezer bag, press out as much air as possible and freeze. Thaw in the refrigerator or transfer to a glass container and defrost in the microwave.

• Leftover rice has a short life span. Cooked rice should be cooled quickly and refrigerated for no more than a couple of days. However, it can be safely frozen for several months. Whether you refrigerate it or freeze it, it is important to cool the rice quickly. It is during the cooling process that harmful bacterial spores can germinate and multiply. To keep rice safe, always refrigerate it within 1 hour of cooking, and to speed cooling, transfer it to a shallow container. To freeze, divide rice into desired portions and place in freezer bags or freezer-safe containers. Defrost bags in the refrigerator or in the microwave, if packaged in microwave-safe containers.

Food on 09/16/2015