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When you're trying to make those grocery dollars stretch as
far as possible, a home freezer can truly be your budget's
best friend!
We all probably realize that extra beef, chicken, etc. can be kept
for long periods of time in the freezer; and also that surplus produce
from the garden can be preserved easily in the freezer.
I have researched and found some items which can be frozen that some
people may not be aware of. And some uses for the freezer that
are a little unusual, too.
Remember to wrap foods with foil or store in airtight containers or
zipper bags. Air is the cause of freezer burn. Even bread needs to
be double-bagged, as bread wrappers are not airtight.
Dairy products are one thing that you may not realize can be frozen.
When you find milk, eggs, butter or cheese at a really good price,
you CAN stock up!
Freeze milk in the carton and thaw in refrigerator. Stir or shake
before serving.
Butter can be kept for 6 months in its original wrapper in the
freezer. Thaw in fridge before using.
You might want to pack cheese in a zipper-top freezer bag before
freezing. Shredded cheese can be added to recipes without
thawing.
Eggs take a little more preparation. Mix 1 cup of raw eggs with
1 teaspoon salt. Store in an airtight freezer container. When
needed, let thaw overnight in refrigerator. For 1 egg, use about
3 tablespoons of mixture.
If you store your brown sugar in the freezer, it will not harden.
Nuts, shelled or unshelled, retain their freshness when kept in the
freezer.
Honey will not crystallize if it is stored in the freezer. It does
not freeze solid. Let thaw at room temperature.
Keep marshmallows in the freezer to keep them from turning hard.
To have "fresh" herbs all winter long, put chopped herbs in ice cube
trays, fill with water and freeze. When needed, pop a cube out.
Lemons, limes, and oranges can be frozen whole. When a recipe
calls for juice, just defrost as many as you need in the microwave.
Here's a good one: after using, store your soapy steel wool pad in
the freezer and it won't rust. Just remove from the freezer while
you're cooking supper and it will be ready to use when you do the
dishes.
Store your popcorn in your freezer. Pop while it's still frozen and
it will pop lighter with fewer unpopped kernels.
If your freezer is not full, it will run more efficiently if you fill
up the empty spaces with jugs of water.
Your freezer "can" be your friend if you use it to its full capacity.
Reprinted with permission.
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