Justine Pattison Q&A

applepie

Think there's more to using a freezer than just opening the door, chucking the food in and freezing it!

I'm always a bit worried about freezing meat. The label always says consume within a month, but how strict do I have to be with that?

Don’t worry – when properly frozen, much raw meat will be fine for up to 12 months, depending on the cut. I always try to use meat and poultry within about four months as the eating quality will slowly start to deteriorate. Unless it has been vac-packed, you will need to re-wrap meat tightly in foil and then pop into a freezer bag. Keeping air away from the surface of the meat is important, as it will help prevent freezer-burn and discolouration.

Mamie

Hi Justine
We have a large fruit and veg garden and freeze a lot of stuff to last us through the year. We are already cropping strawberries; raspberries, red currents, apples and pears will follow. Normally our neighbours will appear through the summer with bags of cherries, peaches, figs and anything else that is abundant that year.
We normally make jam and chutneys and then freeze some of the soft fruit and the apples for cooking.
The problem this year is that for health reasons my OH is on low carb diet, so we are eating almost zero sugar.
Have you got any ideas for freezing fruit such as strawberries that won't involve any added sugar? We can do some as puree, but we don't eat puddings or smoothies, so it is all a bit tricky!

How lovely to have such an abundant garden – and such great neighbours! Have you thought about freezing your strawberries whole? Simply rinse, pat dry, hull and open freeze until solid then pack into freezer bags. Defrost a few strawberries in the fridge overnight and spoon onto breakfast cereal or porridge along with the juice that will have collected as they thaw. I also pop frozen strawberries into jugs of water instead of ice cubes; they not only chill the water but also add a lovely, natural strawberry flavour as they thaw. It is possible to make freezer jam with fresh fruit and liquid pectin. I haven’t made it myself but I think it would be worth trying. Strawberry and raspberry puree can be used as the base for a fruity dressing for salads and frozen blackcurrants and blackberries are wonderful with game. Try sautéing frozen apple or pear slices with chops or sausages and simmer fresh cherries into a savoury sauce for duck that can be frozen until needed.

PHM12

I always freeze food left over. It. provides a meal with minimum effort from my husband------while I am. "gallivanting " out again.After having friends for dinner I expect to have at least 2 extra meals for the freezer/husband.
However I really come unstuck with plums and gooseberries from the garden.
I open freeze them and then forget all about them. Would welcome some ideas.

You are right, freezing meals in single portions is a great way of providing proper meals for family members who need to eat at different times. Have you thought about freezing your fruit alongside a bag or two of home-made crumble topping? That way, you’ll have a simple, throw-it-together pudding at your fingertips. Alternatively, turn them into a pudding before freezing – very handy if you do a lot of entertaining. And it’s not just pies and tarts – gooseberries make a fantastic ice cream and plums can be baked into Bakewell-style almond puddings or stewed into sauces very successfully. I tend to freeze as much as possible in clear plastic freezer bags and containers too. That way, it’s easier to see what’s in my freezer without having to check a list.

AnnB

Personally I welcome a new book about freezing because I use my freezer all the time and I'm always looking for new ideas. I recently heard on Radio 4 an item about 'refreezing' being safer than they used to think it was. I daren't actually do it yet, but what is your view on putting a casserole back in the freezer when half of it doesn't get eaten even if it has already been frozen once? (doesn't sound right does it!!!) I'd welcome any comments Justine.

I think that refreezing is not generally recommended because you can’t be certain that people will safely thaw and then reheat food to a high enough temperature to kill harmful bacteria. Freezing doesn’t kill bacteria but is like pressing a pause button; as soon as the food thaws, any bacteria will start to multiply. The more times food is frozen, thawed and reheated the higher the risks. Another thing to note is that refreezing food will affect its texture adversely as the cell structure will break down further.

cc

I'm about to make a wedding cake (not fruit, one lemon, one carrot and one apple cake) and wondered if all three are OK for freeze for a few days then make up and ice frozen?

They should be absolutely fine. I’ve frozen both lemon and carrot cakes very successfully – all un-iced cakes freeze well and those with a butter cream frosting. Without looking at your recipe, I can’t say for certain about the apple cake because a very high fruit content could make it a little soggy on thawing. I suggest you crumb coat the cakes with a thin layer of icing when frozen then thaw in the fridge before covering with the rest. This should help prevent the crumb lifting.

ginny

I have heard you should not re-heat rice. Is it ok to freeze, say, leftover paella or risotto ? I know these can be bought commercially frozen but not sure if it is safe to do so at home.

Also, if you buy cooked prawns that have previously been frozen and use them in a dish, can you then freeze the completed dish ?

Uncooked rice can contain bacteria spores that cause food poisoning. When rice is cooked the spores may survive and multiply if the rice is not handled correctly by serving quickly or cooling rapidly. I wouldn’t recommend freezing leftover rice dishes for this reason but also because the rice will continue to absorb moisture and on freezing is likely to become dry and quite brittle, affecting the eating quality.

nettletea

Hi Justine I would really value some tips. I am one of those guilty of shoving everything in the freezer and forgetting about it then panicking it's been in there too long and throwing it away.

I would love some basic guidelines on how long you can freeze things without them posing a risk to health etc Thank you

Foods can freeze almost indefinitely and remain safe to eat, as long as it has not been contaminated in any way, but there will be deterioration in texture and flavour over time. I tend to freeze most foods for no more than 3-6 months as that way I can keep a close eye on what’s in my freezer and help ensure that foods are still pleasant to eat. It’s vital to wrap foods correctly for the freezer and try to eliminate as much air as possible. Moisture in the air can contribute to icy patches on food causing freezer burn. This may mean rewrapping supermarket foods – especially meat and poultry if it hasn’t been vac-packed. The more appetising food looks, the more likely you are to want to eat it later, so clear packaging really helps too.

marjerydaw

One of our favourite family meals is a big casserole of meat or chicken in a rich gravy with onions, mushrooms and potatoes (all cooked together). It's the sort of thing that's great for batch cooking and the flavour of the sauce gets even better after freezing - but the potatoes don't come off well for being in the freezer. Is it something I am doing wrong or are potatoes in gravy best kept away (it's the best bit of the dish so less keen to make without)

I know what you mean about those potatoes! I’ve had that problem myself. I found that it was new potatoes that suffered most badly, becoming really water-logged and very unappetising. I’ve had more success with floury, older potatoes, which make fab mashed potato toppings and dauphinoise potatoes. I also freeze par-cooked roast potatoes. I suggest you freeze your potatoes separately and then reheat from frozen or try a different variety for the casserole itself. Let me know how you get on!

hollyhocks

HI Justine. When certain vegetables get shoved to the back of my fridge, they start to freeze and the result is a soggy, wrinkled vegetable no matter how fresh it was when it went in. How can I freeze bits of vegetable that I need to use up, without this happening? Thank you.

Most vegetables will need to be blanched before freezing. This will slow down the action of enzymes that will otherwise spoil the texture and flavour over time. Salad vegetables with a high water content, such as lettuce and tomatoes don’t freeze well but other vegetables, such as carrots, beans and broccoli do. You will need to prepare your vegetables in the state you’d like to serve them, so batons or slices perhaps, then plunge in small quantities into a large pan of boiling water. Most vegetables need to be blanched for 2-4 minutes, then drained thoroughly and cooled in iced water. Once cooled and patted dry, they can be frozen in bags and cooked straight from the freezer. This method is great if you have a vegetable garden but perhaps a bit time consuming for your odds and ends. You might be better cooking up your leftover vegetables and turning them into a quick soup that you can then freeze for another day. Home-made vegetable soup freezes beautifully and can be reheated from frozen.

granniefranny

How long can I freeze (uncooked) biscuit dough for? And also homemade crumble mix (found it's a great standby for a quick and easy pud)

I freeze my uncooked biscuit dough and crumble mix tightly wrapped for up to 4 months – any longer and the butter can begin to change flavour. I also freeze cooked and uncooked biscuits in plastic containers, interleaved with baking parchment. That way, I only need to plonk them on a baking tray and reheat or cook from frozen when I need them.

megran

I made a meat pie thing in puff pastry (filled with mince) and forgot about it. It's been there since Christmas. Can I still eat it? fingers crossed

Yes, as long as it was cooked thoroughly, cooled quickly, has been well wrapped and kept properly frozen during all that time. You may find a slight deterioration in the eating quality but as long as you reheat it thoroughly, it should be perfectly safe to eat.

pat745

Every time I clear out the freezer and end up throwing stuff away I vow to be more organised. I start a list of what's in which drawer, cross off as I use and add as I replenish. It lasts about a fortnight and then I lose the list and go back to my old ways. How can I keep on top of what's in there? All ideas welcome - I feel sick every time I end up throwing stuff away

Lists are really useful, but it’s best to keep a thin notebook, with pen attached right beside the freezer. That way, it’s always to hand when you add or take something out. I’ve also written on sheets of blackboard-style sticky-backed plastic stuck on the freezer for an at-a-glance guide to the contents. The most useful thing for me though is a regular sort out and reorganisation – with or without a defrost. I do this almost every month. It’s a great way to remind myself what’s in the freezer and bring foods to the front that need to be eaten sooner rather than later.

kittylester

I thought that if stuff was frozen properly it could be frozen indefinitely without being a danger to health suffering only a loss of quality. Is that not true?

Yes, that is the case as long as the food was in top condition when it was frozen and hasn’t been contaminated in any way. However, when freezing at home I think there are other things to consider. With regular opening and closing of the door, warm foods being added, the fast freeze button not being used etc., some deterioration is bound to take place and I wouldn’t recommend that most foods are kept for longer than 3-4 months, and vegetables and fruit for 6-8 months.

bananatree

Hello Justine. I would like to know, is there a difference between frozen and fresh peas? And other frozen/fresh vegetables? Besides convenience of course. I've heard frozen vegetables are healthier... is this true?

Frozen vegetables can contain more nutrients because they are frozen rapidly at their peak rather than travelling miles and sitting on the shelves in the supermarket or greengrocers for days. If you grow your own, you won’t have this problem but don’t blanch or cook for too long as some of the vitamin content will be reduced.