Americans spend $8,565 a year on food – about $3,300 on food at home and $2,600 on food away from home, according to the latest data from the government’s Consumer Expenditure Survey. Presumably we could spend less if we ate more often at home, by stocking up (see my June 5 Yahoo!Finance column for details). But it’s hard to work up an appetite for a menu based on non-perishables like canned tuna and soup. 

The alternative is to freeze. According to the USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service, you can freeze almost anything, except eggs and canned food (although you can freeze something you’ve taken out of a can, such as a ham). On the other hand, some stuff is vile when defrosted – like lettuce, mayonnaise and cream sauce.

“Dairy products don’t freeze particularly well,” says Isabel Maples, a registered dietician in Virginia. “It’s homogenized, so the fat is distributed nicely when fresh. But when it’s frozen you get a chunky-looking thing.” Skim milk freezes better than whole; but any milk can be frozen and then defrosted to use in a recipe (or use powdered milk, it’s cheaper, and no will be able to tell). Meanwhile, fresh milk will last longer if you put it away immediately after pouring. 

Cheese can also be frozen. “The taste won’t be different, but texture will be – it will be more crumbly,” says Maples. Blue cheese, bagged shredded cheese, or cheeses that you plan to shred in a pasta dish or salad work best. 

Bricks of butter can be frozen and will store for six to nine months, Maples says. “You can stock up at Christmas time when it’s usually on sale and you’d be able to use it for a while.” 

Ideally, if you’re storing food long-term, use a free-standing freezer set at 0 degrees F rather than storing in the freezer compartment of a fridge, which is frequently opened and closed. Raw meat freezes better than the cooked stuff because cooking removes moisture. Ideally, freeze food sooner rather than later; at the peak of its quality, not when they’re about to go bad. 

If you aren’t going to use the food within 60 days, make sure to double wrap the grocery packaging with airtight heavy-duty foil, (freezer) plastic wrap or freezer paper, or place the package inside a freezer plastic bag. If a portion of the product gets freezer burn, you can cut that part away and use the rest.  

The USDA says there are only three safe ways to defrost food: in the refrigerator, in cold water, or in the microwave. It recommends planning ahead for slow thawing in the refrigerator – overnight for small items, although most take a day or two. For large items, like turkeys, plan on one day for each 5 pounds of weight. How long can food be frozen? Four to 12 months for uncooked meat. Scroll to the bottom of this link for a full list.

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This entry was posted on Saturday, May 31st, 2008 at 9:13 pm and is filed under food/groceries, saving. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.