Tips on freezing food
Topic started by Priya (@ nasdgw1.nasd.com) on Mon Jun 26 10:55:55 .
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.
Any tips on how to freeze different kinds of food and how to thaw are all welcome.
Responses:
- Old responses
- From: Seetha (@ 12-251-128-52.client.attbi.com)
on: Thu Jun 27 22:10:54
Thanks Mini:
Would appreciate if you send me the tips for freezing the vegetables as mentioned in my previous chat msg.
- From: Mini (@ ac9f6f5e.ipt.aol.com)
on: Fri Jun 28 02:08:20
Hi Seetha, please give me some time as it requires little typing.
- From: Mini (@ ac9f6f5e.ipt.aol.com)
on: Fri Jun 28 02:21:15
Seetha, please check out the following links help you or not. I will try to find some tips from the book too.
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/freeze.html
http://www.cahe.nmsu.edu/pubs/_e/e-320.html
http://ceinfo.unh.edu/Family/Documents/hf_veg.pdf
- From: Mid (@ spider-we084.proxy.aol.com)
on: Fri Jun 28 08:33:15
Mini......Thank you very much for the information you have been a great help.
- From: Mini (@ aca22602.ipt.aol.com)
on: Fri Jun 28 13:57:37
Hi Mid, You are welcome. I love people who maintain a garden and I love to have my own but sad to say that I couldn't succeed in making a good one till now.
Happy Gardening!!!
- From: Blade Pakkiri (@ im1.engin.umich.edu)
on: Fri Jun 28 17:30:22
Seetha and Mini: Beans, Okra, onions, mushrooms, spinach, carrots, hashbrowns, i can go on adding. These are stuff that we can buy frozen. Why should someone buy fresh and freeze it? Are you discussing about this because you are in india?
Or are you discussing about how to freeze vegetables that are not already available in frozen section.
- From: Mini (@ ac9ffb28.ipt.aol.com)
on: Fri Jun 28 22:58:25
Hi Blade Pakkiri,
Please read Mid's query, she/he asked that she/he has a garden and so want to freeze some vegetables for the coming winter. I was trying to answer Mid and hence happened all these freezing talks. I think you got confused. I know many people who has garden are storing veggies for the winter.
Whatever, you got a nice nickname! Keep it up. Regards,
- From: geetha (@ cpe-203-45-88-68.nsw.bigpond.net.au)
on: Sat Jun 29 10:13:01
hi guys can drumstick or murungakai get frozen at all during winter months its hard to get them in the shops any advise
- From: Verna (@ mke-24-167-240-119.wi.rr.com)
on: Sun Jun 30 00:51:15
Hello Geetha,
If by drumstick you mean horseradish root (called hose radish in the Website glossary), you may freeze it this way: first grate or shred the root. Put it in one layer on a sheet pan lined with waxed or parchment paper. Freeze until hard, then place the frozen shreds in a plastic bag or container to keep frozen. I hope this helps you.
VC
- From: Chitra (@ sdn-ap-019txhousp0427.dialsprint.net)
on: Mon Jul 1 13:26:16
Hi Verna,
Drumstick or Muringakaaya is not horseradish. This is a tropical vegetable which grows on trees. They are long and looks like drumstick and hence the name. The leaves, the flowers and the Drumstick can all be used for cooking. They are very tasty and nutritious.
Hi Geetha,
You can freeze Drumsticks and save them for winter. Before freezing wash and dry them very well and then cut them to pieces.( whichever way you want them. ) Place them in a tray and keep the tray in the freezer for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes take the tray out and place the cold drumstick pieces in a zip lock bag and close it after removing as much air from it. I used to place a straw inside the bag and close the bag all around the straw and suck out as much air as possible. You can then store the closed zip lock bag in the freezer for future use. It should be stored this way for a couple of months. (3-4 months or so)
- From: anjali (@ 61.83.137.199)
on: Mon Jul 1 23:42:15
can anyone give me a tip...as how to preserve coconut in refreidgerator?
- From: Verna (@ mke-24-167-240-119.wi.rr.com)
on: Mon Jul 1 23:49:09
Hello Chitra,
Thank you for the explanation about drumstick. I always wonder what exactly it is when I read a recipe. The website glossary did not help me much in this case. We seem to have nothing like it in the U.S. but perhaps it is available in the Indian market. I will ask next time I go to Chicago.
VC
- From: Chitra (@ sdn-ap-026txhousp0023.dialsprint.net)
on: Tue Jul 2 14:05:51
Hello Anjali,
(Preserving coconut)
Recently grated and frozen coconut is available in Indian grocery stores in US. They are kept in the freezer section in small plastic bags and they do not contain any sugar. So we can use it for all recipes that need coconut. The best ones are "Daily Delight" and "Kairali" brands. You can store this in the freezer for 3-4 months.
When you need grated frozen coconut for cooking, take them out from the freezer and thaw the bag outside the freezer for 30 minutes or in microwave for 30 seconds and take out as much as you want and refreeze the left over. If you need to blend the coconut for the recipe you should sprinkle a little water on to the coconut and just warm it in the microwave for 45 secs before placing it in the blender. If you blend it when very cold it will not grind uniformly, but will separate into oily liquid and flesh
Sometimes I find it hard to select good coconut (whole one with intact hard shell) from supermarkets. Because when I break them open most of them are rotten. Now I buy only the grated frozen coconut from the Indian stores.
If you can get good coconut (whole one with shell) from super markets, you break open them and grate them. The grated flesh can be stored in the freezer for months. Place the grated coconut in zip lock bags and expel all air from them and close them tight and store in the freezer. You can store them in the refrigerator only for a few days but in the freezer they will last for a few months (3-4). If you don't have time to grate the broken coconut you can store them in the freezer as such (shell with the coconut meat attached) in air tight zip lock bags. Take them out, thaw and grate when you need them.
Hope this information is useful to you.
- From: Mini (@ ac98cba8.ipt.aol.com)
on: Tue Jul 2 14:07:58
Hi Verna,
You cannot find the drumsticks in U.S grocery stores. I tried to find it in Indian Market, but only frozen drumsticks are available.
- From: Chitra (@ sdn-ap-026txhousp0023.dialsprint.net)
on: Tue Jul 2 14:24:47
Hello Verna,
Now we can get Drumsticks from Indian stores in two varieties. One is the canned type. In this the drum sticks are already cooked and stored in cans. Sometimes when we open the cans they are mushy and do not look or taste fresh.
Recently Drumsticks are available as fresh frozen in plastic bags in the freezer section. They are very good and when cooked tastes as fresh as if we just picked them from the trees!
Drumsicks are 1 to 1 ½ foot long sticks with a fibrous skin outside. The diameter varies from ½ - ¾ inches. Before cooking you remove the fibrous strands as much as possible. No need to remove all of them. Cut at the tip half way and then pull down the outer skin all the way down to remove them. Continue this until you remove most of the skin. Then you cut them into 1 ½ inch long pieces. (If you buy the frozen ones you don’t have to do any of these steps because they are already cleaned, cut and ready to cook.) You can use them to make curries or you can fry them with blended onion, chilly powder and salt. This is a very tasty preparation and goes well with rice. Like Artichoke you can go on scraping the meat form the skin for hours and still they will be tasty!
Hope you succeed in getting the frozen ones from the store.
- From: Seetha (@ 12-251-128-52.client.attbi.com)
on: Tue Jul 2 17:09:11
Thanks Mini for the inputs reg freezing. I shall run thro' them and get back. thanks again!
- From: Verna (@ mke-24-167-240-119.wi.rr.com)
on: Wed Jul 3 00:22:08
Thanks Mini and Chitra,
I look forward to trying drumstick which will be something really new for me. Thanks for your explanations.
VC
- From: geetha natarajan (@ cpe-203-45-88-68.nsw.bigpond.net.au)
on: Sat Jul 6 03:20:21
thanks everyone for your tips on drumstick i will try them
- From: meena (@ user-10fuho3.dsl.mindspring.com)
on: Sat Jul 6 22:46:39
If anyone are from the Bay area- fresh drumsticks are available at Bharat Bazar/kumud (sunnyvale)BTW they are from mexico i'm told, and also frozen -"vadilal" brand is now available in most of the indian stores here.
Anyone from/planning to visit Hawaii- has plenty of drumstick trees. When i visited last i had to get some home(do not sell them in grocery stores) so i took a chance, knocked on the door that had 2 huge trees in their front yard, and asked them.They were very kind enough and told to take as much as i can (they were sure suprised to learn it could be consumed)!
- From: CI (@ 12-40-27-132.elpaso.com)
on: Sat Jul 6 23:04:39
Hi all,
I know lot of people like drumsticks. We don't eat it. But I do use the leaves in cooking. If u like it so much, the easiest way is to plant them. These are very easily growable plants, and yield lots of drumsticks. Ofcourse, if u are living in north of U.S (or cold region), there is no way you can grow this in your backyard.
- From: kay (@ spider-wb083.proxy.aol.com)
on: Mon Jul 8 15:05:26
how do you freeze collard greens
- From: Swetha (@ 202.88.224.120)
on: Fri Aug 23 07:40:54
Hi Chitra
i noted ur comments on kairali brand, but i hv'nt tried yet.But i hv tried Maharani's Choice & Favour-ita Brand. Its realy delicious and is available in variable varities. do u know the store in which kairali brand is available.
- From: Chitra (@ sdn-ap-024txhousp0157.dialsprint.net)
on: Fri Aug 23 13:26:58
Hi Swetha,
Swetha, what products are you looking for? Is it Kerala curry or Sambar powder? Please let me know.
- From: lak (@ dialup-64.157.126.232.dial1.dallas1.level3.net)
on: Fri Aug 23 14:19:23
Anybody tell which brand wheat flour is good?
- From: Mini (@ dsc03.ati-ga-2-238.rasserver.net)
on: Fri Aug 23 16:49:33
Golden temple? I guess so.
- From: swetha (@ 202.88.224.120)
on: Sat Aug 24 03:09:04
hi chitra
how r u?
I am trying for frozen foods.
u hv mentioned on grated coconut of Kairali brand. Please tell if they also have frozen food product like Maharani & Favourita brand
I have tried porotta, idly with sambar, idiyappam, Masala DOsa, neyappam, of the above brand and seems to be tasty and good quality.
Do the Kairali brand is having any other products than the above.
- From: Chitra (@ 65.177.16.255)
on: Sat Aug 24 09:28:20
Hi Swetha,
I have tried only the Kairali brand frozen coconut. I have not looked for any of the above items by Kairali. Maharani or Favourita brands, I Never tried. Sorry...
- From: swetha (@ 202.88.224.120)
on: Thu Aug 29 06:13:10
Hi chitra
Please tell me the store where kairali brand is available.
- From: Chitra (@ sdn-ap-025txhousp0485.dialsprint.net)
on: Thu Aug 29 18:52:56
Hi Swetha,
In Texas, Kairali brand is available in Indian stores in Houston and San Antonio.
- From: Krissah (@ main4.washpost.com)
on: Wed Aug 6 14:19:15
Hi. My name is Krissah Williams. I'm a reporter at the Washington Post working on a story about the growing availability of authentic Indian food. I'm interested in talking to some of you about which brands taste best. Please contact me at williamsk@washpost.com. Thanks!
- From: aj (@ proxy2.ihug.co.nz)
on: Wed Sep 1 19:15:01
Hi!
I want to know for how can we store indian curries in freezer for? Is it safe to freeze them for as long as three months???
thanks,
Aj
- From: puja (@ dialpool-210-214-41-122.maa.sify.net)
on: Sun Sep 5 07:54:47 EDT 2004
thanks all u guys learned a lot..thanks mini the sites were useful... but is it nutritionally as good as fresh veggies and fresh cooked food? i think it saves lots of time though..how long can you store gravies, curries, veggies, chappatis, dals etc in the freezer?
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