The desire to cook food can come in waves. On Sunday you have short ribs simmered for hours, and on Thursday it’s hard to muster up the courage to make ramen noodles. On such evenings it is useful to have a refrigerator with stewed short ribs. It’s cheaper than takeout, requires almost no energy to heat up, and is like an act of caring—your past takes care of your present.
The refrigerator is the best source of fully cooked meals, homemade meals that just need to be reheated, and desserts to satisfy your sweet tooth. (This is still a reasonable place to store many of the ingredients.)
Putting food in the freezer is as easy as knowing what keeps best and when to eat it.
You can freeze just about anything, and while some foods work better, the taste, texture, and smell of all foods will begin to deteriorate over time. So the question is not exactly what is possible, but what is needed.
How water turns to ice largely determines what freezes best. When fresh ingredients that contain a lot of water freeze, their cell walls rupture, changing their texture. Cooking has a similar effect, so fully or partially cooked meals with broken cell walls retain their integrity in the refrigerator.
The short answer is a maximum of a year – not because the food will go bad, but because it will not taste good. (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a refrigerated storage chart that can provide more accurate timing.) Two to six months is better for quality assurance. The same goes for tightly packed food. Exposure to freezing air can dehydrate food, making it tougher and tasteless (commonly referred to as frostbite). Oxygen in the air can also cause food to oxidize, causing fats to become rancid. Follow these tips for perfect food storage, and be sure to label and date each item with masking tape and permanent marker so you never have to worry about what you have.
As long as the temperature in the refrigerator is zero or below, bacteria cannot grow. The best way to tell if something is good to eat is to smell and touch it after it has been defrosted. If it smells rotten or rancid and doesn’t feel right to you like soft, mealy fish, throw it away. If you’re not sure, just take a bite. If it tastes good, enjoy it.
But remember: the refrigerator is not a time machine. If you throw leftover stew in the freezer, it won’t thaw and turn into a perfectly fresh stew. After thawing, it returns to an indeterminate state.
› Soups, stews and stews: Anything that is thin, soft or in sauce stays intact in the refrigerator. Broths, soups (cream, bisque or broth) and stews of all kinds (from curries to chili peppers) can be served in strong, airtight containers with at least an inch of clearance at the top. Vegetables such as stews or cabbage should be evenly soaked in the sauce. Meatballs keep especially well in gravy, and beans from scratch retain their creamy, tender texture when topped with a starchy, simmering drink.
Ideally, the defrosting should be in the refrigerator overnight, but such dishes can be quickly thawed directly from the refrigerator. Place the airtight container in hot water until the ice cubes separate, then lower it into the saucepan. Add less than an inch of water, heat over medium heat, cover and cook, breaking the ice from time to time, until everything bubbles evenly over several minutes.
› Casseroles and pies, sweet or savory: lasagna and the like – meat, vegetables or starch and sauce – are the heroes of the freezer. A fully cooked casserole can be tightly wrapped in a dish, then unwrapped, covered with foil and reheated in the oven. Leftovers can be divided into portions and sealed in smaller containers, then reheated in the microwave or baked until bubbly. A casserole with cooked ingredients like tomato bolognese or creamy broccoli and rice can be served on a platter, wrapped and frozen, then cooked in the oven.
Double layer pies should be assembled from dough and chilled filling. The whole thing should be frozen uncovered until solid and then tightly wrapped until it is solid. The quiche should be fully baked and then frozen whole or sliced. Defrost in the refrigerator, then reheat in the oven.
› Dumplings of all kinds: Any two-piece dumplings wrapped in dough – potstickers, samosas, dumplings, dumplings, spring rolls, millefeuille, etc. – fell into a special category suitable for freezing. They can all be fully assembled with cooked or raw fillings, then frozen uncovered on a tray until firm, then transferred to an airtight container. Then boil, fry, steam, deep fry or bake straight from the frozen state.
› Dessert: Homemade sweets should complement the ice cream. Meringues, gelatin, creamy desserts (like trifles) and delicate pastries (like biscuits or pancakes) are less suitable, but almost any other sweet treat will do. Cookies can be frozen as a dough or baked completely. Dough balls and dough sheets should be baked frozen, instant biscuits taste fresh after reheating in the oven. Cakes and bread can be stored whole or cut into slices, especially those with very fine crumbs.
Cupcakes, brownies and other chocolate bars, waffles and plain puff pastries (and their delicious cousins) keep well in airtight containers and thaw quickly at room temperature. For foods that need to be eaten hot, a quick roast in the oven can give them a crispy crust.
Stocking food in the fridge may seem like a daunting task for the vigilant planner, but it’s especially helpful for those who don’t have a weekly meal plan. Whenever you make too much of a dish that freezes well, wrap and discard leftovers. Whenever you’re too tired to cook, heat them up and enjoy your well-cooked meals.
What is the best way to cook dried beans? in the oven. The even heat keeps the water at a constant boil, keeping the beans always tender – no hard spots or broken soft parts – with little to no effort. Because heat dries, it also concentrates the inherent flavors of the beans and everything else thrown into the pot. You can simply boil soaked beans in salted water or add flavorful ingredients like garlic and dried chili peppers. Onions are also good, and bacon and other cured pork give a rich flavor.
Cover the beans with cold water 2 inches in a heatproof saucepan. Put in the refrigerator for impregnation for 6-8 hours. Or, for a quick soak, bring to a boil, turn off the heat, and steep for 1 hour.
Drain the beans, rinse and return to the pot. Add enough cold water to cover 2 inches. Bring to a boil, then add 2 teaspoons of salt, garlic and chilli if using. Cover and send to the oven.
Roast for 45 to 70 minutes until the beans are completely tender. (Red and white beans should be cooked for at least 30 minutes until they are soft and safe to eat.) The time depends on the size of the beans and how long they have been soaked. If you have used pepper, select it and discard. If you are using garlic, crush it in the broth for flavor. Taste the beans and salt if necessary. Use immediately or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 6 months.
Buttery and not too sweet, this biscuit has fine, tender crumbs and is delicious with tea, coffee, or on its own. Because chocolate is typically the dominant flavor in marbled cakes, this version adds potent almond extract to the vanilla swirl and tender orange blossom water to the cocoa batter, so that the two flavors balance and complement each other. The cake develops a deeper flavor over time and keeps well at room temperature in an airtight container. It can also be stored in the refrigerator for up to three months if wrapped tightly.
In a small bowl mix flour, baking powder and salt. In a medium bowl, mix cocoa powder, hot water, and 3 tablespoons sugar until smooth.
Using a stand mixer or hand mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar in a large bowl until mixture is pale yellow and fluffy. Empty the bowl, reduce the mixer speed to medium and beat in the eggs one at a time until just combined. Stir in vanilla extract. (You can also stir by hand in the same order using a wooden spoon.)
Empty the bowl, reduce the speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture. Mix until combined. Empty the bowl and beat on high speed for 15 seconds to make sure everything is evenly combined. Pour 1 ½ cups of the batter into the cocoa mixture. Mix almond extract with white cake batter and orange blossom water with chocolate batter.
Coat a 9″ or 10″ pan with baking spray. Use 2 ice cream scoops or 2 large scoops to scoop 2 different batters into the molds, alternating in piles. Run a chopstick or butter knife down the center of the dough, being careful not to touch the bottom or sides of the pan. To make the cake more swirling, make one more turn, but no more. You don’t want the boundaries between attackers to blur.
Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean and the top springs back slightly when pressed lightly.
Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then invert the cake onto a baking sheet to cool completely. To keep the crust crisp, carefully flip the cake over again. A properly wrapped cake will keep for up to 3 days at room temperature and up to 3 months in the refrigerator.
Tip: To make the cake come out easily, use non-stick baking spray and flour. You can also use non-stick cooking spray or coat the pan generously with butter and flour, but the cake may stick.
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Post time: Jul-10-2023