What Not to Freeze

Freezers are wonderful inventions.  They save us time and money.  How many times do we head for the freezer when it's time to think about a meal?  And for many of us, the freezer houses much of our emergency supply of food. 

But some things freeze better than others.  We thought we would give you a partial listing of things that don't freeze well.

• Fried foods (especially deep fried foods):  They taste stale
• Gravies and sauces with wheat in them:  They tend to separate.
• High water content vegetables (lettuce, tomatoes, celery, etc.):  They get limp.
• Raw fruit: They turn dark or get mushy unless blanched.
• Potatoes: They get grainy and soft. 
• Cooked pasta (unless very firm): Tends to get soft and mushy.
• Crumb toppings on casseroles: They tend to get soggy.
• Soft cake frostings:  They tend to get tacky.
• Sage: It tends to get bitter.
• Cloves: It tends to get sharper in the freezer. 
• Garlic:  The flavor tends to get stronger when frozen.
• Salt: It tends to loose savor when frozen. 
• Onions: They tend to loose their flavor.
• Green peppers: They tend to get stronger tasting when frozen
• Artificial sweeteners:  they tend to lose their effectiveness once frozen.

Most spices and many extracts are altered by freezing, some getting stronger and some losing flavor.  The longer they are stored, the more pronounced the change. 
Most baked goods freeze well.  We freeze breads, cookies, and cookie dough.  If you would like to see a past article about freezing breads, click here. 

Click here for the printable verion of this article.