All of us want to make cooking at home easy, quick and delicious. Using your freezer for meal prep can help you make this happen. While fresh seasonal vegetables are bountiful is a great time to freeze ingredients for future meals. Don’t forget that purchasing frozen foods with no salt or sugar added might be the best choice for your family. Doing a little prep now will help you prepare quick healthy meals in the future.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind:

1. Freezer bags are a space-saving way to store ingredients, although other storage systems may be used if you have the space. When storing food in a freezer bag, be sure to press out as much air as possible before sealing the bag. Always label and date whatever container you choose.

2. Remember to check prices as it may be time to stock a variety of commercially frozen fruits or vegetables. They are high in quality, nutritious and a time saver. If you repackage them immediately in freezer safe containers when you get home from the grocery store you reduce the risk of freezer burn later.

3. Place 2 tablespoons of chopped herbs to each well of an ice cube tray, cover with water and freeze. Then place in a freezer bag. Add frozen cubes to pan sauces or soups.

4. Chop a bunch of onions at once and freeze them in portions. They can be added to the pan right from the freezer.

5. Ingredients that you need in small amounts may be frozen in spoonfuls on a baking sheet. Then peel off with a metal spatula and place in a freezer bag until ready to use. This works well for pesto, tomato paste, and chipotle chiles.

6. To be prepared for a simple stir-fry, slice portions of beef, chicken or pork before freezing.

7. Purchase bags of frozen shrimp that have been deveined. They thaw quickly under running water in just a few minutes.

8. If you like Mexican food, seasoned shredded chicken, pork, or beef can be portioned out and frozen. Making quick homemade burritos, tacos or nachos requires only a few pantry staples and a minimum of additional prep work.

9. Soup freezes well and can make a complete meal. If your recipe has pasta as an ingredient, stir it into the soup when simmering to reheat. Noodles absorb too much liquid and become mushy when frozen.

10. For the best results, frozen casseroles need to thaw completely in the refrigerator before being baked. They are basically big blocks of ice and can take up to 48 hours to thaw so plan accordingly. To test if a casserole is fully thawed, stick a knife in the middle. Casseroles with pasta, such as lasagna freeze well because the contain less water than soup.

11. If you are making a sauce, make a large batch and freeze portions for future dinners.

12. Once hot food has cooled down, it should be placed in the refrigerator to chill before placing in the freezer. Be sure to wrap it tightly to avoid freezer burn.

13. From a safety standpoint, food that is frozen properly and kept at a constant temperature of 0 degrees or lower will be safe to eat for a very long time. Keep a thermometer in your freezer to make sure it’s at the correct temperature. Moisture loss and the activity of enzymes and other chemical processes are slowed, but not stopped, so the quality does deteriorate over time.

14. It’s important to keep up with what’s in the freezer to avoid loss of quality.Having complete meals or the ingredients ready to speed up your meal prep during busy times makes dining-in a viable choice

Having complete meals or the ingredients ready to speed up your meal prep during busy times makes dining-in a viable choice.

Fruit Smoothie Serves 3 (about 1 ½ cups)

Fruit Smoothie

The ingredients in this recipe can be varied according to taste and availability. Kale can be substituted for spinach, and any other fruits can be used as well. Using some frozen fruits will help make a cold, refreshing smoothie. Adjust amount of milk to make it thicker or thinner based upon taste preference.

½ cup baby spinach

1 tablespoon peanut butter

¼ cup walnuts

¼ cup almonds

½ apple, sliced

4 – 5 frozen peach slices

5 – 6 frozen whole strawberries

5 – 6 medium cubes of mango (fresh or frozen)

3 cups plain soymilk

Combine all ingredients in a blender until a smooth consistency is reached.

Banana Granita with Blueberries  Serves 4

Banana Granita with Blueberries

This frozen treat makes a simple and refreshing dessert similar to ice cream. This recipe is topped with frozen blueberries, but any fresh or frozen fruit would make a great topping. A sprinkling of your favorite nuts or seeds would also be a great addition. You can also add cocoa powder for a chocolate banana flavor. Put peeled and quartered bananas in a freezer bag and keep them on hand in your freezer so that they are at the ready to make this delicious dessert when you want it. This is a great way to extend the life of bananas that are reaching their prime and satisfy your sweet tooth all at the same time.

4 medium bananas, peeled, quartered, and frozen

2 teaspoons honey

20 blueberries, frozen

Directions:

1. Remove bananas from freezer and defrost at room temperature for 5 minutes.
2. Put bananas and honey in a food processor and blend until smooth. Hold onto the base as these hard fruits are chopped and pureed.
3. Divide frozen banana blend evenly into 4 bowls and top with frozen blueberries.
4. Serve and enjoy!
5. Challenge yourself to think of other frozen fruits you might add to the bananas for additional flavors next time.

Sources for this article NC Extension Food and Nutrition educational program. For more information about the Foods and Nutrition please contact Louise L. Hinsley, Extension Agent, Family Consumer Science at the Beaufort County Center of N.C. Cooperative Extension, 155 Airport Road, Washington, 252-946-0111 or by email, louise_hinsley@ncsu.edu.