Lots of Leftovers

Now that Thanksgiving is over, you probably have lots and lots of leftovers. You'll probably freeze much of what you can't eat. Freezing is a great way to save both cooked and uncooked food, as long as your freezer is colder than 0^oF. The U. S. Department of Agriculture has a fact sheet that answers lots of questions about freezing food safely. Here are some of the highlights:

• Almost anything can be frozen, except for eggs in their shells and anything in a can.
• Some foods turn yucky when they're frozen, but they're still safe to eat (there will be an experiment on this)
• Food never "goes bad" in the freezer. It never loses its nutritional value, although it may get dried out and not taste very good.
• Bacteria "sleep" when they're frozen, but become active again when the food is thawed. Remember that freezing does not kill bacteria or other nasty beasties.
• Fresh vegetables should be cooked briefly in boiling water or a microwave oven before freezing. This is called blanching. Vegetables sold in frozen form have already been blanched.
• It's OK to freeze meat in the supermarket packaging, but only if you're going to use it in a month or two. Otherwise, the meat will dry out.
• Freezer burn can occur if food is exposed to air in the freezer. It causes dried-out, grayish spots. They're pretty disgusting, but you can just cut these spots off and use the food as usual. To prevent freezer burn, be sure to wrap food tightly.
• Freezing can cause some foods, particularly meats, to change color, but it doesnt't make them unsafe or less nutritious.
• You should only thaw foods in the refrigerator, in the microwave, or in cold water. Never thaw foods on the kitchen counter, outdoors, or in the dishwasher!
• Once food has been defrosted, it is safe to freeze it again, even if it hasn't been cooked.