Foods for packed lunches or elaborate dinners can be kept in your freezer ready for busy days, parties or unexpected company. By planning a steady flow of casseroles, main dishes, baked goods and desserts in and out of your freezer, you can make good use of your freezer and good use of your time.ADVANTAGES OF FREEZING PREPARED FOODS• Youpreparefoodatyourconvenience.• Yourovenisusedmoreefficientlybybakingmorethanonedishatatime.• Youavoidwastebyfreezingleftoversandusingthemas"plannedovers."•Special diet foods and baby foods can be prepared in quantity and frozen in single portions.• Yousavetimebydoublingortriplingrecipesandfreezingtheextrafood.•Ifyoucookforoneortwo,individualportionsofanordinaryrecipecanbefrozenfor later use.ON THE OTHER HAND . . .• Freezingisexpensivewhenyouaddupthecostofpackaging,ofenergyuseandofthe freezer itself.• Moreenergyisusedincooking,freezingandreheatingthanincookingfromscratch andservingimmediately.•Preparedfoodshavearelativelyshortstoragelifeinthefreezercomparedtotheindividual ingredientslikefrozenfruits,vegetablesandmeat.• Unlessyouhaveamicrowaveoventodedicatetothawingduringmealpreparation,you must allow plenty of time for thawing in the refrigerator.•Some products do not freeze well. Others do not justify the labor and expense of freezing.PREPARING TO FREEZE If you are not sure about how a prepared food freezes, try freezing just a small portionthe first time and checking to see if the quality is acceptable in 1 to 2 months or more. Foods to be frozen should be slightly undercooked if they are to be reheated after freezing.Foods should be cooled quickly for safety and freshness. Keeping foods at room temperature for severalhoursbeforefreezingincreaseschancesofspoilageandfoodborneillness.Flavor,color,texture and nutrient content are likely to deteriorate also. To speed cooling, put the pan containing hot prepared dishes—main dishes, sauces, etc.—in another pan or sink of ice water. This is especially important when preparing large amounts of food. Keep the water cold by changing it frequently or run cold water around the pan of food. When cool, package and freeze immediately. (Note: Do not place hot glass or ceramic dishes in ice water—they may break.)Freezing Prepared Foods2PACKAGING Pack foods in amounts you will use at one time. Once food is thawed, it spoils more quickly than when fresh. Usemoisture-vaporresistantpackaging.Airshortensshelflifeandaffectsfoodcolor,flavorandtextureinundesirableways.Ifyouhaveemptyspaceinaplasticfreezercartonorotherrigidcontainer,fillitwithcrumpledfreezer paper. Be sure to label each package with the name of the food and the date. Forpackagingfoods,coatedorlaminatedfreezerpapers,plasticwrapsorbagsandheavy-dutyaluminumfoilare good. If lightweight freezer bags are used, protect them by placing them inside rigid containers. Rigid containers that can be used for freezing foods include plastic cartons or glass jars designed for canning andfreezing.Wide-mouthjarsarebestforfreezingbecausetheircontentsareeasiertoremovebeforecompletethawing takes place. Some household food containers are not suitable for freezing. The cartons that come with milk, cottage cheese,yogurt,margarine,andmanyotherrefrigeratedfoodsarenotmoisture-vaporresistantenoughforfreezinganddonotproducesealsairtightenoughforfreezing.Narrow-mouthjarscanbreakattheneckfromthepressureoffood expanding. Jars not manufactured for extreme temperature changes can break easily also. Do not reuse plastic containersandtraysthatcomewithmicrowavableentrées.FREEZER STORAGE Freeze prepared foods at 0°F or below. For quickest freezing, place the packages against the refrigerated surfacesofthefreezer.Spreadthewarmpackagesoutaroundthefreezer.Afterthefoodisfrozen,rearrangethepackages and store frozen foods close together. Freeze only the amount of food that will freeze within 24 hours. This is usually two to three pounds of food per cubic foot of freezer space. It is a good idea to post a list of the frozen foods with freezing dates near the freezer and check the packages offthelistastheyareremoved.3Freezing Prepared Foods Other sources of information may list different storage times. Foods stored at 0°F longer than the storage times listed here should be safe but may be of less acceptable quality. Foodslistedinthesectionsbelowas"problemfoods"arenotrecommendedforfreezing.Forefficiencyandabetter-tastingproduct,these"problemfoods"shouldbeeatensoonafterpreparation.BAKED PRODUCTS AND DOUGHS Preparing & Packaging Suggested Storage Food For Freezing Serving Time (at 0°F)Baked Quick Breads Biscuits Makeasusual.Cool.Package. Toservehot,heatunthawed,350°F, 2-3months   15-20min. Quickbreads Makeasusual.Baketolightbrown. Thawinwrappingatroomtemperature, 2-4months (gingerbread, Coolquickly.Package. 1-2hours.Otherwise,thawinrefrigerator. nut and fruit If in aluminum foil, heat at 400°F. Slice bread, coffee fruit and nut breads while partially frozen  cake)  topreventcrumbling. Muffins Makeasusual.Package. Thawinwrappingatroom 6-12months temperature, 1 hour. Or, heat unthawed at 300°F, 20 min.  Waffles Baketoalightbrown.Wrap Heatwithoutthawinginatoaster, 1-2months  individuallyorinpairs. underbroileroronbakingsheetat