FRESH MEATS
Roasts (Beef, Venison)
Roasts (Lamb). .,
Roasts (Pork
Steaks (Beef). .
Chops (Lamb) .
Chops (Pork)
Ground &Stew Meats
Variety Meats (Beef)
Variety Meats (Pork) .,
Sausage (Pork)
Times
(Months)
(Months)
O°F.
COOKED POULTRY
O°F.
6-12
Pieces (covered with broth) .. ......6
6-9
Pieces (not covered) . . . . . ........1
4-a
Cooked Poultry Dishes . ..........4-6
6-12
Fried Chicken . . . . . . . . . . ........4
6-9
3-4
..3-4
Shellfish Upto4
.
3-4
Lean Fish Upto6
2-3
Fatty Fish Upto2
1-2
Shrimp (raw, unpeeled) . . . . .......12
Rabbit, Squirrel . .......6-8
PROCESSED MEATS
Bacon ., .1
Frankfurters .
Ham(whole, half or slices). ,1-2
COOKED MEATS
Cooked Meats & Main Dishes ... ..2-3
Meat Broth .2-3
FRESH POULTRY
Chicken &Turkey (whole) . . .......12
Chicken (pieces) . . . . . . . . ........9
Turkey (pieces) .. ....,6
Duck & Goose (whole). ., .. ....6
Giblets . . . .
Game Birds. a-12
Shrimp (cooked) . ...............2-3
PRODUCE
Most Fruits & Vegetables. ... a-12
Asparagus .6-a
Mushrooms. Up to 6
Onions .. .3-6
Citrus Fruits . ..................3-4
Potatoes
. ..........2-3
BAKERY GOODS
Breads, Quick (baked). . . . ........2
Breads, Yeast (baked) 4-a
Breads, Yeast (unbaked)
Cakes (frosted) . ................1-2
Cakes
. ..............3-4
Cookies. ..3-4
Pastry (unbaked) . ...............2-3
Pies, Fruit (baked) Up to 1
Pies, Fruit (unbaked) . ............2-4
(Months)
DAIRY PRODUCTS
O°F.
Butter (salted) ..3
Butter (unsalted) . ..........5-6
Cottage Cheese . . . . . . . . .......,1
Soft Cheese . ..................2-4
Hard or Semi-hard Cheese .. ......6
Eggs (remove from shell). . . .......12
Ice Cream, Sherbet Up to 1
Milk
..1
OTHER FOODS
Candies ..12
Up to 1
Pizza ..1
Prepared Dishes . ...............1-2
Sandwiches Upto 1
Soups, Stews, Casseroles. . .......2-3
New techniques are constantly being
developed. Consult the County Extension
Service or your local Utility Company for
the latest information on freezing and storing
foods.
Meat, Fish,
& Game
Package meat, poultry, fish and
game in moisture/vapor-proof
material such as aluminum foil,
cellophane, freezer foil or plastic
bags. Exclude as much air as
possible. Label and freeze at once.
Packages of fresh meats
and
as commonly purchased
in retail stores are not suitably
wrapped for freezing. Rewrap in
moisture/vapor-proof material.
Meat
Remove as much bone and fat as
possible from meat before packaging.
Do not salt meat. When individual
pieces of meat are packaged together,
place double thickness of freezer
wrap between them for easier
separation during thawing.
Poultry
Clean thoroughly before packaging.
Pad sharp or protruding bones with
folded freezer paper or aluminum
foil. Wrap giblets separately.
Wild Game
The same methods suggested for
poultry and meat may be used for
preparing and freezing wild game.
Fish
Clean fish thoroughly before pack-
aging. Cut-up pieces of “lean” fish
such as haddock and cod should be
rinsed in brine made with 2/3 cup of
pure table salt per gallon of water to
reduce leakage during thawing. Keep
in solution not over 1 minute. Brine is
unnecessary for whole fish or fatty
fish
as salmon or
mackerel.
Oysters, Clams, Shrimps,
Scallops
Wash shells in running water (soak
clams) and shuck, working quickly.
Discard shells. Do not wash clams
or oysters. Scallops may be rinsed in
fresh water. Pack in freezer carton
and freeze immediately. Shrimps
are best if frozen uncooked.
Remove and discard heads and
black vein. Wash and package in
freezer containers.
6
Crabs and Lobsters
fish and remove back
Steam or boil in water for 15 to 20
minutes. Cool thoroughly, then pick
edible meat from shells and package
in proper containers. Seal and
freeze immediately.
Thawing
Frozen meat, fish or poultry should
be left in the original package and
thawed in the refrigerator or cooked
frozen. Allow approximately 5 hours
per pound to thaw meat in the
refrigerator. When cooking frozen
meat, increase the cooking time by
approximately 1/3 to 1/2 if cooking
conventionally—much less if
cooking with microwaves.
necessary to thaw meat quickly,
thaw at room temperature—allowing
only 2 hours per pound.
Don’t refreeze meat that has
completely thawed; meat, whether
raw or cooked, can be frozen
successfully only once.
