Tips and Tricks for Storing

• Cheese: Some cheese freeze very well without losing its taste and texture. Although true believers say you shouldn’t freeze cheese, when you get Costco size cheeses, it’s hard to consume it in a reasonable amount of time. I find freezing Pecorino Romano, Camembert, mozzarella, and brie to be the best. If you get Costco sizes, simply divide them in portions that you can consume according to your timetable. However, I would not recommend freezing cheddar or Swiss (e.g., Jarlsberg). They have a tendency to lose their texture and taste a little bit off.
• Tomato Paste: How often do you see recipes that call for just a tablespoon of tomato paste? Pretty often I would say. Then you stick it in the refrigerator and the next time you see it, it grows green mold. Easy solution is to open both ends of the tomato paste. Freeze it. After it freezes, squeeze the tomato paste out of the can and slice into 1 tablespoon slices and refreeze. Whenever a recipe calls for a tablespoon, simply remove one round from the freezer.
• Spices: Southeast Asian cooking, in particular Indian cooking, calls for many varied spices. Spices do have a shelf life and I typically try to replace them every 6-months or so. However, if you don’t like keeping track of the age of your spices and want to keep them longer, freeze them. Freezing keeps the integrity of the spices for a longer time.
• Olive Oil: Olive oil oxidizes really easy. This means that it can lose its flavor. If you buy olive oil in a clear bottle, transfer it to a tinted bottle or tins/cans. This protects it from light and air.
• Celery: Celery wrapped in aluminum foil stored in your refrigerator crisper seems to delay the aging process.
• Batters: I mix the dry ingredients in plastic bags (e.g., pancakes, scones, etc.) and date and label them. So, whenever you feel in the mood for pancakes or scones, you simply mix the wet ingredients with your prepared dry ingredients. You save considerable amounts of prep time.
• Appetizers: Puff pastry appetizers have become very popular. You can make little stuffed pockets, filled rolls, samosas and even empanadas. Since prep time is lengthy and tedious, make them ahead of time. If they are delicate creations, place them on a cookie sheet, uncovered and place in the freezer for about an hour. Once set, you can transfer them to a plastic baggie and return to the freezer. You can take them directly from the freezer to the oven. This is great for those impromptu appetizers when unexpected guest arrive for e.g., tea.
• Fruit: Costco often sells fruit by the bush load. But it’s not feasible to use them all in a week. I portion them out and lay them on a cooking sheet, uncovered and place it in the freezer to flash freeze (about an hour). Once this is done, than you can transfer it into a baggie and return it to the freezer. Doing this prevents sticking and keeps the nutritional aspect in tact.
• Garlic: Rather than storing them away, why not place cloves of garlic in olive oil or vinegar. This infuses the olive oil/vinegar and it keeps for months. Cooking with oil infused with garlic is very tasty.
• Storing brown sugar: It is extremely dry in Serene Lakes because of the altitude. I find storing brown sugar with a small terra cotta tile soaked in water for ½ hour works great. It keeps the brown sugar nice and moist. You can get these tiles and different designs in any kitchen store.
• Soft Butter: Soft butter can be stored for weeks in a butter crock without refrigeration. The trick is that the water prevents exposure from the elements. It’s nice when you can spread butter on bread without breaking the bread. These crocks can be purchased at any kitchen store.
• Herbs: Herbs such as cilantro, basil and mint can keep for days by simply placing them in a glass with water covering its roots. Then take the plastic bag and cover the herb/glass and place it in the refrigerator. Every other day or so, simply replace the water.
• Ginger: Fresh ginger can be frozen. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze. Whenever you need ginger, simply take a portion out, skin it (easily done with a spoon) and grating is actually easier when it’s a little frozen.