How To Freeze Produce, Poultry + Beef

The fall season often brings great prices on organic produce, but Rachael says to keep an eye out for great prices all year long, especially in the form of "loss leaders." These items are priced at cost or even at a loss to the store as an incentive to get you into the store. When you see these specials, stock up on these items and use Rachael's tips for storing your produce and meat so it stays fresh until you're ready to use it.

How To Freeze Sweet Corn

Drop ears of corn into boiling water for a few minutes, then cold shock them in ice water.

Scrape the kernels off using this tip from Rachael: Place a small bowl upside down inside a larger bowl, and steady the end of the corn on the bottom of the smaller bowl. Take your knife and cut downward on the cob, and the kernels will fall into the larger bowl.

Then, dry the kernels on a sheet pan, bag them, date it and put it in the freezer. You can also save the cobs to add flavor to soups and stews in the colder months.

How To Freeze Tomatoes

To store them properly without losing flavor, make a small X incision lightly through the skins on the bottom. Drop them into boiling water and when the skin starts to peel back and freely break away from the meat of the tomatoes, then it's ready to remove and cold shock them and then bag them up. These can be used all year in homemade sauces and soups.

How To Freeze Broccoli and Green Beans

Boil them for two minutes before cold shocking them, then let them completely dry before bagging, tagging and freezing.

Rach's Bonus Tip: How To Freeze Chicken and Steak

When an item like chicken or steak is a loss leader, buy a lot even if you're only feeding a family of two to four. Buy a few pounds and individually wrap the pieces in plastic bags, then put all of those in one giant bag to freeze. You can pull out individual servings when you're ready.