Freezing Tips for ieeeggs & Other Unlikely Foods

      The following brief but treasured story will segue into my food freezing tips. During a recent Mother's Day visit with my daughter's family, I discovered that my young grandson remembered previous activities with long-distance, sporadic-visitor Dede, and it was in an unexpected, heartwarming way. He uniquely and specifically

Our ī-ēēēggs-tremely captivating boy

associated me with eggs (pronounced ī-ēēēggs).

      In the initial hours of my recent stay, as we gingerly re-acquainted ourselves, he randomly pointed to me and said: ieeegg. My daughter mentioned that last summer, at Christmas time, as well as during my January visit, we blended plastic ieeeggs in various play blenders. We enjoyed cracking real eggs together too (true confessions to being grandson-captivated). She said the emotional Dede/egg association somehow stuck in his mind.  Priceless!

     Speaking of price... and eggs, my organic eggs are rather pricey, so freezing them to prevent spoilage, while I'm away visiting you-know-who or on vacation, is a tempting thought. The following is a 2008 excerpt of money-saving tips titled, "Freezing Anything:"

     You can store almost any fresh food in the freezer, from sale items you stock up on to perishables you would rather not throw out before your family goes on vacation. Three important tips:

1. To avoid freezer burn, leave as little extra air in the bag or container as possible.
2. If you take a defrosting short-cut, like zapping edibles in the microwave instead of thawing them in the fridge, fully cook the food before refreezing.
3. Alternatively, if you change your mind/plans and want to refreeze raw food, you can do so if it is only partially thawed, still firm in the center, and contains ice crystals. Use it as soon as possible to minimize loss of quality.

• To freeze eggs (for up to one year), separate the white from the yolk and freeze. Yolks will need 1/8 tsp. salt per 1/4 cup yolk so they don't become sticky and gelatinous. Label the number of egg whites or yolks that are inside.
• Milk can be frozen for up to 3 months in its original container. Pour some milk off to leave room for expansion; reseal with masking tape. Shake after thawing.
• Ripe bananas, in the peel, can be frozen, stored in a freezer bag, for 8 to 12 months (the peel may discolor). 

 -Samantha Cassetty & Catherine Lo, Good Housekeeping

 September 2008, pp. 181-182.

• Freeze fresh, whole ginger. Only small amounts are needed for recipes, so cut off the portion you need and store the whole ginger in the freezer for future recipes.
• Fresh herbs, like cilantro, can be frozen. First wash and chop the cilantro, and put into an ice cube tray with water. Freeze, then eject the herb cubes into a freezer bag for ice-cold storage and future use.  -The Today Show