Happiness is Having a Deep Freeze

!±8± Happiness is Having a Deep Freeze

The advantages of owning a deep freeze are numerous. For example the budget minded housewife can buy food in bulk at wholesale prices example meat, fish, poultry, vegetables and fruit. One shopping trip can take the place of several, which also saves money. All types of meals can be prepared and then stored in your freezer, ready for unexpected guests, or for the odd occasion when you are not feeling well enough to cook. Just think of the advantages as freezer can offer; planning a party, preparing school lunches in advance, meals in a hurry, serving foods out of season, preparing food for Christmas, Easter and holiday times, or simply preserving left over food to save waste.

For the farmer's wife
My neighbors are farming people who often have a whole car case to cut up and freeze. They also have access to a whole crop of vegetables and vegetables mature all at once. It is no problem to preserve them when you own a deep freeze. If you are farmer's wife or the mother of a large family, it is false economy to buy a small freezer when a larger freezer enables such saving as freezing a whole year's supply of meat, vegetables and fruit. It is important to remember that bulk quantities of food should be frozen only when there is a light load in the freezer, so that it will continue to function efficiently and the quality of the frozen food will be retained.

There is also the added convenience of being able to cater for extra hands at shearing time with huge supplies of frozen pies, scones, biscuits and complete meals such as cottage pie, braised chops, curried sausages etc. Several of my farming friends have enough bought a second large freezer. Town folk will probably find this statement hard to believe but I can assure you it is true.

For the working wife
For the housewife who goes out to work every day a deep freeze is a great helping hand. You will probably find the small or middle size freezer large enough, but the choice depends on the size of family and whether you intend buying food in bulk. However, your greatest advantage in owning a deep freeze is in preparing family meals, which can be frozen ready to be taken out of the freezer, reheated and served quickly. For example, the next time you prepare a casserole or a curry, cook a triple quantity, use what you need for the evening meal, then divide the remainder into separate aluminum foil or tinfoil dishes or suitable freezer containers, seal with freezer tape, label with date and contents then freeze. As an alternative container, a large plastic bag placed n a casserole as a lining is ideal. Once the food is frozen, remove the plastic bag and contents from the casserole, extract the air from the plastic bag with vacuum pump and seal with a wire twist. When required, the block of frozen food may be removed easily from the plastic bag, placed back into the original casserole, left to thaw for half to one hour in a warm place and then placed in a hot oven (400ºF, gas No.6-7) until heated through (approximately one hour).

Dozen of chops, fillets of steak and beef burgers for evening and weekend meals, can be frozen ready to take straight from the freeze and put into the fry pan or onto the barbecue. Packed school lunches can be prepared on a Sunday to cater for the whole week. Remember to omit salad vegetables and always package sandwiches well.

For the young busy mother
If you are a young sophisticated housewife, chained to the house with babies and toddlers, you will probably find the greatest relaxation and joy in entertaining friends and relatives to a delicious evening meal. When the children are tucked up safely in bed you can unwind by serving a meal which will leave your visitors wide eyed. With a little forethought and your deep freeze, you can serve out of season delicacies such asparagus, mushrooms, salmon, crayfish, strawberries and pawpaw etc. Ingredients for exotic meals can be frozen, when in season, ready to be used occasionally throughout the whole year.

Several types of canapés and savory dips can be prepared and frozen. Freeze canapés on flat smooth tray and when frozen, pack into airtight containers. Make full use of your freezer to prevent being rushed on special occasions.

Prepare time consuming sauces in bulk. Separate the sauce into meal size quantities and freeze in plastic or wax coated tubs. Remember two points:-

1. Use rice flour for the thickening of sauces, as ordinary flour cause sauce to separate on thawing.
2. Liquid type foods expand when frozen, so always leave approximately 1 - inch head room for expansion.

Feeding babies and toddlers can be a problem. Why not let your freezer help you here too? Prepare large quantities of assorted purees of vegetables, meat, fish and fruit. Deep freeze small quantities in ice cube trays. Once frozen, tip cubes into clearly labeled plastic or polythene bags, remove the air with a vacuum pump and seal with a wire twist. Reheat as many ice cubes as required in the top of a double boiler.

As you can see now, there are many advantages in having a deep freeze, so have a little happiness yourself and treat yourself to one!