Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Fresh Food Storage

I thought I'd share what I do when I run across a great deal on fresh foods. A couple months ago, there was a sale on red peppers 3/$1 at the Portland Fruit Co. With all the other "sales" on red peppers being $1.50 each, I wanted to stock up. I bought nine. Of course, we couldn't eat that many in a week before they went bad. I decided to roast and freeze them.
It's a very simple process:
1. pre-heat the oven on broil
2. wash and clean out the seeds
3. put the halves on a cookie sheet and spread a little olive oil on the outside of the skins
4. salt the skins
5. put into the oven and set timer for 5 minutes. I just monitor at 5 minute intervals until the skins are blackened and bubbling.
Here they are all done and ready to be taken out of the oven.
6. let them cool, then chop into strips and arrange on the cookie sheet
7. put them in the freezer until frozen solid

8. after they are frozen, put into individual bags for later use

It's a pretty easy process, and is so nice to have peppers ready to use in fajitas, pastas, stir fries or on top of pizzas. I have also used this same process on summer zucchini.

One other tip: with all the cheap or free Fresh Express spinach we have been getting lately, I have just thrown entire bags into the freezer. When I think of it, I am able to pull a small amount out of the bag and throw it into soups, sauces, pastas or lasagna for added nutrition.

Erika

3 comments:

Rebecca Rose said...

Thanks for the great suggestion! I hadn't ever thought of doing that but that's a very good idea! Thanks, again!

Maria said...

Thank you for sharing this; I will now have to try this sometime!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for this!! I just finished doing this with peppers that I got at 2 for $1. I was able to stock up. My boys were even able to help once they were frozen picking them off the cookie sheet and putting them in a bag. I enjoy money-saving tips like these!
-Drea