Challenge: Cook your way through your freezer (part 1)

[rotuts]

@orthos  

 

most excellent freezer

 

however  , as you have noted yourself  ....

 

you cannot play in the FCO thread  

 

maybe in a few years ?

 

so you have the Ice I have  

 

andy may others who might nit admit to it ?

[Porthos]

51 minutes ago, rotuts said:

maybe in a few years ?

 

As long as I am doing ren faire cooking plus Christmas cookie baking it will continue to be cleaned out 3 times a year. I should have taken a picture last spring when, along with everything else there was 130+ pounds of corned beef in there.

[Tri2Cook]

I must have missed where it said the freezer had to be overstocked or in need of defrosting. I have a large chest freezer, a small one we inherited and the freezer part of my refrigerator and none of them are overstocked or even close to full and none of them have any ice buildup. They're not very well organized but there's lots of space. I suppose I have to tap out now as well...

[Beebs]

2 hours ago, Anna N said:

Repeat after me:  "My name is Beebs and I need help".

 

Oh boy, do I ever!! 

[ElsieD]

2 hours ago, rotuts said:

@ElsieD  

 

thanks !

 

!

 

however

 

I only see a Top most Top of a refrigerator  freezer ?

 

not so bad if this is what you choose to Show Us 

 

 

none the less ...

 

nothing lurking  in eh basement  or what lever ?

 

Actually, it is an 18.6 cubic feet stand up freezer, and nothing but a freezer.

 

 The fridge freezer is a bottom mount and is in much better shape but only because I cleared it out at the start of The Challenge and threw out a bunch of stuff that was as old as the fridge.  (3 years.)

[Anna N]

2 hours ago, Tri2Cook said:

Did an honest no-peek grab and came out with a big package of Italian sausage sans casings. Gonna have to reach a bit with this one and say I'm pairing sausage with sauce because that's pretty much the only way it works out for the same letter thing. Lasagna is the intended dish but it won't be until tomorrow or possibly even Sunday.

Sausage and sauce works for me. 

[Anna N]

50 minutes ago, Tri2Cook said:

I must have missed where it said the freezer had to be overstocked or in need of defrosting. I have a large chest freezer, a small one we inherited and the freezer part of my refrigerator and none of them are overstocked or even close to full and none of them have any ice buildup. They're not very well organized but there's lots of space. I suppose I have to tap out now as well...

Nope.  Don't think it was really mentioned that it had to be overstocked or need of defrosting rather simply gone through and stuff used.   And anyway anyone can join the challenge even if they don't have a damn freezer. I'm so cool with that!  

[kayb]

@ElsieD -- Your freezer looks like mine! Albeit the one in question is the left side of a side-by-side fridge-freezer. The bottom-freezer styles were not readily available when I bought this one 10 years ago, so I didn't get one. I also have a 7 cu foot chest freezer which holds, mostly, my beef and whatever chickens and pork I pick up on the side, and the freezer in the extra fridge, which holds a lot of what I froze last summer (peas and corn) plus stock and some frozen dinners in foil trays.

 

The pork chops were cooked, but not eaten; salted, peppered and seared, then simmered for 20 minutes in cider. Neither Child A, home from a biz trip, nor I were hungry. They are in the fridge (at least not the freezer!) awaiting cooking/warming with sweet potato fries and frozen red cabbage tomorrow night.

 

[ElsieD]

5 minutes ago, kayb said:

@ElsieD -- Your freezer looks like mine! Albeit the one in question is the left side of a side-by-side fridge-freezer. The bottom-freezer styles were not readily available when I bought this one 10 years ago, so I didn't get one. I also have a 7 cu foot chest freezer which holds, mostly, my beef and whatever chickens and pork I pick up on the side, and the freezer in the extra fridge, which holds a lot of what I froze last summer (peas and corn) plus stock and some frozen dinners in foil trays.

 

The pork chops were cooked, but not eaten; salted, peppered and seared, then simmered for 20 minutes in cider. Neither Child A, home from a biz trip, nor I were hungry. They are in the fridge (at least not the freezer!) awaiting cooking/warming with sweet potato fries and frozen red cabbage tomorrow night.

 

 

@kayb Yep, that freezer is half of a side-by-side fridge-freezer.  It's an Electrolux.  Our fridge died before our freezer died so we have a different brand of fridge.  Too bad they hadn't broken down at the same time or we would have purchased the matching fridge.  I like the freezer very much.

[dscheidt]

6 hours ago, rotuts said:

then defrost  F_A  

 

 

 

A fan pointed into your freezer will get that ice to melt a lot faster than just leaving the door open. 

[Porthos]

2 hours ago, dscheidt said:

 

A fan pointed into your freezer will get that ice to melt a lot faster than just leaving the door open. 

 

I used my electric leaf blower last time and it worked very well. I just plop everything from the freezer into a cooler (I have too many coolers) and then defrost.

Edited January 28, 2017 by Porthos (log)

[Thanks for the Crepes]

I put everything in coolers or the other fridge and freezer, turn off the fridge entirely and put a large pot of boiling water in the icy freezer and shut the door. Replace with another pot of boiling water when the first cools if necessary, and I haven't found a faster way. It's a chore I really don't like, so any tips to speed it up and get it over with would be a blessing.

 

I did use something from the freezer for dinner tonight. Frozen shrimp. I gave it the tempura treatment with the recipe I linked to upthread. Some beautiful green beans, carrot strips, nice and fresh quartered cremini mushrooms, zucchini sticks, white onion rings and broccoli florets joined the tempura party.

 

The batter wasn't quite as lacy as last time, but only because some idiot (who me? ) decided to alter the recipe by replacing some of the corn starch with potato starch. It was still very good, but someday I will learn to leave well enough alone. Someday.

 

ETA - I wracked my brain to come up with another S ingredient, and the best I could come up with was change shrimp to Prawns (they weren't) and use the crushed red Pepper I used in the dipping sauce to qualify. Then I realized, I could use the S in dipping sauce. 

Edited January 28, 2017 by Thanks for the Crepes (log)

[Anna N]

 

 Not really photo worthy but it is what it is and was quite tasty.  I divided the chicken livers into two 8-ounce portions. I combined one portion with some onions, some cognac, some champignons and a little cream and served them over some wide egg noodles.  There are leftovers.   The other 8 ounce portion is in the refrigerator and today will be turned into a ragu  with onions, carrots, tomatoes and various other things.   This will then be returned to the freezer in serving size portions in defiance of my first law of conservation of freezer space.   I hang my head in shame.  

[lindag]

Any liver in my house has my dogs' names on it.  Can't stomach the stuff.

I regularly buy packages of beef sliver (sliced) and happily cook it up for my little guys, they just love it.

[chromedome]

9 hours ago, Thanks for the Crepes said:

I put everything in coolers or the other fridge and freezer, turn off the fridge entirely and put a large pot of boiling water in the icy freezer and shut the door. Replace with another pot of boiling water when the first cools if necessary, and I haven't found a faster way. It's a chore I really don't like, so any tips to speed it up and get it over with would be a blessing.

 

My only advancement over that is to use multiple pans, so the base of each melts its own little round on top of the rack.

 

On one occasion, when I was moving and therefore in a real hurry, I put a catch-basin in the bottom and poured warm water over the frost until it yielded. It was messy and a royal PITA, but fast. Don't know I'd do it again except under similar duress.

[liamsaunt]

@rotuts you really, really need to defrost your freezer!  :-)

 

Here are mine.  (Posting these pictures reminds me of the old foodblogs where people would post pictures of their pantries and fridges at the start of their blog.)  This is my commercial freezer.  As I mentioned earlier, I defrosted it last week so it is pretty empty right now.  It won't stay that way for long. The bags on the top are tomatoes that I processed over the summer. The foil wrapped pans are turkey pot pies.

 

 

This is my "siberia freezer." It's where I put things that I don't have a specific use for.  Those boxes you see are prepared hors d'oeuvres that I bought for some unknown reason.  I don't usually buy stuff like that.  I might try and offload them during the Super Bowl.  The bag on the bottom is whey from making cheese.  I'll think of something to do with it.  Maybe.

 

 

 

This is my main freezer.  Yes that is a giant bag of parmesan rinds on the door.  We eat a lot of parmesan cheese.  I put them into soups or risottos.

 

 

And finally, here is what I pulled out of the commercial freezer (before taking the picture), that I am using for dinner this evening.  More of the sausages!

 

[Anna N]

Well when you start a challenge you feel a certain responsibility towards it. You have guilted me into photographs of my over-crammed (but progressing) freezer drawers. 

 

 

The shallow top drawer which rides the atop of the deeper lower drawer. 

 

I was so excited to get rid of my previous fridge which had a top freezer and which was constantly attempting to fracture my feet as frozen blocks of things fell on them but these drawers...I don't know.  I will be happy to answer questions although I may have to resort at times to an alternate set of facts.

 

 

And the chicken liver ragu which is currently chilling in the sink and will be repackaged and returned to the freezer.

 

[rotuts]

Im wondering if Tiger would have been a better option on those CkLivers  ......

 

if its not Pate , .................

 

[rotuts]

@liamsaunt  

 

your CF is a thing of beauty.  Mine is similar looking , but I don't have that extra shelf that does not have a coil under it.

 

I have a few very cold nights and cold enough days that Im going to do the ' Dump the contents of F_B into heavy bags and let them rest in the

 

storm-door entrance outside and defrost the F_B after a day w a heat gun I have just for that !

 

then start again.

 

I have been only eating mostly stuff from F_A  F_B  since the FCO challenge started.

 

except you know  , fresh veg , etc

 

so sending @Anna N  a Kudo(s).

Edited January 28, 2017 by rotuts (log)

[ninagluck]

winter cod is coming soon and I still had some in the freezer from last season. so I pulled one out and served it today with a stew of giant beans and chorizo, topped with parsley oil

[scubadoo97]

Ok here's are my freezers

Kitchen

Outside fridge freezer

Outside upright

 

ok don't judge, I should have been playing this game a long time ago except I would have just filled it back up

 

[rotuts]

@Anna N  

 

""""   first law of conservation of freezer space "":

 

you may not get Kudos nor FCO points

 

but well :  its more that ready for later.

 

we have to work out these New Points :  the 6th  Dimension ?

 

just saying.

 

just a quick P.S. :  Sooo many Dimension's :

 

consider this :

 

buckaroo banzai

 

he's up to 8 !

 

good luck finding this   Its a Bit of a Cult   movie

 

Im sure they eat something or not in the Movie

 

Nice Id sway.

Edited January 28, 2017 by rotuts (log)

[BeeZee]

Took out a package of cooked swiss chard (late summer vintage) so tomorrow will be swiss chard+shrimp.

Also a container of mushroom/lentil soup...that's the bonus round for Sunday and Monday lunch probably.

Ironically the action was forced by DH requesting that I make ice cubes and needed room for the tray to sit flat.

[Anna N]

3 hours ago, rotuts said:

Im wondering if Tiger would have been a better option on those CkLivers  ......

 

if its not Pate , .................

 

 Apparently Tiger has better taste than me. He did come over and smell the chicken livers and turned his nose up at them.

[rotuts]

Chopped up Nicely Raw ?

 

Room Temp?

 

Im only guessing here :  Tiger has a Nose for Freezer Burn ?  

 

well good for him.

 

had you made some Pate ................

 

well   a different mater.