Lingering Treats From Christmas

As you may have noticed, I have not been doing much baking lately. That's because of all of the Christmas goodies that are still around here. We still have a freezer stocked with Christmas cookies, we've got fruitcake, panettone, boxes of chocolates, and candy canes. It will take us a little while to finish eating all of these goodies and finally give us some free space in our freezer, and then I can make some more treats. I thought it would be appropriate if I put together a mini-guide with suggestions to how long these items will be good. Then you can determine what to eat first and what to save for later.

Baked Goods

• Plain Cookies and Bars - Will keep in the freezer in an airtight container for up to a year, but start to lose quality after 3 months. Store different types of cookies in separate containers.
• Iced or Decorated Cookies and Bars - Don't hold up as well in the freezer, but well-wrapped can keep for several weeks or a couple months.
• Fruitcake - Most fruitcakes well-soaked and well-wrapped will keep at room temperature for several months, even after a few months of aging. They also hold up very well in the freezer for longer storage. Store-bought varieties will keep for six months to a year.
• Panettone or Fruit Bread - Keep in a cool, dry place, well-wrapped, for a month or two. May be frozen for longer storage.  Store-bought varieties will keep for six months to a year.

Candy and Chocolate

• Boxed Chocolates - Check the best before date, most last six months to a year. Once opened, they may not last as long, unless all of the chocolates are individually wrapped. Chocolate is generally good until it begins to take on a white color, called bloom, and even then, sometimes this does not effect the quality of the chocolate.
• Candy Canes and other hard candies - Since these are composed primarily of sugar, they will stay good for a year or so.

Dinner Leftovers

Leftovers from Christmas dinner will keep in the freezer, well-wrapped.

• Turkey, Chicken, Ham - 2 to 3 months.
• Vegetables - 3 to 6 months.
• Bread/Rolls - 6 to 12 months.
• Desserts - Cakes, pies, and cheesecakes freeze well whole or in slices, for a few weeks to a few months.

What's In The Freezer?

This question used to come to me quite often. You see, I often freeze baked goods for the sake of convenience, leftovers, or long-term storage. I also freeze other food items, such as meat, produce, butter, bread, and whole wheat flour to prevent spoilage. However, if you have a deep freeze, it can be difficult to keep track of what is in it, where the items are, how much, and how old the items are. This can cause spoilage, squished foods, freezer burn, and headaches (not to mention frozen fingers). Many recommend keeping  a list posted to the freezer door to keep track, and to label each item carefully. This method still has loopholes though. Whether you fail to record an item either due to laziness, or the old "I'll remember", these items can easily be forgotten. In my household, I have been trying a new system for the past few months, and it has been working quite well thus far. Here is how it works:

1. Package - Package items appropriately (well sealed, in a container or bag large enough to contain the food without too much excess space).
2. Label - Label the items with the name, quantity, date, and any other important information.
3. Location - Find a spot in the freezer where you will be able to locate the item, and it will not be squished or succumb to freezer burn. For example, you may wish to divide the freezer into separate sections for meat, baked goods, etc. Place delicate items or items you will be using soon near the top of the freezer.
4. Record - I use a scribbler arranged by category to record every item I put in the freezer, the quantity, the packaging it is in, and the date. When I take the item out of the freezer, I cross it off the list. This way I always know what and how much is in the freezer.
5. Enjoy - Most items must be thawed in the refrigerator for safety reasons (or under cold running water). Allow plenty of time for thorough thawing. Most cookies, breads, muffins, cakes, squares, etc. can safely be thawed at room temperature and usually only require 30 minutes to 2 hours.

PHOTO CREDIT: "Adjustable Temperature Control: Lift Out Storage Baskets." http://www.refrigerator-select.com/frigidaire-ffc0923dw-white-chest-freezer-88-cu-ft-manual-defrost.html. Frigidaire, n.d. Thursday, September 29, 2011

Blueberry Heaven!

Well, as I mentioned yesterday, it is blueberry season and that means indulging in as many fresh blueberries as humanly possible! Due to a recent purchase of a five kilogram box of fresh blueberries from the local farmers market, there are plenty of blueberries in the house to go around! The berries were sorted through on the weekend; a bowlful of fresh berries were set aside for eating out of hand, a container of fresh berries was kept for baking, and the squishy berries were set aside and turned into jam. Here is the small jar of jam and some of the fresh blueberries being saved for tomorrow's baking.

The remaining blueberries were frozen, enabling us to add blueberries to baked goods all year round. Ahh, blueberries bring back memories to when my family and I used to go blueberry picking every summer when we visited my grandparents. Even those who didn't like blueberries (gasp) would join us. That way, at least some blueberries ended up in the baskets and not just in our stomachs. Blueberry picking was fun, peaceful, and enjoyable. I didn't even mind coming home and having to pick through them and clean them. That was quite therapeutical too!

Yesterday my mother and I made blueberry yogurt cake. Tomorrow, we will be making another baked blueberry delight, blueberry muffins. We have decided to step away from our standard blueberry muffin recipe to try something new. We came across a recipe for brown butter blueberry muffins in a magazine. This recipe not only looked mouthwatering, the concept also very much intrigued us. So, we are trying something different this blueberry season, and who knows, maybe it will become a blueberry traditon too! I'll let you know tomorrow in my post.