Very often, I freeze raw hamburger. However, I've never frozen cooked
ground beef (hamburger). Is there any advantage regarding the former
vs. the latter, especially if the hamburger is on the cusp of going bad
and it has to get 'used' somehow, er cooked?

So, freezing cooked nearly-expired hamburger instead of freezing it raw
(hamburger patties, whatever) may be a better option? The frozen cooked
hamburger "loose meat" will be used for "dutch relish" at a later date.
For those unfamiliar with "dutch relish" - it's basically a hamburger
soup - cooked ground beef in thickened beef broth - additional
ingredients/veggies are optional as cook's choice(s).

Sky

--

Ultra Ultimate Kitchen Rule - Use the Timer!
Ultimate Kitchen Rule -- Cook's Choice!!

Sky wrote:
> Very often, I freeze raw hamburger. However, I've never frozen cooked
> ground beef (hamburger). Is there any advantage regarding the former
> vs. the latter, especially if the hamburger is on the cusp of going
> bad and it has to get 'used' somehow, er cooked?
>
> So, freezing cooked nearly-expired hamburger instead of freezing it
> raw (hamburger patties, whatever) may be a better option? The frozen
> cooked hamburger "loose meat" will be used for "dutch relish" at a
> later date. For those unfamiliar with "dutch relish" - it's
> basically a hamburger soup - cooked ground beef in thickened beef
> broth - additional ingredients/veggies are optional as cook's
> choice(s).

I *always* it cooked now. The advantage to me is that I don't have to
remember to defrost it before use. Yes, I know that you technically can
cook it from frozen and of all the meats that you could cook from frozen
(except perhaps for sausages which are also a ground meat), the texture of
it will go a bit off. Because you have to keep scraping off the cooked bits
as it warms in the pan. And you can't make patties from frozen meat.

I now buy the Quick N'Eat frozen precooked hamburger patties from Costco.
They're good and only require a minute in the microwave to eat. I don't
have a lot of luck making burger patties myself but then I don't like
messing with meat so perhaps if I fussed with them more they would work. Or
perhaps I mess with them too much. Like the time that I tried to add onions
to the patties. Didn't work so well. End result was edible but not
patties.

So generally when I do the beef, I do one of two ways. Either just crumbled
and cooked in a pan, then frozen in various sized packages. Right now I do
small packages for the two of us. But when my husband is home, I will do
larger ones that have enough for the three of us. And a few smaller ones
just for me.

I also do a batch with taco seasoning. If you are going to do this, be sure
to label the packages as "taco". Last time I pulled some ground beef from
the freezer, it had a bit of an orange cast to it which led me to believe
that it may have been sesasoned for tacos but I really couldn't tell by the
taste of it. I did put it in spaghetti red which does use chili powder so I
figured even if it was taco seasoned, it would be fine. But the end result
taste seemed a tad off. I usually do the taco packages in single portions
because my daughter prefers chicken or just beans in her tacos and my
husband will eat just usually eat what she eats.

Anyway... Let the meat cool and if there is any excess fat, drain or blot
it off. Once cool, put it in bags. You can use freezer bags but if I am
doing many little bags I will just use sandwich bags and then put these all
into a larger freezer bag. Then freeze them. You do have to be a tad
careful how you put the bag in the freezer. If your freezer has wire
shelves in it, the corners of the bag may droop down between the wires
before it freezes and then it will expand a bit and freeze that way and then
you'll have a not so fun time getting that bag back out!

When you want the meat, take the bag out. If you have the time to defrost
it, all the better. But if you don't, the meat may stick to the bag,
especially if the bag has taken on an odd shape. If this happens, just run
the bag under hot water for maybe a minute or less. Just enough time to
warm the outside of the meat a tad and then you can pop the bag right off.

What you do from there depends on what you are doing with the meat. Usually
I add it to a red sauce. So I put it in my deep skillet and heat it through
until it is all broken up and warm. You do have to mess with it a bit with
a spoon or spatula at this point. And although some people here might
dispute me on this technique, any onions or peppers or other stuff that I
want to add would be added as the meat warms in the pan. That way they will
get cooked through but the meat won't cook too much. I will then add the
tomato product(s) and whatever seasonings.

For the taco meat or meat that I am using in a casserole or something, in
other words not needing to be heated in a skillet, I will just put it in a
lidded casserole and nuke it, being careful to do it only to the point of
being unfrozen. You can do this with the defrost setting but I usually get
impatient and just do it for a minute or 30 seconds at a time, checking
frequently and it's all fine.

I have a couple of pounds of ground beef that I am going to cook up tonight
for the freezer. I find that it is a great help for me to do this. Because
then I don't have to go out and buy the stuff when I want to use it. And I
can make the meal super quick because the meat is already cooked.

On Jan 6, 10:11*pm, "Julie Bove" > wrote:

> because my daughter prefers chicken or just beans in her tacos and my
> husband will eat just usually eat what she eats.

Boneless / skinless of course.

On Sun, 06 Jan 2013 20:42:13 -0600, Sky >
wrote:

> Very often, I freeze raw hamburger. However, I've never frozen cooked
> ground beef (hamburger). Is there any advantage regarding the former
> vs. the latter, especially if the hamburger is on the cusp of going bad
> and it has to get 'used' somehow, er cooked?
>
> So, freezing cooked nearly-expired hamburger instead of freezing it raw
> (hamburger patties, whatever) may be a better option? The frozen cooked
> hamburger "loose meat" will be used for "dutch relish" at a later date.
> For those unfamiliar with "dutch relish" - it's basically a hamburger
> soup - cooked ground beef in thickened beef broth - additional
> ingredients/veggies are optional as cook's choice(s).
>
I won't make you post a recipe/method here, but can you FB more
details to me? I am all over "Italian Sausage soup" which I bet is
very much like what you're talking about.


--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

On Sunday, January 6, 2013 7:42:13 PM UTC-7, Sky wrote:
> Very often, I freeze raw hamburger. However, I've never frozen cooked
>
> ground beef (hamburger).


Sometimes when they have a good sale on quality ground beef, I will buy some in bulk. I then like to brown it up and freeze it. I usually add chopped onion and let it cook into the meat, then freeze in smaller quantities. There is just two of us, so a small bag of the cooked hamburger is handy for the start of many dinners. It can become stuffed peppers, cabbage casserole, sloppy joes, hamburger mac & cheese, or whatever. The nice thing is easy defrost, quick, and no pan to wash every time.

Dale P

On 1/7/2013 11:12 PM, dalep wrote:

> On Sunday, January 6, 2013 7:42:13 PM UTC-7, Sky wrote:
>> Very often, I freeze raw hamburger. However, I've never frozen
>> cooked
>>
>> ground beef (hamburger).
>
>
> Sometimes when they have a good sale on quality ground beef, I will
> buy some in bulk. I then like to brown it up and freeze it. I
> usually add chopped onion and let it cook into the meat, then freeze
> in smaller quantities. There is just two of us, so a small bag of
> the cooked hamburger is handy for the start of many dinners. It can
> become stuffed peppers, cabbage casserole, sloppy joes, hamburger mac
> & cheese, or whatever. The nice thing is easy defrost, quick, and no
> pan to wash every time.
>
> Dale P
>
I do the same thing but without onions. I do the same with breakfast
sausage that comes in chubs.

On 2/25/2013 6:48 PM, Cheryl wrote:
> On 1/7/2013 11:12 PM, dalep wrote:
>
>> On Sunday, January 6, 2013 7:42:13 PM UTC-7, Sky wrote:
>>> Very often, I freeze raw hamburger. However, I've never frozen
>>> cooked
>>>
>>> ground beef (hamburger).
>>
>>
>> Sometimes when they have a good sale on quality ground beef, I will
>> buy some in bulk. I then like to brown it up and freeze it. I
>> usually add chopped onion and let it cook into the meat, then freeze
>> in smaller quantities. There is just two of us, so a small bag of
>> the cooked hamburger is handy for the start of many dinners. It can
>> become stuffed peppers, cabbage casserole, sloppy joes, hamburger mac
>> & cheese, or whatever. The nice thing is easy defrost, quick, and no
>> pan to wash every time.
>>
>> Dale P
>>
> I do the same thing but without onions. I do the same with breakfast
> sausage that comes in chubs.
>
Oops. I didn't realize how old the post was I was responding to.
Somehow it made it up to the top of the hierarchy.

On 2/25/2013 6:49 PM, Cheryl wrote:
> On 2/25/2013 6:48 PM, Cheryl wrote:
>> On 1/7/2013 11:12 PM, dalep wrote:
>>
>>> On Sunday, January 6, 2013 7:42:13 PM UTC-7, Sky wrote:
>>>> Very often, I freeze raw hamburger. However, I've never frozen
>>>> cooked
>>>>
>>>> ground beef (hamburger).
>>>
>>>
>>> Sometimes when they have a good sale on quality ground beef, I will
>>> buy some in bulk. I then like to brown it up and freeze it. I
>>> usually add chopped onion and let it cook into the meat, then freeze
>>> in smaller quantities. There is just two of us, so a small bag of
>>> the cooked hamburger is handy for the start of many dinners. It can
>>> become stuffed peppers, cabbage casserole, sloppy joes, hamburger mac
>>> & cheese, or whatever. The nice thing is easy defrost, quick, and no
>>> pan to wash every time.
>>>
>>> Dale P
>>>
>> I do the same thing but without onions. I do the same with breakfast
>> sausage that comes in chubs.
>>
> Oops. I didn't realize how old the post was I was responding to.
> Somehow it made it up to the top of the hierarchy.

Because someone replied to it even though it's over a month later. I
guess it depends on your sort settings.

Jill

In article >,
Sky > wrote:

> Very often, I freeze raw hamburger. However, I've never frozen cooked
> ground beef (hamburger). Is there any advantage regarding the former
> vs. the latter, especially if the hamburger is on the cusp of going bad
> and it has to get 'used' somehow, er cooked?
>
> So, freezing cooked nearly-expired hamburger instead of freezing it raw
> (hamburger patties, whatever) may be a better option? The frozen cooked
> hamburger "loose meat" will be used for "dutch relish" at a later date.
> For those unfamiliar with "dutch relish" - it's basically a hamburger
> soup - cooked ground beef in thickened beef broth - additional
> ingredients/veggies are optional as cook's choice(s).
>
> Sky

My kid cooks and freezes ground beef all the time. Easy to thaw and use
for a busy person.
--
Barb,
http://www.barbschaller.com, as of December 23, 2012.

"Melba's Jammin'" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> Sky > wrote:
>
>> Very often, I freeze raw hamburger. However, I've never frozen cooked
>> ground beef (hamburger). Is there any advantage regarding the former
>> vs. the latter, especially if the hamburger is on the cusp of going bad
>> and it has to get 'used' somehow, er cooked?
>>
>> So, freezing cooked nearly-expired hamburger instead of freezing it raw
>> (hamburger patties, whatever) may be a better option? The frozen cooked
>> hamburger "loose meat" will be used for "dutch relish" at a later date.
>> For those unfamiliar with "dutch relish" - it's basically a hamburger
>> soup - cooked ground beef in thickened beef broth - additional
>> ingredients/veggies are optional as cook's choice(s).
>>
>> Sky
>
> My kid cooks and freezes ground beef all the time. Easy to thaw and use
> for a busy person.

Hamburger/ground beef. Are they interchangeable terms?
--
--
http://www.shop.helpforheroes.org.uk/

In article >,
"Ophelia" > wrote:

> "Melba's Jammin'" > wrote in message

> >
> > My kid cooks and freezes ground beef all the time. Easy to thaw and use
> > for a busy person.
>
> Hamburger/ground beef. Are they interchangeable terms?

Pretty much, O. Ground beef is the $3 word for what used to be referred
to as hamburger. Although hamburger also refers to the ground beef
formed into a pattie. It's complicated. "-) Ground beef comes in
varying percentages of fat and lean, too. I buy ground chuck roast
(it's in the fresh meat case and ground by the butcher for their
counter) which is, I believe 80% lean. Not sure what "ground beef" is
for lean/fat.
--
Barb,
http://www.barbschaller.com, as of December 23, 2012.

"Melba's Jammin'" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> "Ophelia" > wrote:
>
>> "Melba's Jammin'" > wrote in message
>
>> >
>> > My kid cooks and freezes ground beef all the time. Easy to thaw and
>> > use
>> > for a busy person.
>>
>> Hamburger/ground beef. Are they interchangeable terms?
>
> Pretty much, O. Ground beef is the $3 word for what used to be referred
> to as hamburger. Although hamburger also refers to the ground beef
> formed into a pattie. It's complicated. "-) Ground beef comes in
> varying percentages of fat and lean, too. I buy ground chuck roast
> (it's in the fresh meat case and ground by the butcher for their
> counter) which is, I believe 80% lean. Not sure what "ground beef" is
> for lean/fat.

Complicated indeed Thanks, Barb
--
--
http://www.shop.helpforheroes.org.uk/

On 1/8/2013 11:09 PM, Melba's Jammin' wrote:
> In article >,
> "Ophelia" > wrote:
>
>> "Melba's Jammin'" > wrote in message
>
>>>
>>> My kid cooks and freezes ground beef all the time. Easy to thaw and use
>>> for a busy person.
>>
>> Hamburger/ground beef. Are they interchangeable terms?
>
> Pretty much, O. Ground beef is the $3 word for what used to be referred
> to as hamburger. Although hamburger also refers to the ground beef
> formed into a pattie. It's complicated. "-) Ground beef comes in
> varying percentages of fat and lean, too. I buy ground chuck roast
> (it's in the fresh meat case and ground by the butcher for their
> counter) which is, I believe 80% lean. Not sure what "ground beef" is
> for lean/fat.
>
I believe "hamburger" (aka ground/minced beef) is typically 70% lean,
30% fat.

Jill

jmcquown wrote:
> On 1/8/2013 11:09 PM, Melba's Jammin' wrote:
>> In article >,
>> "Ophelia" > wrote:
>>
>>> "Melba's Jammin'" > wrote in message
>>
>>>>
>>>> My kid cooks and freezes ground beef all the time. Easy to thaw
>>>> and use for a busy person.
>>>
>>> Hamburger/ground beef. Are they interchangeable terms?
>>
>> Pretty much, O. Ground beef is the $3 word for what used to be
>> referred to as hamburger. Although hamburger also refers to the
>> ground beef formed into a pattie. It's complicated. "-) Ground
>> beef comes in varying percentages of fat and lean, too. I buy
>> ground chuck roast (it's in the fresh meat case and ground by the
>> butcher for their counter) which is, I believe 80% lean. Not sure
>> what "ground beef" is for lean/fat.
>>
> I believe "hamburger" (aka ground/minced beef) is typically 70% lean,
> 30% fat.

I think what you call it depends on what part of the country you live in. I
always say ground beef. So when my MIL's caregiver told me to pick up some
hamburg at the store I had to ask her what she meant. I thought she meant
hamburger patties. They also have something there called Bulky rolls which
to me look like a Kaiser roll.

On Jan 6, 9:13*pm, Sqwertz > wrote:
>
> On Sun, 06 Jan 2013 20:42:13 -0600, Sky wrote:
>
> > Very often, I freeze raw hamburger. *However, I've never frozen cooked
> > ground beef (hamburger). *Is there any advantage regarding the former
> > vs. the latter, especially if the hamburger is on the cusp of going bad
> > and it has to get 'used' somehow, er cooked?
>
> > So, freezing cooked nearly-expired hamburger instead of freezing it raw
> > (hamburger patties, whatever) may be a better option?
>
> I just always freeze it uncooked. *I buy 3 or 5lb packages and make up
> a few burgers, and then a couple few 1-lb packages. *If I need more
> than 1lb of beef I just throw in a burger or two).
>
> Freezing it raw is the best way to preserve it, even if it's about to
> expire. *Frozen cooked ground beef had always tasted stale and dry to
> me.
>
>

I'm with Sqwertz. I always freeze it raw.

" wrote:
>
> On Jan 6, 9:13 pm, Sqwertz > wrote:

> > Freezing it raw is the best way to preserve it, even if it's about to
> > expire. Frozen cooked ground beef had always tasted stale and dry to
> > me.
> >
> >
>
> I'm with Sqwertz. I always freeze it raw.

Me too. I just put a bunch in the freezer to make a giant batch of
spaghetti sauce soon. Saturday morning most likely. I also buy big batches
on sale and freeze them 1 pound at a time and also take out enough for
several hamburger patties.

On 1/6/2013 10:13 PM, Sqwertz wrote:
> On Sun, 06 Jan 2013 20:42:13 -0600, Sky wrote:
>
>> Very often, I freeze raw hamburger. However, I've never frozen cooked
>> ground beef (hamburger). Is there any advantage regarding the former
>> vs. the latter, especially if the hamburger is on the cusp of going bad
>> and it has to get 'used' somehow, er cooked?
>>
>> So, freezing cooked nearly-expired hamburger instead of freezing it raw
>> (hamburger patties, whatever) may be a better option? The frozen cooked
>> hamburger "loose meat" will be used for "dutch relish" at a later date.
>> For those unfamiliar with "dutch relish" - it's basically a hamburger
>> soup - cooked ground beef in thickened beef broth - additional
>> ingredients/veggies are optional as cook's choice(s).
>
> I just always freeze it uncooked. I buy 3 or 5lb packages and make up
> a few burgers, and then a couple few 1-lb packages. If I need more
> than 1lb of beef I just throw in a burger or two).
>
> Freezing it raw is the best way to preserve it, even if it's about to
> expire. Frozen cooked ground beef had always tasted stale and dry to
> me.
>
> -sw
>
Ditto, Steve. If you freeze it shortly before the expiration date,
label the package(s) accordingly. Eg. Exp 1/10,13 with the date you
froze it. That way you know before you take it out of the freezer to
thaw whether or not it should be used the same day. You'll know if you
have a little lee-way if you put the dates on the freezer bag/container.

Jill

On Mon, 07 Jan 2013 10:13:07 -0500, jmcquown >
wrote:

> If you freeze it shortly before the expiration date,
> label the package(s) accordingly. Eg. Exp 1/10,13 with the date you
> froze it. That way you know before you take it out of the freezer to
> thaw whether or not it should be used the same day. You'll know if you
> have a little lee-way if you put the dates on the freezer bag/container.

That's something I always forget to do. Labeling isn't a big forte of
mine. I've tried to change my ways, but I have a couple quarts of
stock in the freezer that I have to guess by color if it's beef or
chicken and I have no idea what date they went in there either.

--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

On Mon, 07 Jan 2013 07:29:52 -0800, sf > wrote:

>On Mon, 07 Jan 2013 10:13:07 -0500, jmcquown >
>wrote:
>
>> If you freeze it shortly before the expiration date,
>> label the package(s) accordingly. Eg. Exp 1/10,13 with the date you
>> froze it. That way you know before you take it out of the freezer to
>> thaw whether or not it should be used the same day. You'll know if you
>> have a little lee-way if you put the dates on the freezer bag/container.
>
>That's something I always forget to do. Labeling isn't a big forte of
>mine. I've tried to change my ways, but I have a couple quarts of
>stock in the freezer that I have to guess by color if it's beef or
>chicken and I have no idea what date they went in there either.

Sharpie is your friend ;o)
Janet US

On Mon, 07 Jan 2013 08:44:51 -0700, Janet Bostwick
> wrote:

> On Mon, 07 Jan 2013 07:29:52 -0800, sf > wrote:
>
> >On Mon, 07 Jan 2013 10:13:07 -0500, jmcquown >
> >wrote:
> >
> >> If you freeze it shortly before the expiration date,
> >> label the package(s) accordingly. Eg. Exp 1/10,13 with the date you
> >> froze it. That way you know before you take it out of the freezer to
> >> thaw whether or not it should be used the same day. You'll know if you
> >> have a little lee-way if you put the dates on the freezer bag/container.
> >
> >That's something I always forget to do. Labeling isn't a big forte of
> >mine. I've tried to change my ways, but I have a couple quarts of
> >stock in the freezer that I have to guess by color if it's beef or
> >chicken and I have no idea what date they went in there either.
>
> Sharpie is your friend ;o)
> Janet US

In theory. Have you ever tried to use a Sharpie on something that's
already frozen? If you're lucky, you'll get one letter and then it
stops working. Masking tape would be the answer, but it seems like
every time I put a roll in the tool drawer one of the "boys" takes it
out to use and it's never put back where I can find it again.

--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

On 1/7/2013 10:58 AM, sf wrote:
> On Mon, 07 Jan 2013 08:44:51 -0700, Janet Bostwick
> > wrote:
>
>> On Mon, 07 Jan 2013 07:29:52 -0800, sf > wrote:
>>
>>> On Mon, 07 Jan 2013 10:13:07 -0500, jmcquown >
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> If you freeze it shortly before the expiration date,
>>>> label the package(s) accordingly. Eg. Exp 1/10,13 with the date you
>>>> froze it. That way you know before you take it out of the freezer to
>>>> thaw whether or not it should be used the same day. You'll know if you
>>>> have a little lee-way if you put the dates on the freezer bag/container.
>>>
>>> That's something I always forget to do. Labeling isn't a big forte of
>>> mine. I've tried to change my ways, but I have a couple quarts of
>>> stock in the freezer that I have to guess by color if it's beef or
>>> chicken and I have no idea what date they went in there either.
>>
>> Sharpie is your friend ;o)
>> Janet US
>
> In theory. Have you ever tried to use a Sharpie on something that's
> already frozen? If you're lucky, you'll get one letter and then it
> stops working. Masking tape would be the answer, but it seems like
> every time I put a roll in the tool drawer one of the "boys" takes it
> out to use and it's never put back where I can find it again.
>
Heh. So we're back to the putting things where they belong. Helpful,
isn't it? Frustrating when it doesn't happen.

I don't use Sharpies on anything already frozen. By that time I'm
likely not to know what it is. LOL

Jill

On Mon, 07 Jan 2013 07:58:01 -0800, sf > wrote:

>On Mon, 07 Jan 2013 08:44:51 -0700, Janet Bostwick
> wrote:
>
>> On Mon, 07 Jan 2013 07:29:52 -0800, sf > wrote:
>>
>> >On Mon, 07 Jan 2013 10:13:07 -0500, jmcquown >
>> >wrote:
>> >
>> >> If you freeze it shortly before the expiration date,
>> >> label the package(s) accordingly. Eg. Exp 1/10,13 with the date you
>> >> froze it. That way you know before you take it out of the freezer to
>> >> thaw whether or not it should be used the same day. You'll know if you
>> >> have a little lee-way if you put the dates on the freezer bag/container.
>> >
>> >That's something I always forget to do. Labeling isn't a big forte of
>> >mine. I've tried to change my ways, but I have a couple quarts of
>> >stock in the freezer that I have to guess by color if it's beef or
>> >chicken and I have no idea what date they went in there either.
>>
>> Sharpie is your friend ;o)
>> Janet US
>
>In theory. Have you ever tried to use a Sharpie on something that's
>already frozen? If you're lucky, you'll get one letter and then it
>stops working. Masking tape would be the answer, but it seems like
>every time I put a roll in the tool drawer one of the "boys" takes it
>out to use and it's never put back where I can find it again.

My husband thinks that Sharpies must be tamed -- what other reason
would he have for pressing so hard that the tip becomes mashed? I
hide my Sharpie and leave his in the pencil can.
Janet US

sf > wrote:

>On Mon, 07 Jan 2013 08:44:51 -0700, Janet Bostwick
> wrote:

-snip-
>>
>> Sharpie is your friend ;o)
>> Janet US
>
>In theory. Have you ever tried to use a Sharpie on something that's
>already frozen?

I always have a sharpie in my pocket- and though they are great for
some things, IME those things have to be dry- and close to room temp.

When I had my store [late 70's] I had some markers that would write on
waxy or plastic frozen foods. [or glass, or cloth. . .] I could
wipe the frost off an ice cream container, and put a smudge-proof
price on them that wouldn't come off no matter what.

After I closed my store I had one kicking around the garage for a
decade or 2. 120F or -30F , if I needed to mark something, wet or
dry- I'd use that marker. It finally died and I spent a lot of
time looking for a replacement. The old one was made in NJ- a gold
colored aluminum tube with black letters- but I can't remember what
the name of it was. [it was *something* like 'Magic' - but it wasn't a
Magic Marker]

There has to be a similar marker out there today. Anybody have one?

Jim

sf wrote:
> On Mon, 07 Jan 2013 08:44:51 -0700, Janet Bostwick
> > wrote:
>
>> On Mon, 07 Jan 2013 07:29:52 -0800, sf > wrote:
>>
>>> On Mon, 07 Jan 2013 10:13:07 -0500, jmcquown >
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> If you freeze it shortly before the expiration date,
>>>> label the package(s) accordingly. Eg. Exp 1/10,13 with the date
>>>> you froze it. That way you know before you take it out of the
>>>> freezer to thaw whether or not it should be used the same day.
>>>> You'll know if you have a little lee-way if you put the dates on
>>>> the freezer bag/container.
>>>
>>> That's something I always forget to do. Labeling isn't a big forte
>>> of mine. I've tried to change my ways, but I have a couple quarts
>>> of stock in the freezer that I have to guess by color if it's beef
>>> or chicken and I have no idea what date they went in there either.
>>
>> Sharpie is your friend ;o)
>> Janet US
>
> In theory. Have you ever tried to use a Sharpie on something that's
> already frozen? If you're lucky, you'll get one letter and then it
> stops working. Masking tape would be the answer, but it seems like
> every time I put a roll in the tool drawer one of the "boys" takes it
> out to use and it's never put back where I can find it again.

They also make freezer labels. I had a roll but never used them so put them
in the give aways.

"Janet Bostwick" > wrote in message
...
> On Mon, 07 Jan 2013 07:29:52 -0800, sf > wrote:
>
>>On Mon, 07 Jan 2013 10:13:07 -0500, jmcquown >
>>wrote:
>>
>>> If you freeze it shortly before the expiration date,
>>> label the package(s) accordingly. Eg. Exp 1/10,13 with the date you
>>> froze it. That way you know before you take it out of the freezer to
>>> thaw whether or not it should be used the same day. You'll know if you
>>> have a little lee-way if you put the dates on the freezer bag/container.
>>
>>That's something I always forget to do. Labeling isn't a big forte of
>>mine. I've tried to change my ways, but I have a couple quarts of
>>stock in the freezer that I have to guess by color if it's beef or
>>chicken and I have no idea what date they went in there either.
>
> Sharpie is your friend ;o)

It certainly is mine
--
--
http://www.shop.helpforheroes.org.uk/

On 1/7/2013 10:44 AM, Janet Bostwick wrote:
> On Mon, 07 Jan 2013 07:29:52 -0800, sf > wrote:
>
>> On Mon, 07 Jan 2013 10:13:07 -0500, jmcquown >
>> wrote:
>>
>>> If you freeze it shortly before the expiration date,
>>> label the package(s) accordingly. Eg. Exp 1/10,13 with the date you
>>> froze it. That way you know before you take it out of the freezer to
>>> thaw whether or not it should be used the same day. You'll know if you
>>> have a little lee-way if you put the dates on the freezer bag/container.
>>
>> That's something I always forget to do. Labeling isn't a big forte of
>> mine. I've tried to change my ways, but I have a couple quarts of
>> stock in the freezer that I have to guess by color if it's beef or
>> chicken and I have no idea what date they went in there either.
>
> Sharpie is your friend ;o)
> Janet US
>
Yep! Gotta have a Sharpie or two around. And if I'm not using storage
bags or containers that already have some place to write the contents
and date on... a strip of Scotch Tape works just fine

Jill

On Jan 7, 9:44*am, Janet Bostwick > wrote:
>
> On Mon, 07 Jan 2013 07:29:52 -0800, sf > wrote:
>
> >On Mon, 07 Jan 2013 10:13:07 -0500, jmcquown >
> >wrote:
>
> >> *If you freeze it shortly before the expiration date,
> >> label the package(s) accordingly. *Eg. Exp 1/10,13 with the date you
> >> froze it. *That way you know before you take it out of the freezer to
> >> thaw whether or not it should be used the same day. *You'll know if you
> >> have a little lee-way if you put the dates on the freezer bag/container.

On 1/7/2013 10:29 AM, sf wrote:
> On Mon, 07 Jan 2013 10:13:07 -0500, jmcquown >
> wrote:
>
>> If you freeze it shortly before the expiration date,
>> label the package(s) accordingly. Eg. Exp 1/10,13 with the date you
>> froze it. That way you know before you take it out of the freezer to
>> thaw whether or not it should be used the same day. You'll know if you
>> have a little lee-way if you put the dates on the freezer bag/container.
>
> That's something I always forget to do. Labeling isn't a big forte of
> mine. I've tried to change my ways, but I have a couple quarts of
> stock in the freezer that I have to guess by color if it's beef or
> chicken and I have no idea what date they went in there either.
>
I guess I'm just a very organized person Even when I only had a
small freezer in the apartment refrigerator, everything always had a
label with dates on it.

Jill

"jmcquown" > wrote in message
...
> On 1/7/2013 10:29 AM, sf wrote:
>> On Mon, 07 Jan 2013 10:13:07 -0500, jmcquown >
>> wrote:
>>
>>> If you freeze it shortly before the expiration date,
>>> label the package(s) accordingly. Eg. Exp 1/10,13 with the date you
>>> froze it. That way you know before you take it out of the freezer to
>>> thaw whether or not it should be used the same day. You'll know if you
>>> have a little lee-way if you put the dates on the freezer bag/container.
>>
>> That's something I always forget to do. Labeling isn't a big forte of
>> mine. I've tried to change my ways, but I have a couple quarts of
>> stock in the freezer that I have to guess by color if it's beef or
>> chicken and I have no idea what date they went in there either.
>>
> I guess I'm just a very organized person Even when I only had a small
> freezer in the apartment refrigerator, everything always had a label with
> dates on it.

I would find it hard to identify much in my freezer without a label
--
--
http://www.shop.helpforheroes.org.uk/

sf wrote:
>
> On Mon, 07 Jan 2013 10:13:07 -0500, jmcquown >
> wrote:
>
> > If you freeze it shortly before the expiration date,
> > label the package(s) accordingly.

> That's something I always forget to do. Labeling isn't a big forte of
> mine. I've tried to change my ways, but I have a couple quarts of
> stock in the freezer that I have to guess by color if it's beef or
> chicken and I have no idea what date they went in there either.

You need to bite the bullet and do that. Barbara. I learned the hard way...
If you don't label it immeditely, you'll be guessing down the road.

Gary

On 1/7/2013 10:29 AM, sf wrote:
> On Mon, 07 Jan 2013 10:13:07 -0500, jmcquown >
> wrote:
>
>> If you freeze it shortly before the expiration date,
>> label the package(s) accordingly. Eg. Exp 1/10,13 with the date you
>> froze it. That way you know before you take it out of the freezer to
>> thaw whether or not it should be used the same day. You'll know if you
>> have a little lee-way if you put the dates on the freezer bag/container.
>
> That's something I always forget to do. Labeling isn't a big forte of
> mine. I've tried to change my ways, but I have a couple quarts of
> stock in the freezer that I have to guess by color if it's beef or
> chicken and I have no idea what date they went in there either.
>
I used to forget, too, until the one time I brought in a foodsaver bag
of something for work lunch and it turned out to be raw fish. I thought
it was soup.

I bought a neato gadget label dispenser where you can pull off one label
at a time, write on it then stick it on the food.

"Cheryl" > wrote in message
eb.com...

> I used to forget, too, until the one time I brought in a foodsaver bag of
> something for work lunch and it turned out to be raw fish. I thought it
> was soup.

lol I bet that made you change your mind about labelling



> I bought a neato gadget label dispenser where you can pull off one label
> at a time, write on it then stick it on the food.
>

--
--
http://www.shop.helpforheroes.org.uk/

Ophelia wrote:
>
> "Cheryl" > wrote in message
> eb.com...
>
> > I used to forget, too, until the one time I brought in a foodsaver bag of
> > something for work lunch and it turned out to be raw fish. I thought it
> > was soup.
>
> lol I bet that made you change your mind about labelling

Oh man, Cheryl. I'll bet that was a huge shock!
I used to make coffee and take it to work. Once, I got in the wrong jar and
put salt in the coffee instead of sugar. Once I got to work, I first tasted
it and immediately spit it out. arrghhh!

And I've learned to label anything that goes into the freezer. It doesn't
take long and you're guessing about what's in a bag. Even worse, you think
you have something in there and it turns out to be something different.

Gary