I’m totally going to blow your mind with this kitchen tip. Ha, ha. Actually, this tip is pretty much a no-brainer! But, even so, it is really helpful in the kitchen. I do this – water bath defrosting – to defrost frozen cheese, lemon/lime cubes, hard ice cream, frozen fruit, frozen fruit puree, and more!
If the food is in a freezer bag or container, nest it inside a larger bowl of cool water. If the food is not in a bag or container, put the food in a bowl that will nest inside the bowl of cool water. Keep changing the water periodically until the food is defrosted. I transfer the whole operation to the refrigerator if the defrosting will take more than an hour.
There are times when I fill the bigger bowl with warm water – like for a quick defrost of lemon juice ice cubes. But for larger quantities of food, such as a turkey, or a block of cheese, or a quart-size bag of frozen fruit, the water really should be cool and should be changed frequently, for food safety.
I know, I know. Exciting.
Do you have any tips to share about defrosting? Please do!
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I tend to make large batches of different beans or grains in the crock pot, put them in bags by serving size, and keep them in the freezer. I just run these under VERY hot water to loosen the clump of grain or bean, then put that into a colander and run hot water over it and serve it (with salads and such) or add it to the meal if it’s a hot meal. Works great, and keeps me from saying there’s nothing quick for dinner.
.-= Jillian´s last blog post… Starting Our Experiment. =-.
I freeze stock in plastic bags (after cooling). When I freeze them, I lay them flat on a cookie sheet, until they freeze. After that, I reclaim my cookie sheet for baking, and they’re easy to store.
When I’m ready to defrost them, I give the thin frozen block a good wack or two against the fridge or counter edge. This cracks the ice into many small pieces, enableing it to be easily removed from the bag, and defrost easy. If it suits your meal, they can be popped right into the pot to melt and heat in the meal you need them for. if you need them liquid, water bathing them or even just letting them sit out for a little while in a bowl (or metal bowl over the pilot light) quickly defrosts them.
.-= Caroline´s last blog post… In the spirit of full disclosure…. =-.