Not Your Mother's Make-Ahead and Freeze Cookbook by Jessica Fisher

Author:Jessica Fisher [Fisher, Jessica]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harvard Common Press

To thaw and serve:

Thaw the beans in the refrigerator or reheat them directly from the freezer. Reheat them in a pan on the stovetop or in a microwave-safe dish in the microwave.

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If Your Freezer Has Experienced a Power Failure

Once you pack your freezer with the fruits of your labor, the last thing you want is to lose it all to a power failure. It happened to me once when the ground fault interrupter, or GFI, in the garage tripped the breaker and broke power to the freezer. I called my husband, crying. All he could get out of my mumbling was the word "died." Needless to say, he had a minor panic attack until I was able to clarify that it was an appliance and not a child or parent.

Since then, we've installed a small, inexpensive freezer alarm. It lets out a loud wail any time the freezer gets too warm. It's fairly sensitive, able to detect the slightest changes in temperature when I load it with food, so I rest easy, trusting that it will let me know—loud and clear—when it starts to get hot under the collar.

To help provide a buffer in case of a power failure, fill any empty spots in the freezer with water bottles or milk jugs filled with water. They will act as insulation, helping the freezer run more efficiently. (A full freezer runs better than an empty one.) In case of a power failure, the frozen water bottles should keep the contents of the freezer cold until the power comes back on. Add water bottles to your freezer gradually, as the appliance has to work harder if a lot of unfrozen items are added at one time.

If the power does go out or the door is left open, all is not lost. The food may be safe to use if there are still ice crystals present. If the power is out, keep the freezer closed and do not open it. According to the USDA, a full freezer that is kept shut can keep food safe for up to two days. You can refreeze food that is partly frozen, still has ice crystals, and/or is no warmer than 40°F. Discard any food that has been warmer than 40°F for longer than 2 hours, as well as anything that has been touched by raw meat juices.

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