What's in my Freezer - Part 1

I recently took inventory of my freezer and realized that I keep a lot of standard ingredients on hand in a frozen state.  I make and freeze most of these items in either ice cube trays or muffin tins and transfer to a plastic bag or other container for easy access.  It might make me out to look like a frozen food hoarder, but I thought I'd share this list, in case it inspires you.



I might be a food hoarder.

 Homemade Vegetable Bouillon -  A puree of vegetables and herbs, this useful ingredient stays scoopable in the freezer because of the salt mixed in.  I got the idea from this recipe, and just adjust to my taste, just as the author of this blog I got it from did.  I use this not only to flavor soups and broths, but I also add it to salad dressings, dips, and cream cheese spreads.

Chicken Broth - I make this almost weekly, and sometimes wind up with more than I know what to do with.  I freeze it in muffin tins, measuring the volume (2/3 - 3/4 cups, depending on the muffin tin I used) for future reference.  So now, when I need a small amount of chicken broth, I know how many chunks to pull out of the bag!  To make the broth, I cover the bones and skins from chicken pieces I use in stews, or the carcass of a roast chicken, with water, add a few spoonfuls of the bouillon mentioned above, and simmer for a few hours.  I've also done it in the crock pot overnight, or in the pressure cooker.  Sometimes I don't get around to making the broth, so I freeze the bones until I can!

Duck fat - I made duck last Thanksgiving and was left with a lot of rendered duck fat when the birds were done roasting.  I froze it in ice cube trays and transferred the chunks to a plastic baggie for whenever I need duck fat, like for duck fat-fried potatoes or pie crust.  It lasts nearly forever in the freezer and is a very flavorful, healthful cooking fat.

Sofrito - The base ingredient for many Puerto Rican recipes, I like to keep this mixture of onions, garlic, peppers, and cilantro on hand at all times. I make a big batch in the food processor and freeze it in muffin tins. I also use it to make chili.  I posted the recipe here.

Thai green and red curry pastes - I made my own and froze them in ice cube trays.  These are useful to have on hand for any number of Thai recipes, and it's much healthier to use homemade curry than store-bought.  I used this recipe for the green curry and this recipe for the red curry.

To be continued, with a list of things I don't make myself, but always want to have on hand!