~Freezer Guidelines=Great Info!~

Found this on the web and thought it was a great guide to freezing foods. Enjoy!
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Here is a guide to how long you can freeze foods before you sacrifice quality. Keep in mind that quality does deteriorate the longer food sits in your freezer, so aim to defrost sooner rather than later.

•Bacon: 1 to 2 months
•Breads: 2 to 3 months
•Casseroles: 2 to 3 months
•Cooked beef and pork: 2 to 3 months
•Cooked poultry: 4 months
•Cookie dough: 3 months
•Fruit: 8 to 12 months
•Frozen dinners: 3 to 4 months
•Hot dogs: 1 to 2 months
•Lunch meats: 1 to 2 months
•Sausage: 1 to 2 months
•Soups and stews: 2 to 3 months
•Uncooked chicken (parts): 9 months
•Uncooked chicken (whole): 1 year
•Uncooked steaks, chops, or roasts: 4 to 12 months
•Uncooked ground meat: 3 to 4 months
•Vegetables: 8 to 12 months


Basic tips for freezing food:
•Freeze foods as close to purchase (or harvest if you have a garden) as possible. The fresher food is when you freeze it, the better the quality when you defrost it.
•While most foods can be frozen, there are some foods you should keep out of the freezer. Don't freeze canned foods or eggs in shells (which can crack and allow bacteria to enter). Technically you can freeze mayonnaise, cream sauce, and lettuce, but the quality takes a big hit. Here's a list of foods that don't freeze well with details on their condition after thawing.
•Cool cooked foods down before freezing so they freeze faster, which helps preserve quality.
•Packaging matters and varies depending on what you're freezing. If you choose glass over plastic containers, wrap, or bags, you'll need to make sure it's tempered so it doesn't break.
•You can freeze meat in its original packaging, but if you want to store it for long periods of time, add an additional layer of packaging, such as plastic wrap or bags.
•It's always a good idea to label items so you know what they are and how long they've been in the freezer.
•Resist the temptation to defrost foods on your countertop. The three safest ways to thaw foods are in your fridge, in cold water, and in the microwave.

This was written by Environmental journalist Lori Bongiorno shares green-living tips and product reviews with Yahoo! Green's users.
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Happy Tuesday!
SHO