Foods That Do Not Freeze Well

Follow these guidelines for avoiding freezer disasters. When in doubt store food in the refrigerator and consume within a few days.

Some foods just aren't suitable for freezing because of the changes that take place in the process.

Here are some foods that don't freeze well:

• Hard cooked egg whites become tough and rubbery. If you're planning to freeze egg whites in chicken salad sandwiches, for example, leave them out. Chop them finely or put them through a sieve.
• Mature Irish potatoes used in soups, stews or meat pies become spongy and unappetizing
• Salad greens lose crispness, so don't freeze them
• Radishes, celery, cucumber and green onions become soft, but if you will use them only in cooking, this softness won't be a problem.
• Tomatoes become limp and watery. Tomatoes also change color and flavor but can be used for soups and stews.
• Raw apples and grapes become soft and mushy when they're frozen, and apples will also turn dark.
• Cream cheese becomes grainy and crumbly, but cream cheese freezes well when combined with cream, salad dressings or mayonnaise
• Pasteurized whipping cream separates on freezing, but the new ultra-pasteurized cream freezes well. Check the label. Pasteurized whipping cream can be whipped and frozen. Place dollops of whipped cream on a cookie sheet, freeze, remove from the cookie sheet and store in moisture-vapor-proof freezer bags.
• Don't freeze custard pies, cream puddings and pie fillings because they will weep and change texture.
• Large amounts of mayonnaise tend to separate during freezing and thawing. It's fine to freeze small amounts of mayonnaise in meat salads or when it's combined with whipped cream or cream cheese.
• Frozen pie meringues will be tough and will stick to freezer wrap.
• Cake icings made with egg whites (like boiled icings or seven minute icings) become frothy or weep when thawed.
• Don't try to freeze cream fillings because they will weep.
• Freezing fried foods is a problem too, with the exception of french fries and onion rings. Fried foods will lose their crispness and become rancid.
• NEVER freeze stuffing or dressing inside the cavity of raw or cooked poultry. You can freeze poultry and dressing separately, but when they're frozen together, they are highly susceptible to food poisoning.

For more information on foods that do not freeze well; contact your local county Extension office.