I can freeze WHAT?!!

Before modern day refrigeration (aka Kelly Ripa's Electrolux), people cooled their food with ice and snow. The first "cellars" were holes dug into the ground lined with wood or straw and packed with snow and ice.


Needless to say, we've come a long way! The science behind refrigeration includes the process of removing heat from an enclosed space or substance, to lower its temperature. A refrigerator uses the evaporation of a liquid to absorb heat.  The American, Oliver Evans, designed the first refrigeration machine in 1805. I think someone else might have done something similar first, but I guess his marketing team wasn't as strong. Oops.


The first usable fridge was made by Jacob Perkins in 1834. In the beginning, refrigerators  used the toxic gases as refrigerants. Several fatal accidents occurred in the 1920s when gas leaked out of refrigerators. With further research, Freon was discovered. In just a few years, compressor refrigerators using Freon became the standard. Come to find out, this endangered the ozone layer of the entire planet. Again, oops. In 1842, the American physician John Gorrie designed and built an air-cooling apparatus for treating yellow-fever patients (too keep their rooms cool). His basic principle of compressing a gas, cooling it by sending it through radiating coils, and then expanding it to lower the temperature further, is the one most often used in refrigerators today.

So, there's the history. Now, time for the practicality. The freezer is your best friend in the kitchen. The more you can freeze, the longer your food will stay edible, and the more money you will save. Try some of these ideas to help utilize your freezer and save yourself some $$$!!

• Store breakfast foods that have been made (sausage biscuits, eggs, waffles, pancakes) in tightly sealed wrapping (zip lock bags or Tupperware). Also, you can mix raw eggs (yolk and white) and pour into ice cube trays for later use. 2 cubes = 1 large egg.

• Save all "non-edible" vegetable leftovers (the tops of onions, end of carrots, cellery tops, broccoli stems) in a container for a homemade soup stock.
• Freeze old coffee in ice cube trays to add to too hot or iced coffee later.
• Freeze left over wine in ice cube trays for cooking purposes or for soup stocks later.
• Spices and coffee grounds stay fresher in the freezer longer.
• If bananas are about to go bad, throw them in the freezer. The peel will turn black, but they are still good for smoothies!
• Not food related: If you need to clean a stuffed animal that can not be washed, place it in a freezer bag and place in the freezer for at least 8 hours. Then, run it through the dryer on high to warm back up!
• Freezing Myth: Freeze popcorn for a better pop! (fewer uncooked kernels). NOT TRUE. The reason popcorn pops is because of its moisture content. The freezer will most likely decrease the kernel's moisture content resulting in fewer kernels popping.

Happy Freezing!!!