Standard recipes may be successfully used for cooked dishes to be stored in the freezer, if the following points are noted:

a) Certain flavorings such as herbs,spices,garlic and onions can change under freezing conditions; they can also crossflavour other foods if packaging is inadequate. Their use in frozen cooked dishes should be sparing, and the dishes containing them should not be stored for more than four weeks. It is often more practical to add these flavorings during the reheating process before serving.

b) Salt and fat react under freezing conditions to cause rancidity, and salt is best added to meat and fish when cooking.

c) Too much sugar prevents successful freezing, and such items as fruit puree and ice cream should not be oversweetened.

d) Flour in sauces, soups and stews may cause curding on reheating and these are best thickened by reduction, or by using tomato or vegetable puree or conflour.

e) Starchy foods such as rice, barley, pasta and potatoes do not freeze well in soups and stews and should be added during reheating.

f) A few items should not be frozen on thier own, or incorporated into recipes. These include hard-boiled egg whites, custards, soft, meringue topping, mayonnaise and salad dressing, milk, puddings.

** Asian Recipes** and ** Low Cholesterol Diets**