TIPS FOR FREEZING (ADAPTED FROM “IT’S FREEZER SEASON”)

1. For best flavor, use ingredients at peak freshness in all dishes to be frozen, and freeze immediately after cooking and cooling. Freezing halts the decaying process — it won’t reverse it.

2. Blanch raw produce (including herbs for pesto) briefly in boiling water, then shock in an ice-water bath first to kill enzymes that turn fruits and vegetables brown and decrease nutrients and shelf life.

3. Catalog your contents: Label everything with the name of the dish and the date. Also helpful: suggested expiration date, reheating instructions, and yield/quantity. Expiration dates vary but anything after a year should be tossed. Even though it may be safe to eat, the flavors will be muted and texture deteriorated.

4. Make sure your freezer is set at 0 degrees or below. If it’s having trouble staying cold enough, you may need to defrost it, clean the filters and fan, have it serviced, or a combination.

5. Biggest no-no: Never put hot food into the freezer or the refrigerator. Not waiting for it to cool could result in bacteria growth in the dish and raise the temperature of everything inside it. Foods should not be held for more than a few hours between 40 and 145 degrees. Hot food should be cooled completely, ideally to 40 degrees, before transferring it to the freezer.

6. Rather than freeze all in one container, divide into quantities according to how you plan to use them and how many you plan to serve, so you pull only what you need for the next use. 7.“Formative freezing”is a helpful technique for single portions, such as biscuits, meatballs or individual slices of pie. Freeze them on a flat surface like a baking sheet until solid, then transfer the hardened portions to a baggie or other container.

8. Air exposure is the enemy of frozen food, so proper packaging is critical. Vacuum-sealed packaging is ideal. If you don’t have a vacuum sealer, plastic and glass can work well. Glass is odor- and stain-resistant and oven-safe; plastic is lightweight and cheap. Zip-lock plastic bags (the extra-durable kind labeled for freezer use) are hard to beat for convenience.

9. Choose containers that are the right size for your portions. Food should fill the vessel completely to avoid excess air exposure, which can lead to freezer burn. Too small and they could spill when thawing or reheating.

10. Wrapping in plastic wrap rather than foil creates a better seal. The key is doing a complete 360-degree wrap over and under the dish, as if wrapping a present, so that the plastic adheres to itself and not the dish.