On Freezing Food

Appears in
Craig Claiborne’s Kitchen Primer
Craig Claiborne’s Kitchen Primer

By Craig Claiborne

Published 1969

  • About
It has always been a mystery to me why books on freezing foods are written. The pages of most of them are padded with recipes which, as far as I can discern, have no marked virtues that make them eminently suited for cold storage. The fact is that the vast majority of all prepared dishes—casseroles, soups, sauces, stews, meat loaves, and so on—can be frozen to advantage.
Common sense should dictate foods that do not freeze well. These would include:

  • Mayonnaise and dishes made with mayonnaise.

  • Aspics and other dishes containing gelatin.

  • Hard-cooked eggs.

  • Custard pies.