Rachael Ray: Rachael's Daytime Talkshow

Sara Moulton's "Freezer 101"

Aired on: March 19, 2013

Sara Moulton is not just a whiz with recipes, the culinary pro is also great with tips for making your food last longer. She's back and focusing on the freezer, starting with the best way to store sauces, meat, poultry and avoiding freezer burn. Plus, click here for her suggestions for freezing cheese, eggs, fruits and vegetables.

Refreezing: Food can be frozen again, just follow these guidelines: Once food is thawed in the refrigerator, it is safe to refreeze it without cooking, although there may be a loss of quality due to the moisture lost through thawing. After cooking raw foods which were previously frozen, it is also safe to freeze the cooked foods, and if previously cooked foods are thawed in the refrigerator, you may refreeze the unused portion. Freeze leftovers within three to four days. Do not refreeze any foods left outside the refrigerator longer than 2 hours; 1 hour in temperatures above 90°F.

Freezer Burn Fix: Freezer burn happens when food is not properly wrapped and air gets in. The surface of the frozen food will have a frosty gray or brown appearance. Freezer burn makes food tough and taste stale, but does not make food unsafe, it's merely dry in spots. To fix, defrost the food and cut the freezer-burned portions away before cooking.

Pre-Freezing Soft, Individual Items: To prevent items like meatballs, ground meat patties, ravioli, cookies and berries from getting squished in the freezer, try pre-freezing. They need to be arranged in one layer on a sheet pan with parchment paper, leaving a little space in between them. Freeze until they are solidly frozen (it usually takes about 1 hour) and then transfer them together to a resealable bag or freezer container.

Meat or Poultry: Vacuum sealing is the best — hands-down — because it removes all the air, and air makes food spoil fast. You can find vacuum sealing machines for as little as $30. And, meat and poultry can be frozen in a vacuum sealed bag right in a marinade so it’s an instant dinner. Note: We do not recommend freezing fish in a vacuum pack because there are safety issue regarding how it is defrosted.