bake ahead and freeze ideas needed

[HollyDay]

Summer heat is coming soon and I will not use my oven after dd's birthday. Her cake is the last baked good I will bake until fall. Seriously, we will be over 100 degrees for weeks on end. So, this spring, I've decided to bake ahead and freeze things we might like to eat. I'm making a list but could use some suggestions. So far:

 

rolls

bread

chocolate chip cookies

brownies??

muffins for breakfast

 

I'm thinking that everytime I bake something during April and May, like the rolls I'm baking today, I'll double the recipe and freeze half. I need suggestions for how to freeze things to last and what would be good to freeze. Do cookies freeze better than bar treats such as brownies or bar cookies? When I make quick breads like pumpkin or banana, should I freeze the entire loaf or half or slices?

 

I'll still use my bread machine in the summer, so I'm not as concerned with "ordinary" bread or sourdoughs for sandwiches. I'm thinking more like breakfast muffins, desserts, and specialty baked goods.

 

I'll also use my crockpot in the summer but we don't like to eat heavy meals like stews and chilis in the summer anyway. Grilled meats and veggies are planned in the summer months.

 

This is my 2nd summer in TX so I'm still getting used to the idea of the awful blast of heat that is coming!!!!

 

Thanks!!

[*Lulu*]

Cookies do well frozen. I find the more moist the muffins are the better they do once thawed out. (We like to zap ours in the microwave, so being moist keeps them from drying out.) IMO, loaf breads, cakes, and pan baked goods do best with as few cuts as possible.

 

I usually do one bake day a month; I am intrigued by the idea of baking for the whole summer.

 

Hmmm.......

[magic]

I do this every year. I bake and freeze a variety of cookies, bars, quick breads, rolls, muffins, scones, cupcakes, etc. I pack most items in freezer bags with all the air sucked out. Quick breads and cakes are usually wrapped in plastic wrap and then in thick foil. I have never had an issue with something going bad and we like having homemade items all summer long.

[Spryte]

We keep frozen cupcakes in our freezer, for DS's allergies (in case we need a safe treat to take to a party) - they seem to freeze well. :)

[Ali in OR]

I'm having a little trouble picturing life in a place where you can't bake in summer! (no problem here in Oregon). But I do freeze cookies and muffins all the time with no problems. Of course we eat them within a week or two, so not sure how it would hold up after 3-4 months in a freezer. But we just put them in gallon-size freezer ziploc bags. And I have done pumpkin bread the same way--just put the whole loaf in the ziploc bag and put it in the freezer.

[Miss Tick]

Freeze them in the portions you will use them. So if you eat half a loaf at a meal, freeze them in that size. It helps keep you all from eating "too much" and doesn't leave you with half a loaf that needs to be consumed in the next three days.

 

I like this idea, especially to take up space as we eat the freezer-pork.

[HollyDay]

I'm having a little trouble picturing life in a place where you can't bake in summer! (no problem here in Oregon). But I do freeze cookies and muffins all the time with no problems. Of course we eat them within a week or two, so not sure how it would hold up after 3-4 months in a freezer. But we just put them in gallon-size freezer ziploc bags. And I have done pumpkin bread the same way--just put the whole loaf in the ziploc bag and put it in the freezer.

 

It has been an adjustment for me too. Where we have lived in the past, summers were not as hot as they are here. There would be many days when I could open the house up for cooling and still bake bread or treats or an evening meal. But, here it is not the case. The AC runs ALL THE TIME it seems. So, for energy $$ sake, I do not want to heat the house with the oven while trying to cool it with the AC.

 

Last summer I put some dough to rise in the garage (as I used to do when we lived in cooler climes) but it nearly cooked instead! :)

[LucyStoner]

I do banana bread, pumpkin bread, zucchini bread etc, usually GF, and then slice and wrap individual slices in foil for freezing. My kids love it and after defrosting it tastes mighty close to fresh.

[mommylawyer]

I've been freezing some things because I'm going to have a baby soon and my family likes having baked goods around. I've recently frozen pound cakes (bundt pan used, cut in half), muffins, and biscuits. Maybe you can bake some breads and freeze those - banana, pumpkin, blueberry, etc.

[HollyDay]

So far, I've made and frozen 4 loaves of pumpkin bread and a double batch of chocolate chip cookie brownies. Today, I'm making rolls and "regular" brownies. Hopefully, I can think of something else to bake too since it is 43 degrees!!!!!

[FriedClams]

I've never had a huge issue with the oven heating my house to the extent where it impact my heating bill - and I live in Mississippi so it gets HOT. I do think the open parts of TX can be much worse since there's no shade. Have you considered a sun oven? If I lived in a HOT open place I would totally get one!

[Kelly1730]

This is a great idea! We live in PA, so nothing compared to the Texas summers but I still don't like to have the oven going at the same time we are running the AC, seems counter-productive. Not to mention, just being able to grab something out of the freezer is a convenience that I am loving more and more!

[HollyDay]

I've never had a huge issue with the oven heating my house to the extent where it impact my heating bill - and I live in Mississippi so it gets HOT. I do think the open parts of TX can be much worse since there's no shade. Have you considered a sun oven? If I lived in a HOT open place I would totally get one!

 

I actually considered this very idea last year!! Still might do it....

[Anne in CA]

Just another thought, can you get one of those foil camping ovens and cook goodies outside with solar power sometimes? In Oregon it is not sunny enough buy my SIL bakes cookies in one of those ovens when she goes camping in Nevada and loves it.

[HollyDay]

Last night, I froze a double batch of chocolate fudge brownies. Today, I made double batches of breakfast muffins. It is supposed to be near 80 this weekend, so my baking "window" is closing. The 40s the past 2 days will probably not roll around again till next fall.......

[xixstar]

I need to do this too. We have no a/c and I do not bake at all in the summer, no way. Plus then I can freeze in smaller portions too since we have to work hard to eat a full batch in a week.

[HollyDay]

Final (I think anyway) total for this week:

2 batches brownies

4 loaves pumpkin bread

2 batches chocolate chip cookie bars

1 batch muffins

 

Previously, I made and froze oatmeal cookies and fudge.

 

I think since we will be in or around the 80s starting soon, this probably ends my bake-off. I hesitate to say that because I was not expecting to be in the 40s the first week in April in TX :001_smile: I will still use my breadmachine throughout the summer. And I might use my crockpot a time or two, but not the oven. If dd wants a carrot cake again this year for her birthday, I might bake and freeze that cake when we bake my cake in May.