Christmas lunches and dinners are an extra concern when it is up to us to buy the products. Concern for thinking about the menu and double concern for getting good products without paying exorbitant prices (something that seems almost impossible at this time). However, there are some tricks to avoid breaking the bank when buying and saving without giving up some good dishes, with good food and, above all, quality. Knowing how to choose what type of ingredients you can buy ahead of time and freezing the foods that allow it will be one of your best alternatives. In this article we tell you what are the Christmas meals that can be frozen. Buy before and save more on your Christmas menu!
What can I freeze before the Christmas meal?
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The seafood
One of the star products of Christmas is, without a doubt, seafood. As it is the most demanded, its price is multiplied by double or triple its value on these dates, so the sooner you buy it, the more you will save. We are talking about spider crabs, crabs, oxen, crabs or lobsters that you can leave cooked and prepared and not worry about them until Christmas day. You just have to keep in mind that you should cook them well, with water and salt, let them cool and once cold, freeze them with transparent film in the freezer until the day of the party itself, which we will remove and let thaw at room temperature.
With regard to prawns, prawns, shrimp and shellfish of this type, it is recommended to freeze them raw, without cooking, and take them out with enough time for them to thaw at a cold temperature and we can cook them calmly. Finally, you should keep in mind that freezing is not recommended for clams, barnacles, razors, and cockles.
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Fish
Another of the great expected at Christmas dinner is fish. The type does not matter: from monkfish or sea bream to hake or turbot. Like shellfish, it is a product that multiplies its price as the indicated dates approach.
In addition, there is another reason why it is more than advisable to freeze fish ahead of time. Surely you’ve heard of anisakis: a parasite that lives in fresh fish and survives high temperatures, so we can only get rid of it by freezing the fish. These two reasons are enough for you to get this product in advance, clean it well, wash it, dry it and prepare it in pieces (or as it will be presented in the recipe) and freeze it. Put it in freezer bags and thaw it at cold temperature (in the fridge) with enough time to cook it already completely thawed.
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Sausages
The sausages are usually other great protagonists as starters. However, it is important to note that it is not recommended to freeze them, as we will spoil their flavor. Yes, it can be a small solution if we have a pregnant woman among the guests. Freezing the sausage at 20ºC below zero for 2 days or at 10ºC below zero for 3 days’ kills toxoplasma, so it can be a solution to avoid leaving pregnant women out of dinner.
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The meat
If you are going to put any type of meat at your Christmas dinner or lunch, you can start buying it now. Whether they are whole legs, suckling pigs, chops or fillets, the biggest problem you can find is the place in the freezer, but nothing more! Don’t let it be a problem. Place them on trays or in freezer bags so that when you take them out, just let them defrost in the cold and start cooking.
General tips to do the Christmas shopping in advance and keep it perfect
- When freezing various foods, do it separately and individually. If you decide to buy lamb shoulders, wrap them in plastic wrap and store them horizontally in the freezer itself. In the case of fish, clean them well and put them under running water to prevent them from drying out in the freezer. Immediately afterwards you can wrap them in plastic wrap and keep them until the day of lunch or dinner.
- If you decide to make some meat, in the event that they are pieces, you can chop them up and put them in small bags in the freezer. If, on the other hand, they are sirloin steaks, you can place them on trays so that when cooking they are perfectly smooth and not folded.
- When you take food out of the freezer to cook it, it is advisable that you thaw it in the fridge. That is why it is good that you take them out 24 hours before cooking them, since in this way they will be perfectly defrosted and will preserve all their nutrients. With these tips you won’t have too many problems when it comes to freezing the genre you want and enjoying all its flavor and texture.