She Strengthens

Freezer Secrets from a Seasoned Pro

Meet Julie Laing, a 45-year-old editor, writer, and food blogger from Bigfork, Montana. Her passion for cooking and preserving seasonal fruits and vegetables has turned her freezer into a treasure trove of tasty delights.

A Garden-to-Table Philosophy

Julie’s 500-square-foot home may be small, but her garden is a sprawling 2,400 square feet, complete with a 30-foot-long greenhouse and a berry patch. She spends hours every summer tending to her garden, harvesting sun-kissed tomatoes, flavorful basil, and sweet huckleberries. To preserve her bounty, Julie employs various methods, including canning, dehydrating, and fermenting.

Ursa Minor: The Little Bear Freezer

Julie’s freezer, affectionately nicknamed “Ursa Minor” or “Little Bear,” is a 5.5-cubic-foot chest freezer that holds a surprising amount of her garden’s annual haul. Despite its small size, Julie has mastered the art of organizing her frozen treasures, from cups of eggplant puree to bags of grated zucchini.

Cherry Tomatoes: The Ultimate Freezer Staple

One of Julie’s favorite cooking tricks is having a variety of frozen tomatoes on hand. She freezes them whole, without peeling, and uses them to make quick sauces and soups. The best part? When they defrost, their skins slip right off.

Raspberries: The Perfect Smoothie Addition

Frozen raspberries are a staple in Julie’s freezer. She spreads them on a tray, freezes them, and stores them in a bag, making it easy to grab a handful for smoothies or hot cereal on dark winter mornings.

Soup Stock Secrets

Julie is a master of repurposing vegetable trimmings, corncobs, shrimp shells, and Parmesan rinds to create rich and flavorful soup stocks. She keeps two 2-gallon bags in her freezer, one for vegetable scraps and one for raw shrimp shells, which she simmers with seasonings to create a delicious stock.

Drink Mixers and More

Julie’s ice cube trays are not just for water. She fills them with pureed berries, beet greens, kale, and more, which she uses to create unique drink mixers and smoothies. Her cucumber juice cubes are perfect for mellowing mojitos, while her tomatillo juice makes a killer margarita base.

Blended Garlic-and-Herb Bases

One of Julie’s favorite freezer hacks is blending herbs like basil, cilantro, parsley, and spinach with oil and garlic to create flavorful bases for sauces and dips. She packs these mixtures into ice cube trays, freezes them, and transfers them to a bag for later use.