Squeezed By Prices? Freeze And Save

I thought I was going to need oxygen the last time I went to the grocery store and the cashier announced my final total. Suddenly, all of those news stories about rising food prices hit home.

Later, I pulled out the box where I stash receipts in no particular order and reviewed the last four months of grocery runs. Sure enough, our totals have gone up about $20 every month, for essentially the same items.

It made me wonder whether I should stock up on some perishable items before prices increase again. There are things I go through pretty quickly every week: milk, eggs, butter ... the basics needed to support my baking habit. Could those items be frozen? Should they be frozen?

I contacted Mary Keith, a nutrition and health agent at Hillsborough County Extension, and she had some very interesting answers. The most surprising was that yes, eggs can be frozen, but not in their shells.

Here's how you do it: Break eggs into a bowl and lightly mix the yolk and whites together, being careful not to whip in too much air. Add in 1 1/2 tablespoons of sugar or corn syrup, or a half-teaspoon of salt per cup (of mixed eggs) to keep them from getting grainy. Freeze in containers sized to suit your needs, leaving a half-inch of room at the top.

Keith says ice-cube trays work well. One cube (about 3 tablespoons) is the equivalent of one large, whole egg. According to the American Egg Board Web site, you can store tightly sealed frozen eggs for up to a year without a loss in quality or flavor. Just be sure to label the containers with the date you put them in the freezer. Also be sure your freezer temperature stays at 0 degrees or below.

You also can freeze yolks separately, but Keith says it's important to add a small amount of sugar or salt to prevent a grainy texture when the yolks are defrosted. Gently mixed egg whites can be frozen without any additions. When you're ready to use the frozen eggs, defrost them in the refrigerator, never on the kitchen counter.

Butter can be frozen for up to four months, according to landolakes.com, the Web site of Land O'Lakes food company. It should be wrapped in its original carton in aluminum foil, or in an airtight, plastic-freezer food storage bag. The Web site says that once the butter has been thawed, it should be used within 30 days.

Milk is another perishable grocery item that can be successfully kept in the freezer. Once defrosted, it will need to be well shaken or run through the blender before serving. Keith says skim or 1 percent milk freezes better, because the fat tends to "un-homogenize," or separate out, so it may look as if it has an oily sheen or film on top. Perfectly harmless, but it can be disconcerting.

I also wanted to know about rice, since it, too, has been in the news. Imports are down, and prices are up everywhere. I was raised by a Puerto Rican mother, and rice is a staple in our house. The price was up 10 cents a pound last time I went shopping, so I decided to stock up and buy a few extra bags.

Keith says rice can be frozen, but it's really not necessary. She recommends storing dry goods, such as flours and grains, in airtight containers in any cool area of the home. But flour and rice are pretty important to me, and bugs can find their way into the cleanest of kitchens. So I decided to compromise and store both in the fridge.

Grocery shopping isn't supposed to be scary, but with prices on the rise, families with children must be dreading the checkout line. I know I'll be holding my breath the next time I wait for the final total. If the prices on staples keep going up, my stockpile will dwindle and my oven will get a much-deserved rest.