Thank you for your wonderful ideas and tips on my last post, I feel I've got a very clear direction ... finally.
As I write this, I alternate between typing and scooping up spoonfuls of warm, maple and cinnamon flavored oatmeal laced with a handful of blueberries and peaches from the freezer. I throw the fruit in just at the end of cooking and let the heat come back up just to the point of warming the fruit through. So good, peach and blueberry is such an incredible combination to me. Sadly, I was only able to pick 20 pounds of blueberries this year. Usually I try for fifty, but as I move more and more in the direction of looking no further than myself (as much as possible) for reliance an how my pantry will be filled... I now realize that I should get in the practice of picking at least 100 pounds of each type of fruit available in my area.
It has become part of my everyday to reach into the freezer for foods that I have deliberately stored in quantity, or to my pantry shelf that holds an ever growing assortment of jams, butters, and sauces as I prepare meals for my family. I am constantly looking for new ways to 'put by' and this idea brings me to a question for all of you.
I have already picked almost 50 pounds of apples this season. I'd like to pick another 100 pounds this week. That should come close to covering our pie, muffin, turnover, sauce and butter needs until next September.
I was thinking of preparing pie filling and placing a single pies worth into many gallon zip-loc freezer bags, placed in the freezer. I love the idea of making several pies and freezing them at the pre-baked stage, but I only have three pie plates and haven't had any thrifting luck scoring a few more.
My question... Do you think I could do this? It seems like a very do-able idea, but I've never heard or read of it. Could I fill a zip-loc with peeled, sliced apples, spices, sugar, a little flour and maybe a squeeze of lemon juice... shake it all up a bit and pop it in the freezer? If you can freeze an unbaked pie couldn't you just freeze unbaked filling? Has anyone had any experience doing this... results?
This feels like such a dumb question but I thought I'd ask before I sent 50 pounds of innocent apples into the sub-zero abyss. I'd love to hear you thoughts...
