How far ahead can I bake?

amother

OP ↓

Mon, Dec 09 2024, 11:57 am

Making a Shabbos Bar Mitzvah in a couple months be"H and I'm trying to do most of the baking myself.
How far ahead can I bake/cook...

challah
desserts
muffins
cookies
fruit cobbler or other freezable kugel (not potato)
chicken soup (only freezing the broth, not the veggies)
knaidel
deli roll

I'm not asking about food safety. I know that will be fine.
But will these items taste fresher if theyre frozen for only 2 weeks versus 2 months?

Also, if you have good ideas for freezable desserts that are easy to plate, please share.

Thanks!

2429 ↓

Mon, Dec 09 2024, 12:11 pm

2-3 months should be good if wrapped well
I like to use a ziplock and then use a straw to suck out the air so it is kind of vacuum packed.
The 2 gallon ziplock bags can fit a 9x13
I find they really taste fresh.

On Amazon you can find mini cups with lids.
I have made strawberry shore cake and sorbet in them.
I like them because it is easy to serve.

Deli roll I would only freeze raw

amother

Antiquewhite ↓

Mon, Dec 09 2024, 12:30 pm

It depends which freezer you have. My MIL froze food for a simcha 2 months in advance, and all food had a freezer taste. My MIL didn't think so & claimed the food was perfect.
I personally can usually taste when food was in the freezer for a long time.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Mon, Dec 09 2024, 12:38 pm

2429 wrote:

Thanks so much for all these tips!
I'm going to buy those bags- did not know they came that large.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Mon, Dec 09 2024, 12:39 pm

amother Antiquewhite wrote:

Hmm, how do I know if my freezer has that "taste"? To me it seems okay. I have a chest freezer and regular freezer.

asweet

Mon, Dec 09 2024, 4:02 pm

If your freezer is a frost free, it's not as good for longer periods.

A manual defrost is better for longer periods but it is work to maintain. The ice builds up and it has to be defrosted every 2 months.

effess

Mon, Dec 09 2024, 4:35 pm

amother OP wrote:

Making a Shabbos Bar Mitzvah in a couple months be"H and I'm trying to do most of the baking myself.
How far ahead can I bake/cook...

challah 6-8 werks it.
desserts depends which
muffins 4-6 weeks
cookies 8-12 weeks
fruit cobbler or other freezable kugel (not potato) I wouldn’t freeze. The cake part on top gets soggy.
chicken soup (only freezing the broth, not the veggies) 2 months
knaidel 2-3 weeks
deli roll never did this

I'm not asking about food safety. I know that will be fine.
But will these items taste fresher if theyre frozen for only 2 weeks versus 2 months?

Also, if you have good ideas for freezable desserts that are easy to plate, please share.

Thanks!

I’ve done this, and as others posters write, it depends on the freezer. As well, how often you open that freezer.

So assuming you have an excellent freezer, and leave it closed mostly, I’ll comment within your text. And of course wrapped real well.

amother

↑ Antiquewhite

Mon, Dec 09 2024, 4:44 pm

amother OP wrote:

Hmm, how do I know if my freezer has that "taste"? To me it seems okay. I have a chest freezer and regular freezer.

You can't store food in a chest freezer for to long.
Why type of freezer is your regular freezer?

amother

↑ OP ↓

Mon, Dec 09 2024, 5:01 pm

Thanks for all the replies, really appreciate it.
So my chest freezer is manual defrost, but... I haven't defrosted it in several years now and it's grown a lot of ice. I'm thinking I should probably defrost it soon so it will be at its optimal performance.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Mon, Dec 09 2024, 5:02 pm

amother Antiquewhite wrote:

You can't store food in a chest freezer for to long.
Why type of freezer is your regular freezer?

Pretty sure you're wrong about this. I was always told breastmilk lasts longer in a chest freezer than upright, so I'm assuming that applies to food as well.

amother

↑ OP

Mon, Dec 09 2024, 5:15 pm

effess wrote:

Very helpful, thanks!