Living on a farm has its perks. We collect over 100 fresh eggs a day and grow 1.5 acres of fruits and vegetables for our local community. But at this point in the summer, I’m overwhelmed with tomatoes, eggplant, cucumbers, zucchini, summer squash, corn, peppers, and greens. All the veggies seem to be ready right at this moment! Previously, I processed, pickled, fermented, and canned everything but now that I have 1 ½ year old twins, getting out the canning pot feels overwhelming.
Luckily, I have my Souper Cubes to help this year. Instead of canning, I’ll be freezing tomato sauce, roasted eggplant, shredded zucchini, apple crisp, pesto zucchini pasta, and shakshuka, just to name a few.
Benefits of Freezing in Individual Portions
Freezing food in portions means you can heat up only the amount you'll eat instead of thawing an entire recipe. This means you can have a different meal every day for lunch instead of eating the same thing over and over, or even worse, getting tired of it and throwing it away. Freezing food in Souper Cubes portioned trays means you'll waste a lot less food.
Thawing individual portions also takes a lot less time than thawing an entire recipe frozen in a large block. Even if you want to thaw several portions, they'll thaw much quicker either in the microwave, in your refrigerator, or on the stove.
Best Sizes of Souper Cubes Trays to Use
For ingredients that you only want to thaw small amounts of, like pesto, roasted garlic, or tomato paste, we like to use the 2 tablespoon tray. For soups, stews, side dishes, and mains, we use the 1 cup and 2 cup trays.
The stoneware is also key for reheating as the 2 cup cubes fit perfectly.
Recipes for Your Summer Produce
Tomatoes
Slow Cooked Meat Sauce
Enjoy this slow cooked meat sauce over spaghetti or use it to make lasagna, stuffed peppers, baked ziti, or stuffed shells. You can even cook your noodles and freeze them along with the meat sauce in our 2-cup cubes.
Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup
Tomato soup and grilled cheese is one of my all-time favorite combinations. Use those ripe tomatoes to make this easy soup and freeze it in 1 cup portions when you need a quick lunch.
Shakshuka
Shakshuka is a Middle Eastern and North African dish of eggs poached in a sauce of spiced tomatoes and peppers. It usually takes a little while to make the sauce but you can make a big batch and freeze it in your Souper Cubes for whenever you’d like a more special breakfast than cereal.
More Ideas for Freezing Tomatoes
Zucchini & Yellow Squash
Zucchini Bread
Any excuse to whip up a quick cream cheese frosting and use up zucchini is a win win in my book. This easy zucchini bread recipe is sweet enough to be used as a dessert but not too sweet to also be a nice breakfast or afternoon tea companion. Michelle likes to add chocolate chips but I'm a pecan fan myself. Luckily, this recipe is customizable and when you bake in Souper Cubes, you can even make 4 different versions if using your 1 cup trays.
Pesto Chicken, Zucchini, and Orzo Pasta
If you have time to make your own pesto, this recipe for Pesto Chicken, Zucchini, and Orzo pasta does doubly duty when helping you freeze your summer haul. I like to make it in my 2-cup Souper Cubes then reheat it in the stoneware.
More Ideas for Freezing Zucchini & Yellow Squash
Eggplant
Roasting eggplants on the grill is a lot easier less messy than indoors. And if you're roasting one, you might as well roast a bunch so do a big batch and freeze it! You can use them to make a quick babaganoush or this delicious vegan Baingan Barta.
More Ideas for Freezing Eggplant
Corn
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Garlic, cumin, oregano, and chipotles in adobo make this Chicken Tortilla Soup incredible flavorful. After reheating, serve it with your favorite fresh and crunchy toppings like crushed tortilla chips, sour cream, avocado, and pickled jalapeños. We promise, this will be your new favorite soup!
Chicken Chili with White Corn
Chili freezes extremely well and this recipe for Chicken Chili with White Corn is easy thanks to the use of the Carroll Shelby White Chicken Chili Kit. This recipe also uses tomatoes and peppers, so is a good way to use several summer veggies all in one quick 30-minute recipe.
More Ideas for Freezing Corn
Peaches, Apples, & Berries
Strawberry Crisp
Freezing small servings of desserts, like this Strawberry Crisp, allows for individuals or small families to heat up just enough for a serving or two. This recipe is incredible versatile and also works for apples, peaches, or any other berries, such as blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries.
Blueberry Banana Bread
Baking in Souper Cubes allows for you to make smaller portions of all your baked goods. Here, we use blueberries and bananas in this half whole-wheat quick bread, but this recipe for Blueberry Banana Bread can be made with any berries you have on hand.
Homemade Applesauce
Freezer-friendly applesauce is a great way to preserve your apple haul when they are in season. Applesauce is great all on it's own or can even be frozen and then used in baking all year round. Making it at home also means you can control the amount of sugar and spice to you and your families preferences.
More Ideas for Freezing Fruit
- Easy Pear Sauce
- Freezer Peach Jam
Tips for Freezing and Thawing
If the recipe contains pasta, cook the pasta one minute less than package instructions. When you reheat the food, the pasta will then be less mushy.
To reheat, place a frozen cube in the microwave or on the stove. If using the microwave, reheat in increments, stirring occasionally to help distribute the heat. Adding a splash of water, broth, or milk will help the cube thaw quicker.
For more tips on freezing soup, check out this article: How to Freeze Soup & Reheat It For The Perfect Weeknight Meal
We would love to hear your ideas or better yet, post a photo of your cubes organized in our Freezer Meals & Recipes Facebook Group!