Foods to freeze, and what to avoid

The trick to keeping your cool while hosting a party is to do what you can in advance. Here's a list of what freezes.

Remember: Always cool cooked food completely before wrapping and freezing. To cool a batch of something like soup, place the pan of hot food in a sink with ice water.

• Baked goods. Cakes; cookies and brownies; breads; rolls; quick breads and muffins.

• Fruit-filled pies. They can be frozen baked or unbaked.

• Baking supplies: Butter, nuts, chocolates and specialty flours such as rye or whole wheat.

• Eggs. You can freeze lightly beaten whole eggs removed from their shells. Unbeaten egg whites can be frozen. Egg yolks get gummy; stir in ‹ teaspoon salt or 1½ teaspoon sugar or corn syrup for every four yolks, label and freeze.

• Cooked eggs that include yolks and whites, such as scrambled eggs.

• Unbaked casseroles. They can go straight into the oven without thawing; just add 10 to 15 minutes to the baking time.

• Meat, fish and poultry: Raw or cooked, but make sure it's sealed tightly. Raw meat will keep longer than cooked. Remember that the length of time is important for quality, not safety: An uncooked turkey in its original wrapper can be safe for years, but will eventually suffer from freezer burn.

• Cooked rice and pasta. If they're frozen with a sauce, they'll absorb much of it by the time they're reheated.

• Tomato- or broth-based sauces and gravies.

• Vegetables prepped for freezing (most need to be blanched in boiling water, then shocked in cold water. Vegetables and fruits will be soft after thawing, but the difference isn't noticeable when they're cooked.

• Fruit. Most can be frozen without sugar for a few months, but you need to use syrup or sugar to freeze longer.

• Cooked beans.

• Milk. It may separate and will need to be shaken up. Make sure you remove some from the container to allow for expansion.