HOME FREEZING 31 



5. Question: If I purchase a new freezer and preserve my foods by freezing 

 rather than by other methods, will our yearly food cost be increased significantly? 



Answer: On the basis of recommended food preservation budgets as 

 prepared by our Extension Service, it would appear that the change to freezing 

 may add as much as $50 to $70 per year to the food budget. 



6. Question: Are all foods adaptable for freezing? 



Answer: Yes, most foods may be satisfactorily preserved by home freez- 

 ing, if they are prepared, packaged, and stored properly. Most fruits, vege- 

 tables, meats, fish, poultry, butter, eggs, and certain specialty and pre-cooked 

 foods are adapted to freezing. However, tomatoes have not been satisfactory 

 when frozen and it is preferable to can them. Some difficulties have been en- 

 countered in freezing green beans. 



7. Question: What place does home freezing have in the food preservation 

 schedule? 



Answer: In rural areas where people raise and slaughter much of their 

 own meat, home freezing should be more important than in semi-rural and urban 

 areas such as make up much of this State. In any case, home freezing has a 

 certain value from the standpoint of convenience and the personal satisfaction 

 derived from it. In normal times the economy of purchasing meat in large quan- 

 tities for freezing is questionable. This would mean that if one attempted to 

 justify the need for home freezing it would have to be for the freezing of fruits 

 and vegetables. In this area, tomatoes and green beans probably constitute 50 

 to 60 percent of all the food usually canned at home and, as indicated previously, 

 these two products are not so well adapted to freezing and might just as well be 

 canned. With small fruits such as strawberries and raspberries, freezing is 

 certainly unexcelled as a method of preservation. All things considered, home 

 freezing does not appear to be as important in Massachusetts as it may prove to 

 be in certain other sections of the country. We think of freezing as best used to 

 supplement, rather than to replace other methods of food preservation. 



8. Question: It certainly sounds as though an individual should give careful 

 thought to his food needs and whether or not home freezing will measure up to 

 expectations before investing in a home freezer. 



Answer: Yes, although on first thought home freezing certainly sounds 

 like an attractive proposition, a person should give some thought to the matter 

 of what he expects to get out of freezing, and whether or not a home freezer will 

 come up to his expectations and needs before he purchases a unit. From con- 

 tacts we have had with home freezer owners, it would appear that although 

 many are well pleased with freezing, others are quite dissatisfied and disappointed. 

 However, in some cases of dissatisfaction, the trouble seems to have been caused 

 by the use of improper preparation and freezing methods. In this respect, we 

 cannot stress too strongly the importance of obtaining good instructions for the 

 preparation, packaging, and freezing of foods and following these instructions. 



9. Question: Is it true that only certain varieties of fruits and vegetables 

 are suitable for freezing? 



Answer: Yes, in freezing, varieties are probably more important than in 

 home canning. Some varieties of fruits and vegetables retain their color and 



