Meal Prepping Saves Time

If you are not prepping your ingredients for multiple meals at once, you are likely wasting a lot of time in the kitchen. Meal prepping once a week can save you hours, especially if your work week tends to be hectic. Many people prefer to prep on Sunday, but around here that is a day for a family outing or other activity, so I typically prep on Tuesday. The main reason for my choice of day is that the local supermarket offers double gas points, so making the major purchases for the week makes sense.

Because I prefer not to cook much on Sundays, that is the day I try to use up as many leftover items as possible from the refrigerator and freezer. This saves time that would otherwise be spent on the day's meal preparation, in addition to saving money by avoiding waste.

Here are some tips and safety guidelines for food preparation:

Raw vegetables, such as radishes, cauliflower, carrots, celery, onions, squash and sweet potatoes, will keep for a week in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Put a paper towel in the bottom of the container to absorb excess moisture.

Leafy greens and more perishable vegetables, such as broccoli, snow peas, and asparagus, keep best if they  are blanched for 1 to 3 minutes and then refreshed in ice water prior to refrigeration.

Peeled white potatoes will keep 24 hours in the refrigerator if submerged in cold water.

Fresh berries will keep better if a small amount of sugar is added to them before storage. One tablespoon is enough for a 6-ounce clamshell of blackberries. The berries will soften and release juice, but they won't mold. Store in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.

You can roast multiple vegetables and proteins on one or two sheet pans and then store them separately in the refrigerator or freezer. To keep items separated, use inexpensive aluminum foil pans or just aluminum foil. Preheat the oven to 350, prep your foods, and then place them on sheet pans, using one for vegetables and one for meats. Drizzle the food with a little olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and add any herbs or spices that you like. Pop the pans into the oven and bake until the food is done. Check regularly and use tongs to transfer food to appropriate storage containers as it is cooked.

Use an instant-read thermometer to insure food, especially poultry, is at the proper internal temperature. This is especially important for food that you plan to store for later in the week. Undercooked food may spoil.

Purchase ground beef in bulk when it is on sale. Weigh out portions and freeze them that day. Browning the beef, draining off the fat, and then freezing it is another way to save a huge amount of time when later you want to make tacos, spaghetti sauce, chili or Sloppy Joes. You can do the same thing with bulk sausage.

You can also batch cook rice or pasta ahead of time and store it in suitable portions.

Cooked food will keep for three days in the refrigerator. Otherwise, freeze it.

For safety's sake and to avoid damage to your appliance, cooked food should be cool before placing it in the refrigerator or freezer. You can speed up cooling with a small fan, placed to blow air away from the food. Liquid foods in pots or pans can be set in a sink and surrounded with cold water, or in a larger pot filled with ice. This is a good technique for beans, stocks, soup and stew. Stir the liquid every few minutes to speed cooling.

Keep a written inventory posted on your freezer door so you know what you have available for meals. Keep a copy on your phone, as well, so you will have it when at the grocery store.

Putting a little effort into planning and preparation a few hours a week can pay off with more time for you and your loved ones to enjoy life. And that's what it's all about, after all.