The foods you should be freezing and how long they actually keep

By Genevieve Ko, The New York Times

The drive to prepare a meal can come in waves. You braise short ribs for hours on Sunday and struggle to gather the will to make ramen on Thursday. On those nights, it helps to have a freezer full of, well, braised short ribs. It’s cheaper than takeout, requires nearly no energy to reheat and feels like an act of care, past you taking care of present you.

The freezer is the best source of fully cooked dishes, homemade meals that need only to be heated through and, of course, desserts for sweet cravings. (It also remains a smart place to store many ingredients.)

And it’s as simple to stack up dishes in your freezer as it is to understand what keeps best and when to eat it.

What can I freeze?

You can freeze anything, although some foods are better suited and all start to diminish in taste, texture and scent over time. So it’s not exactly a matter of can, but should.

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