Freezer labels
General educational information only; not medical or nutrition advice.
FREEZER & BB LABELS
Freeze by recipe
BB means a planned best-before month for quality, not a safety guarantee. The recipe supplies its own window.
Use the component named
Some recipes freeze only the filling, sauce or curry. Keep fresh rice, crunchy toppings and tortilla strips separate. Cool promptly in shallow containers, then freeze airtight today at 0°F.
Choose a portion you can finish
Freeze one serving for one person, two for a pair or four for a family. Use shallow freezer-safe containers; leave room for soup to expand. Divide a batch by its listed serving count rather than guessing equal bowls.
Write only the useful label
Use Recipe Name — BB MM-YY. Add the recipe's month window to the month you freeze it. A 3-month soup frozen in November 2026 gets BB 02-27; a 2-month soup gets BB 01-27. Plan to eat it by the start of that BB month for a conservative month-only system.
Thaw and reheat
Thaw in the refrigerator, never on the counter. Reheat as the recipe directs and check 165°F. Freezing pauses deterioration; it does not make unsafe food safe. Continuously frozen food stays safe longer than its quality target.
Example: Chicken & White-Bean Soup — BB 02-27. No frozen-on date is required on the reader label.
BATCH COOKING
Give the freezer a rotation
Freeze meals you like in amounts you will use. Leave enough space for air circulation and for the next grocery trip.
Choose a small starting set
Try one 3-month soup, one 2-month soup and a filling. Chicken and white-bean soup (3.9), turkey meatball soup (3.10) and taco filling (3.6) make a useful first rotation.
Track the portions
Keep a list outside the freezer: recipe, portions and BB month. Cross out portions as you use them. Put the earliest BB labels where you can reach them without unpacking the shelf.
Plan one thawed meal
Choose tomorrow's container tonight and thaw it in the refrigerator. Put fresh bread, rice or toppings on the meal plan now. A frozen soup is easier to use when its side is already decided.
Review the result
If a texture disappoints, shorten your personal quality target and change the next batch size. The book's BB windows are conservative planning choices. Keep the handling rules on Keep good food safe-Freeze by recipe.
Sources
This cookbook supports meal planning for training and competition. It is not a substitute for professional medical or nutrition advice. Discuss health concerns, dietary restrictions and weight changes with a qualified health-care professional. Younger athletes should involve a parent or guardian.