mint Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 Yes, it's part of the economy drive, you understand...............instead of 3 ovens, 2 small and 1 medium, I am now down to only ONE but large oven!Soooo inconvenient as I feel guilty if I just sling in a couple of shop bought pizzas!As I love making quiches (and I get free range, organic eggs at a very good price), I am thinking of making at least 2 and probably 4 quiches at the same time to use up all that oven space.How do I obtain the best results if I want to freeze some of the quiches?Is it best to freeze the cases empty but cooked and, if so, still in their tins, or carefully removed and freeze the pastry cases protected by foil, for example?Is it best to freeze the cases empty but raw (in which case, they would need to be left in their tins)?Or are the best results obtained by freezing fully filled? If fully filled, freeze raw or freeze cooked?Didn't think there would be so many options! I could try them all one by one of course but I know that there are many expert cooks on the Forum who would know which way would produce the best results.And, after all, why reinvent the wheel?[:D]I guess I am talking to, off the top of my hat, Fridgeman, Clair, PatF, 5-e and, I hope, many others? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russethouse Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 There is some info here : http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview/id/702405.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charly Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 Know what you mean about making full use of the oven ! I think it's generally accepted that pastry is better if frozen uncooked and then baked from frozen. HOWEVER, just last week I wanted to use up some of the many free range eggs which our hens had produced and as I was going to England to meet my daughter, I thought it would be a good idea to use them up and take her some quiches. This way I used up lots of our eggs and made some instant meals for a busy working Mum. I had some rolls of ready-made pate brise in the fridge (sorry no accents available) and made without additives. I could have made the pastry myself but thought I would try a quick option since it was not expensive. I bought some of the biggest aluminium foil dishes which meant that they could be baked in them and then put straight into the freezer when cold and transported easily. The foil dishes were also very cheap. In the end I made a basic quiche Lorraine, a cheesy potato quiche and a smoked mackerel and tomato one. This used up 10 eggs. I baked them and when they were completely cold, I wrapped each one in freezer film and then placed them flat in the freezer until frozen. I could then stack them without damage and after a week I transported them to England in a freezer bag and they were a huge success. The only downside was , rather than having the makings of 3 easy meals in the freezer for emergencies, two of the quiches were eaten within a week! They were delicious,apparently,and I now intend to do the same for us here in France, so that I have something home made and available almost instantly if we have unexpected guests at mealtimes. No need to de-frost, just remove the wrapping and put into a hot oven for 20 minutes or more until fully heated. If you prefer to use a microwave, the quiche needs to be taken out of its foil dish first of course. Then in either case maybe leave them for 5 minutes before serving as the taste will be so much better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 I make and bake bread, cakes and pies and freeze them, but not 'custard' filled ones any more. I tried it a long time ago and was very unhappy with the filling in comparison to 'fresh'. I wouldn't even freeze the prepared base either baked or raw. I am not a great one for prebaking bases either, depends on what I am doing really.So no, I wouldn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5-element Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 Well I might not be a great example, but I do freeze all kinds of homemade quiches. As I am usually quite stingy on the cream and fats, it doesn't really matter that they have been frozen ha ha ha! Seriously, they always turn out OK, just bang them in the oven to warm up, straight from the congel, and they are fine! Never quite as good as just fresh from the oven, but acceptable anyway.If I am going to freeze a quiche or tart, I bake it in one of those flimsy foil cases, so that it holds it together when you put it in the congelateur, in a plastic bag. Then you can just bang it in the oven in its case when you want to re-heat it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted March 2, 2011 Author Share Posted March 2, 2011 What a knowledgeable lot you all are and thank you very much for all the answers.Depends on how I feel and how much time I have, of course. So.....might well bake the cases and fill as needed or might freeze the cases filled but uncooked or cook them completely and then freeze. I don't like the sound of the third option because I don't know how I'd be able to resist tasting a slice even if just a tiny wedge!I do prefer to pre-bake using ceramic beans (thank you, JJ, for bringing me these little beauties.) We had a full and frank discussion about the necessity of doing this rather tedious thing (do you remember, RH?) and I did try to do it "all in one go" but, time-consuming as it is, I prefer to pre-bake blind.BTW, idun, I do like using your mascapone pastry for quiches. Gives it that taste of decadence!5-e, you are so good not to use too much fat or cream. I, however, have a regrettable penchant for all things that are illegal, immoral or fattening...naughty me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 My quiche custard filling is 'rich'. About three large eggs for a 20 cm baking tin and the rest of the mix made up with double cream. It is not the same after being frozen as fresh.I use my shortcrust pastry recipe for quiches and never pre bake the pastry. I have one thing in the freezer that is a tester and that is a pie made with the mascapone pastry, the filling is creme patissiere mixed with chopped peaches and has a coating of raspberry jam on the base, it is baked. No idea what it will be like. I usually make this up fresh and decided to try freezing.If it is not so good, I'll not freeze one again. AND if it is not so good,we'll do our usual with testers that aren't so good and have it hot with lots of good old fashioned custard! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 Is it me or isn't this all a little self-defeating? You seem to me to be not economising in this way but cooking the thing twice!Why not invest in a microwave/convection oven? That way all you do is heat up a very small space when you are only making a meal for two and you can save your large oven for big occasions. Convection is great for baking and will save you quite a bit in the long run. As part of an economy drive, one big oven seems to do the opposite of saving money to me. Or am I missing something? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 The economising can be on time rather than cooking really. ie I made several steak pies a few weeks ago and they were very nice to get out and bang in the oven when we were busy. I did actually economise on cooking though as I cooked a lot of beef at one time, but the baking is a double bake. Still for the quality and flavour of these pies, it was worth it. I like to bake a lot of bread and freeze that in usuable 'lumps' and I do the same with cakes, so doing that is economical, but as you pointed out, not all the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted March 3, 2011 Author Share Posted March 3, 2011 As always, Coops, you speak with commonsense.It wasn't my choice to have this one big oven which takes forever to heat up, nevermind use to advantage. It was left in my new house and as it has a hood, tiling, units, etc around it, I have no immediate plans to change it.It may be that I shall want to re-jig the kitchen, at which time, I will re-think about the oven.In fact, only last night I was looking at one of those remoska outfits that Clair and others on the Forum have been so enthusiastic about. I don't have much worktop space as my present kitchen is titchy but I suppose it's something that I can stick away in a cupboard.As idun says, it's lovely sometimes to have one humungous cooking session, dirty every pan and utensil in the place, splash fat all over the hob and then have a great big clean-up. BUT after that, for quite a few meals afterwards, you just turn on the microwave and the meal is ready in minutes.The recent weather has been so dreary that I don't mind faffing around the kitchen. At least cooking keeps you warm and beats emptying packing cases! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 I've bought a double oven and use my small oven a lot now. It's gas and heats up very quickly, although in all honesty I am not getting away with all gas cooking very well after 30odd years cooking in electric ovens. I hate that my confidence is knocked and I'm 'never' sure about cooking times. Sure I'll learn though, eventually.I have seen these industrial size ovens and wondered who would buy one, or in fact use them. Seems to be plenty about though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted March 3, 2011 Author Share Posted March 3, 2011 idun, like you, I don't do gas ovens as the one and only time I had one, everything seems to burn on the side towards the back where the burners are.My preference is electric oven and gas hob and gas grill but, these days eye-level gas grills seem to be consigned to museums!In my old house, I have 3 ovens, 2 electric and 1 à bois. The bois one is unsurpassed for cooking meat which you could leave in there for hours without the meat being burnt dry. In fact, I could buy any old, cheap cuts and bung them in there and they will come out juicy, tender, tasty.Now I am all electric though the hob runs on butane.Like you have said, you get a new oven and it takes lots of experimentation to know what it will or will not do.I used to have my own chart for oven temperatures because I didn't find the French temperature knobs(at least the ones on my Godin) correspond to English knobs and the gas mark equivalents were also slightly off. But, once I knew what was what, I could use all the ovens, the hobs, the wok burner, the crockery warmer and every little gadget with utmost confidence.It was fun having all those options but I don't really need them all. Had a legacy and I wanted an oven instead of a car at that time and now no legacy, no decent oven, need to watch the pennies......how life has its ups and downs![:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 In a wild moment I went for gas this time. I have two friends, both very good cooks and both have gas ovens and swear by them, but neither bakes as much as I do, although their 'dinners' are wonderful.I have never had problems with electric ovens in the past, but this is very strange to me. And my merangues are like french merangues, soft like mallow now instead of crisp. At least we have our old french cooker with it's electric fan oven, so we'll get that hooked up and so I'll have a choice.The mascapone pie with creme patissiere etc was good hot with custard and I won't be freezing one again. Seems to have lost 'flavour'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted March 3, 2011 Author Share Posted March 3, 2011 Thanks for that, idun. I won't attempt to freeze anything too rich or creamy. Damn, would have liked to have frozen ready made quiches! Might try it the once as 5-e, who knows a thing or two, seems to think it is OK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 I am not a slim lady, I love my food and know what I like. You really should give it a go, your recipes may freeze better than mine do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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