I recommend that you find a thermometer that records min and max temp, and put it in the freezer. Depending on how good the controller is, there may be a big difference between the min and max temperature. If it goes much below about 25F, I would get worried. Or you could throw a couple of "sacrificial" bulbs in there and see if it kills them. One way to protect the bulbs is to control the rate of temperature change. You can do this by placing a bunch of bulbs inside an insulated container, like a styrofoam cooler with a styrofoam lid, and then place the whole thing in the freezer. Now the temp inside the cooler will change much more slowly than the temp in the freezer. Often, it is not the freezing temperature which kills bulbs, but the rate of change of freezing. For example, if a bulb is at the soil surface on a freezing night, it will freeze much more quickly than a bulb that is 6 inches underground.

debra, I LOVE red & yellow peppers, and like you I buy lots when they're on sale! Then I just halve, core & seed them, and cut into strips or rings. Pop 'em into Ziploc bags and do just like you say --- knock them loose a bit and remove however much I need. No need to blance or cook up first in any way --- this way they are ready for whatever use. For your stuffed peppers, I have done this too --- they freeze great! I would cook everything before freezing (saute onions, hamburger & whatever other seasonings, combine with cooked rice, stuff into peppers, top with cheese if desired, and cook in a baking dish with a little water or tomato juice in the bottom for 20 to 30 minutes till peppers are soft and cheese melted. Then let the peppers cool, and wrap them individually tightly in plastic wrap, and pop several into a Ziploc with the air sucked out. This way I can take out however many I want, defrost, and reheat in microwave or in oven to get cheese bubbly. Aren't peppers great? Zabby

Bulk foods has the tomato powder in many amounts, as well as the calcium chloride, citric, dried soup greens, and so many old timey candies, granolas, dried fruits.. etc... I love their sugarless turtles, caramel, pecans, and chocolate. All kinds of stuff there, and the tomato power is free flowing. I keep it in the fridge, as it can darken a bit if left out a long time. Also get a lot of other stuff like starch, powdered eggs and whites and all sorts of goodies. Where else are youb going to find Japanese style peanuts. These are coated with a sslightly sweet/salty soy, and are hard to stop eating. Remember Mary Janes and maple nuts, Kits, rock candy, 2 1/4 inch jaw breakers! You wil go nuts! (pardon the pun) Your right Zabby.. For dried garlic and onion in tomato sauces I tried a dried, sliced, roasted garlic from somewhere, but it was unpleasant tasting . I use the dried minced and granulated stuff , even sweet pepper flakes and because its dry it soaks up the tomato liquids as well as absorbing the necessary acid. Has never failed me yet.. Garlic, is perfectly safe to can by itself is its pickled in a vinegar salt brine. Like eating peanuts, you just can stop ourself., I used to make quart jars for a friend who would go through a jar in a couple of weeks, and used it in almost everything. Placs like Costco and BJ's used to carry the granulated onions and garlic and smome minced. But both seem to now only offer powders (which clump!) and chopped. Here's my favorite source for these now. Used to also get stuff from the Ingredient Store for many years, but the original owner has recently passed away, just 2 weeks after we had a nice converastion about his efforts in the food industry for 50 years. His kids are running the business for now, but are just too busy to effectivly run it with as many selections of items. Its still the ONLY place I can find the modified food starch called FREEZER FLOW, which is even more stable once cooked and frozen and refrozen if needed. Freezer Flow's nicest property is it will still hold up better to high acid foods and freezing that tend to break down a little in Clear Gel. The same people make FAB marinades, for beef, pork and poultry. These mixes are added to water and injected or marinated. Some of the secret recipes of BBQ people use it. Then there is the '11 herbs and spices', which is about as close to KFC as you can get. Unless the Prudhomme stuff is cheap at a local Christmass tree shop, I just use what I like. Big jars of italian seasoning, dried peppers and onion, basil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, oregano, savory and a few others. Goes well with almost any italian things, inlcuding adding to bread dough, and pizza doughs. Nothing like crusty bread for dipping in an olive oil and balsamic vinegar with herbs added.. Don't get me started!! Here is a link that might be useful: Bulk foods

Saving whole tomato as frozen, requires TOO MUCH storage volume. But if you convert it into sauce you will reduce its volume by more than half. There is no advantage in freezing tomato as whole or as smashed. When you lightly smash it, you get the juice out quickly. Then freeze the remainder in zip bag. But as somebody mentioned, freezing them whole is easiest and the quickest way to deal with it. Call it comfort factor.