I freeze figs (no name variety, large green) with the following method which grew out of desperation to stay ahead of the crows. I harvest the figs when they have swelled and start to soften slightly--about 12-24 hours from being ripe. Let them continue to ripen for 12-24 hours on the counter. Cut 1/4 inch off the stem end and cut the figs in half. Place about 1/8 inch of fruity syrup in the bottom of a baking dish and place the figs cut side down in the syrup first and then turn them over to bake. My favorite syrup is (a) creme de cassis and a little lemonade or limeade concentrate or (b) a combination of fruity liqueur (raspberry) and black currant nectar. I bake the figs at 425 for 35 minutes. Once cooled, pour them into a pint canning jar and freeze, leaving headroom to expand and don't tighten the lid down until they have frozen solid. They defrost perfectly in a microwave. Experiment with the syrup--balsamic vinegar glaze also adds a kick.

The only reason for the cookie sheet method is because once they are blanched and quickly cooled, they still have traces of water on them. If tightly packed in a plastic bag they tend to freeze up into a clump. If ice cream has an odd taste and texture when stored in the freezer as if it were dehydrated, the freezer may have to long a defrost cycle. A good cheap freezer thermometer is useful. One of mine here as a horizontal one that just sits on a shelf with no readings except a center line mark that is the optimum freezing temperature of zero. I see it boldly every time I open the door. My side by side with ice and water in the freezer door is always very cold. I left a can of soda in there for a little over a half hour to quickly chill it and it almost exploded. Mine has four ways to make freezing temperatures more finely tuned by the use of baffles that open and close, an adjustable port hole at the bottom of the freezer that pours cold air over to the meat area of my fridge, and then the regulat temperature setting knob and a seperate freezer and refrigerator knob. Its a Kenmore, my mom bought about 25 years ago. I do notice my newer upright freezer is more aggresive when it comes to removing frost and creating ice crystals inside the freezer bags. The FS machine is great though as most anything I bag (mostly meats) keep really well. I wouldn't use the FS for beans as they are just too many small spaces between each bean, so pulling a vacuum would crush most, or would be more bulky and have bigger open spaces inside, if the beans were frozen on a cookie sheet first. You simply cannot pull all the air out of a bag of beans that were previously frozen on a cookie sheet. On the other hand, things like perogies, ravioli, and Peking dumplings are better if they get individually frozen before bagging. Nothing worse than trying to seperate a big block of pasta all frozen into a big lump. Refrigerator temperatures should be set at no more than 40 degrees. Mine is down to 34 and keeps everything very well. After adding the Ozonator unit, the stuff in the fridge lasts MUCH longer now and nothing gets any off tastes anymore. Much better than a box of baking soda.

Because the raw whole mushrooms do shrink quite a lot, it may be wise to precook them. They also exude a lot of liquid. Place them whole, with the stems removed, in the microwave dish and nuke for a few minutes until they tunr tan color. Save the juices for the stuffing. Once you make the batch of stuffing and fill each precooked mushroom cap, place them on a big cookie sheet and freeze. Be sure to add an egg to help bind the stuffing together. The 'shrooms will already be cooked and the stuffing will get the baking when they are taken from the freezer and baked. This way, the caps will not push out the stuffing when they shrink from cooking/baking. Mushrooms hold up quite well to a cooking and freezing. One herb that adds an interesting flavor is tarragon, also summer savory, as well as a bit of precooked pork sausage meat finely crumbled. I made a big batch that way. Some of the mushrooms were 3 inches in diameter even after they were cooked! The stems get chopped up and also added to the stuffing.

Cilantro is quite volitile and cannot be dried or canned well, as the smell and flavor are totally lost within a few days. Even fresh store bought, loses a lot of flavor within a few days. When I serve salsa, I always buy a bunch of cilantro to chop up some to be added once its opened. I also add a chopped onion, maybe a pepper or two and a tomato or two, just for a bit more fresh texture from the original home canned product