Freezing Homemade Pet Food

In the wake of the recent pet food recall, concerned pet owners can turn to a trusted source - their own kitchens - to prepare homemade pet food. But it's important to follow steps to ensure proper nutrition, preparation and storage when preparing pet food recipes at home.

Professional chef and co-author of pet cookbook Throw Me a Bone Sally Sampson says the first step is to find recipes that have been approved by a veterinarian or veterinary nutritionist to be certain you're meeting your pet's dietary needs. When it comes to cooking, Sampson says people should prepare pet food with the same level of care they would for the rest of the family, using fresh and nutritious ingredients.

Sampson suggests making large batches of meals and storing some for later to cut down on time in the kitchen and make the process easier. To keep food fresher, Sampson recommends measuring individual servings and storing homemade pet food in Ball freezer jars, which work in the refrigerator or freezer without requiring the traditional canning process of applying heat.

"The range of jar sizes makes it easy to store homemade pet food in individual portions, and Ball freezer jars help the pet food stay fresh," explains Sampson. Following are two recipes your dog will love from Sampson's book, Throw Me a Bone. All recipes have been approved by a veterinary nutritionist.

Classic Doghouse Chop

Ingredients: 1 pound of meat: 2 filet mignons, pork chops, veal chops or lamb chops; or 1 sirloin, T-bone, porterhouse or rib steak; 1/2 cup steamed broccoli or spinach.

Cooking instructions: Preheat the broiler or prepare the grill. Place the meat about 3-4 inches from the heat source and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, until medium rare. Remove the bone, cut into1/2 inch cubes and mix with steamed vegetables.

Storage instructions: This recipe makes approximately two servings. Place each serving in a suitably sized Ball freezer jar and store in the refrigerator for four days or in the freezer for three months.

Disclaimer: For this recipe, Ball jars should only be used for refrigerator or freezer storage. Do not process the recipe in a canner or store jars on a pantry shelf.

Terrier Tofu

Ingredients: 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 2 finely chopped garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger root, 1 pound firm or extra firm tofu cut into 1/2 inch cubes, 2 large beaten eggs, 1/2 cup shredded carrots, 1/2 cup fresh bean sprouts.

Cooking instructions: Place the oil in a large wok or skillet over high heat and, when it is hot, add the garlic, ginger, and tofu. Cook for 1 minute. Add the eggs and carrots and cook until the mixture begins to firm up, about 1 minute. Lower the heat and cook for an additional minute, being careful not to overcook the eggs. Let cool to room temperature and garnish with the bean sprouts.

Storage instructions: Measure approximately 3/4 cup servings. Place each serving in a suitably sized Ball freezer jar and store in the refrigerator for one week or in the freezer for three months.

Disclaimer: For this recipe, Ball jars should only be used for refrigerator or freezer storage. Do not process the recipe in a canner or store jars on a pantry shelf.