Containers for repackaging frozen food

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that enjoys cooking.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

Biser

Assistant Cook
Joined
Apr 18, 2008
Messages
14
Location
Ossining, NY
You've probably all seen the large packages of frozen vegetables for restaurant use that Sam's Club/BJ's/Costco sells. Is anyone out there repackaging these things into human sized portions?

I was actually thinking of using those large gallon sized glass jars that seal with the rubber ring and wire snap. Fill it full of pre-frozen corn/peas/carrots/beans and just pour out a meal sized portion when needed. I've given up on the Rubbermaid plastic containers because they are hard to open and shatter if you give them a little bump when frozen ( they seem more delicate than glass when cold ).

I have a 19 cubic foot freezer coming next Thursday...
 
Sounds like it's time for a Food Saver :chef: You won't regret it. That's what I use to re-portion those huge bags of food into manageable amounts.
 
I, myself, don't usually buy the large packages (although with a family of 5 I probably should!), so don't have much call to repackage and freeze. When I do, I use the Ziplock freezer bags and they work fine for me.
A lot of people on here have the Food Savers and they seem to like them a lot.
 
I would think the Zip Lock freezer bags would work quite well.....Both the quart and pint size are nice...

Welcome to DC....

Have Fun!!

My thoughts as well. Less expensive and take up less space with no unwanted airspace in the package.
 
I agree with the above :rolleyes:
I like my Foodsaver and also have the Reynold's Handivac (at 1/10 the cost). I use both often enough to have them both.
Ziplocs are fine, too, if use your portions up quickly enough. Otherwise, I think you would be happier vaccum sealing and removing all the air. IMO vaccum sealing is more for long term freezing.
 
We have both a FoodSaver and Reynolds Handivac. Both have their place in food storage.

I'd say if you are storing veggies, a Handivac would work well enough for you, but I wouldn't keep the veggies in the freezer longer than 3 months. The veggies will probably keep longer in the freezer if stored in FoodSaver bags.
 
IMO - I would 86 the idea of the bail closure glass jars, Biser - for a couple of reasons. First - air is your enemy (that's why vacuum sealing preserves food longer without freezer burn) and as the contents in the jars decreases the space they require in the freezer remains the same ... makes little sense to use up a gallon of space for a pint of peas sort of thing. And, it the jars are round, they will hold about 1/3 less than if the same size jars were square.

I generally reserve my FoodSaver bags for more expensive things like meats - and just divvy up things like vegetables among Ziplock FREEZER bags - and squeeze out as much air as I can before I finish sealing them. They are generally good for about 3 months - and as you remove some of the contents you can squeeze out the air and reseal.

I must admit that I have not tried the Reynold's HandiVac ... but I'm going to WalMart later this evening and will give them a serious look-see. If you can re-vac the bags - that would seem like an ideal solution! The Reynold's website says that the storage time of blanched vegetables (which is what you are getting if you buy them frozen at the store) is 8-12 months.

EDIT: I have to admit - this is going to be a fun experiment! I picked up a HandiVac "starter kit" at WalMart while ago for $6.98 ... and a box of the quart and gallon bags for $2.84 each.

Although I know the HandiVac isn't as efficient at drawing a vacuum as a FoodSaver ... I'm wondering if you can re-vacuum the bags ... the Reynolds website and the packaging doesn't mention that "specifically" - it says you can reseal the bags - but is that just like resealing a ziplock bag or does that mean you can re-vac the bags??

Now that I have a HandiVac - and I have some bags - and I have a 3-lb bag of frozen vegetables ... and some frozen potatoes ... time to experiment!
 
Last edited:
Is "Ziplock" better than generic bags?

Ok, I'm giving up the idea of gallon glass jars in the freezer. Most of the replies say that "ziplock freezer bags" are better. Is this a generic ziplock or the trademarked "Ziplock"?

Is one brand better than another? "Ziplock" versus "A&P" versus "BJ's"? As long as they're freezer bags ( thicker, I think )?
 
I really can't say. I use Ziplocks, not generic. What's important is a thick plastic and an effective sealing mechanism. The Ziplocks have a double sealing strip. Others may be as good.

We received a store brand of freezer bags and they are mich thinner plastic than the Ziplocks.
 
If you are serious into storing foods for longer periods of time, then the FoodSaver is the way to go. If you think you will turnover the food at a much quicker pace, then the Ziplock and or Handi-Vac is the way to go.
 
Although I know the HandiVac isn't as efficient at drawing a vacuum as a FoodSaver ... I'm wondering if you can re-vacuum the bags ... the Reynolds website and the packaging doesn't mention that "specifically" - it says you can reseal the bags - but is that just like resealing a ziplock bag or does that mean you can re-vac the bags??

Now that I have a HandiVac - and I have some bags - and I have a 3-lb bag of frozen vegetables ... and some frozen potatoes ... time to experiment!

I have reused and re-vac the bags with no problem.
 
Is this a generic ziplock or the trademarked "Ziplock"?

Is one brand better than another? "Ziplock" versus "A&P" versus "BJ's"? As long as they're freezer bags ( thicker, I think )?
Actually you may have to experiment with the brands. Plastic breathes and not all "freezer" bags are equal in reducing the air from penetrating. If you have ever compared the vacuum-seal plastic with the baggies, there is a big difference. But, put it this way, Freezer bags are better than the regular bags.

Any bag or recycled container you end up using also must be "food grade". Many of our everyday stuff that we reuse is not.
 
I do use the Zip Lock brand in this case. Most of the time I am happy with generics, but the ALDI, Jewel, Kroger, and Dominick's generics in this case just simply did not hold up as well as Zip Lock did. I also liked the double zipper where it goes from two colors to one color, makes it easy to know it is sealed. I always push as much air out as is possible with them, but I also don't store anything longer than maybe a month at most which is why I use them to begin with and not a Handy-Vac or Food Saver.
The most notable problem I had with the generics is they would actually come unzipped in the freezer. Sometimes you would think they were zipped and they actually weren't, but sometimes I knew for sure they were zipped but then later would find them 'popping' open as if the zipper part was expanding or something and causing it to pop out of the channel and hence open up.
 
Back
Top Bottom