What do you freeze your foods in?

[chris629]

I am wanting to start freezing food that we can use as we need them. But don't really have money to buy a whole bunch of containers, is there anything else I can freeze things in that are ok? Are the ziplock freezer bags ok for this? For sauces I almost have to buy those containers, huh?
But just wanted to make sure this was ok before I did it and ruined something.
Thanks!

 

[Lifter]

Hi Chris!

Ziploc bags work well, just "suck the air out" of them...

Likewise non-zip plastic, FOOD GRADE bags work very well, again, expel the air to avoid "freezer burn".

Plastic containers with the "snap lock" tops work okay, too, better with "liquids" such as soups and gravies, less so, in my own opinion, with meats or veggies...

Raw meats freeze very well in brown paper "butcher wraps" and have not had big problems in freezing the "tray packed" meats in styrofoam trays with plastic cling wrap, either...

Buying raw fruit or veggies, and freezing them (ie as from the garden or orchard) is a bit more complex...

Am I answering your question? Lots of practised "experts" on this List, I'm sure we can help you get to where you want to go!

Get back on with your questions!

Lifter

 

[Rob Babcock]

I realize it's not super cheap, but go to Wally World and get yourself a Talia Foodsaver if you can. After having one for a couple years I can't imagine how I got by without it. It vaccum packs things, drawing out all the air. That lets stuff keep 2-4 times as long in the fridge or near indefinately in the freezer. Since no air gets in, bacteria that grows in an anerobic environment is suppress, plus no air = no freezer burn. Plus you can throw the bags into boiling water if you like. Works well to freeze entrees to cook in the bag later.

Another perk is that you can buy stuff in larger quantities without it spoiling. How many times have you seen big packs of cheese, whole porkloins, etc and said to yourself, "that's a good deal but I'll never use it all." Well buy that porkloin, keep a chunk out to roast, then cut the rest to chops and vac them. I'll sometimes wrap my chops in bacon and then vac them; they keep in the fridge for quite awhile, and you only make a mess once.

 

[kyles]

Go to a second hand shop or super cheap store and buy yourself a heap of ice cube trays. You can freeze stocks and sauces in them, and once they are frozen, pack the cubes in freezer bags. I use ziplock bags for just about everything, I don't have a vacuum sealer, just my fair hands.

If you are freezing vegetables most will need to be blanched (plunged in boiling water for 1 - 2 minutes) and then frozen when cool. If freezing small veg like baton carrots, peas etc, best to freeze on a single layer on a tray and then package into bags once frozen.

Home freezing is one of the best things you can do in your kitchen, in my opinion. Nothing better than a home cooked meal when you come in from work, much more satsifying than anything you can buy in a supermarket.

 

[Catseye]

One thing ... if you can't spare a lot of your containers to freeze things in, do this: Line the container with tinfoil so that long flaps stick out beyond all the edges. Put the food item in, then fold down the flaps so that the item is completely enwrapped. Put it in the freezer. When it is frozen, take it from the container and put it back in the freezer on its own. Then you have your container back.

This is better done with solid things, like casseroles or lasagna. Also, you have to remember to put it in a container when you are defrosting it. And I don't even want to think about a power outage . . . :?


Cats

 

[chris629]

Thanks so much girls! I am planning on buying a vac sealer as soon as we get ahead from the holidays again.
I am planning on making as much as I can myself and that way save money, and do what I LOVE to do at the same time.
I am getting into making more things and then whatever is left I leave out some for dh to take to work and maybe a little for my 16 mo old son the next mealtime and then freeze the rest.
I can't wait to actually start getting into this habit.

 

[crewsk]

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/prod...ype=1&dept=5428&path=0:5428:51199:77079:79509

Here's the food vac that my MIL gave me for Christmas. It's not as expensive as some of the other ones.

 

[chris629]

Awesome! Thank you!

 

[crewsk]

You're quite welcome! My kids are hiding from me because they are afraid that I will try to seal them along with avarything else!

 

[chris629]

I already know I will become addicted to using it.

 

[crewsk]

Yes, it dosen't take long to do that at all!

 

[Claire]

I do similar to cats eye, but don't bother to line the containers with foil. For example if I have 3 containers of red sauce, I freeze, then turn upside down and after a minute or two (not enough to thaw), I pop them out and put into one big baggie. I don't have a big freezer any more, so when I make stock, I refridgerate and skim, then while it is cold and gelatinous it's relatively easy to scoop into a baggie, squish out excess air, and you have a relatively flat "pillow" you can easily stack in the freezer. Also did this with tomatoes and tomato sauce. Don't use expensive ones and have seldom found it to be a problem. Remember if using baggies to write on them with your sharpie BEFORE handling the wet ingredients, or the writing will just wipe off.

"Family Dollar" and "Dollar General" chains often have huge sets of plastic containers for very cheap. They aren't as airtight as Tupperware, but for most purposes (especially my "pop it out" way of doing things where they're basically just a mold), they work fine. Yard sales work well also.

 

[Coco]

Ice cube trays are awesome for sauces. Once they are frozen I pop them out into bags, and then when I need some, I just take as many cubes as I need.

Like yesterday, I made pizza, so I pulled out 8 cubes of marinara sauce for the pizza....so easy!

I freeze most things in bags, because they're much easier to store in the freezer. Some cooked things, like quesadillas, I wrap well in plastic wrap and then bag them all.

 

[momcooks]

Foodsaver here too. The boiling water is the only way to go. Then it doesn't have that reheated microwave texture. It's the only way I'll do tamales anymore.

 

[Michael in FtW]

For short-term (1-3 months) storage I use Ziploc bags - for longer term I break out the Foodsaver.

For the Ziploc bags - I put the "stuff" in it - zip the top mostly closed, and expell the air - then finish sealing, flaten the bag out and freeze flat. I use this mainly for liquid, or things with a lot of liquid, like stew, chili, beans, pasta sauces, etc.

 

[norgeskog]

I have a food saver, the suck-the-air-out-of-the-plastic bag thing and it is the best appliance I have ever purchased. NO throw aways of food I use it on. NO freeezer burn,

 

[Hungry]

Thanks so much girls! I am planning on buying a vac sealer as soon as we get ahead from the holidays again.
I am planning on making as much as I can myself and that way save money, and do what I LOVE to do at the same time.
I am getting into making more things and then whatever is left I leave out some for dh to take to work and maybe a little for my 16 mo old son the next mealtime and then freeze the rest.
I can't wait to actually start getting into this habit.

Hi Christina,
I just got a Tilla Food Saver for Xmas and joined a FS Group at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FoodSaver/

Lots of good ideas here.

Charlie

 

[mudbug]

Charlie, thanks for that link. Got hubby a foodsaver for Christmas, so we will be needing all the tips we can find!