How do you freeze things?
How does one go about freezing, say, a casserole? What type of container is best for freezing, and how do you transfer the casserole (or whatever) from the cooking dish to the freezing dish without disrupting it (like it is was a lasagna, you wouldn't want a big old gloppy pile of it when you unfroze it...) Do you have to buy special freezing containers? How long should a frozen item be kept in the freezer before it should be eaten or thrown out or gets frostbite? |
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| I freeze many things. I have sauce in there, chili, soups, broth ect
First I take glass containers with lids, when I put them in the freezer I make sure they are level. I use freezer bags for the broth and lay them on a cookie sheet till frozen the stack them. For most I have a foodsaver wich takes all the air out. things last long then. For a casarole I have to make my own bags with the food saver, you can put the whole thing in the same dish you cook in. Again it takes all the air out. Hope this helps |
| I read this in a "Hints from Heloise" book. For freezing casseroles, line the baking dish with foil before you put the casserole in the oven. Pop the leftovers into the freezer in the baking dish. Then you can lift the contents out with the foil when they are frozen and stick them in freezer bags. Hope this made sense. |
| Ooh, Paula, that made sense and was a GREAT suggestion. That was one of my biggest questions...how people didn't run out of their baking dishes, etc. if everything was just sitting around in the freezer! I was thinking that I had to buy a ton of new stuff just to do this...I'll have to try that...if I can think that far ahead to think that I'll be freezing it... |
| There's so much you can freeze, the trick will be using what's in there. Look around the grocery store freezer sections to get ideas. Berries, especially blue berries freeze well. Freeze them on a cookie sheet first the put into a bag. That way they come out individually, not as a clump.
Do you bake cookies? Freeze extra dough. Bananas going south but not enough for banana bread, put that puppy in the freezer. When I make baklava I make an extra one and freeze it.......sometimes baked and sauced, sometime unbaked. Same thing for the spinach and cheese triangles........unbaked but ready to plop into oven. The key is experiment. Some items may have to go in uncooked, others partially cooked and this others can be fully cooked and just reheated. My aunt used to buy extra Arby's sandwiches and freeze them......I've never tried that. |
| Any additional methods to freeze things? I pretty much understand what can and can't be frozen but the mystery to me is how (what type of containers and the best way to get them into that container, etc)....
Keep these ideas coming! |
| Steph, I freeze everything...I dont know how to cook for 2...the only thing that I have found that does not freeze well ,is cheese...yuk...I just use tupperware. You can freeze milk too, just make sure to pour a little out of the plastic bottle or it will crack..... |
| A good way to freeze soups or sauces like marinara is to use canning jars with 2 piece lids. You can use 1/2 pints, pints and quarts depending on how much you'll use at one time. Leave 1" headspace, they store well in the door. For stocks freeze in ice cube trays and then put in freezer bags, you can just grab what you need. Beware of freezing cheeses, the texture will change but will be fine for melting. I also use a food saver and they work really well. For freezing fresh fish use a freezer bag filled with water, it will taste more fresh that way.
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