More than you might imagine, the containers you use to ice leftovers and batched meals matter more. You’ll need to get all the key sizes on hand for one. (It’s the air flowing around frozen goods that can contribute to the burning of the fridge, so finding a jar as close to the size of what you intend to ice as practicable is your strongest defence.) You want one with a tight-fitting lid ,a stackable shape (for logistical reasons), and flexibility, if not the refrigerator, to go in the microwave. Choose the wrong selection of containers and you might dry your food out and/or you could end up really irritated.
Worried about getting your pockets emptied in order to buy lunch every day? Tired of listening to the children nag about how dull school lunches are? What you need then are lunch boxes to make sure you get new on the go, handmade!
Want to share meals with family and friends? Or maybe you only want to cook once and prepare it for a week’s use? The containers for the freezer will be just what you need.
These containers are cheap, fast and simple to use and come in various sizes to suit all your storage needs. To seal in the spice, they have airtight lids. These strong robust and lightweight carriers keep food fresh longer and more nutritious!
You’ve made a big chilli stew, so much to eat in one meal. The Super Bowl has long since vanished. What are you doing, anyway, for the leftovers? For the next four days, you might eat chilli….
…or in the fridge, you might stash the waste. Chill it in the refrigerator overnight to make sure it’s properly wrapped and numbered. Simple, huh? Ok, what are you going to bundle it into? In the fridge, you can’t just stick a mug.
What kind of space you have in the fridge, how you want to use the stuff, and how you intend to reheat it later, depends on how you pack your food for freezing.
If you are going to prepare it for work, a serving tub of plastic or glass with a lid would do it. Choose a bigger, lidded jar if you plan to eat it for dinner for four guests. Consider zip-top freezer bags for the most affordable use of freezer real estate, if space in your freezer is at a premium.
You’ve got lots of options, clearly, and we’re just talking about chilli!
There are all types of things that you can freeze, but there are also plenty of different packaging choices. Here’s a list of the very different ways you should freeze food for packaging:
Right Styles of Freezer Packaging
- Cover Wrap
There are a variety of covers, whether foil, cloth, or plastic, to help you insulate food from the freezer’s cooler air (and frost). In order to wrap casseroles without using a dish, you can also use foil.
- Zip-Top Containers for Freezers
For anything and all, Ziptop freezer packs, available in sizes from one pint to two gallons, are perfect. And I do mean it all. Even liquid items such as marinade soup or chicken can be frozen in freezer bags.
To make sure that they freeze flat and do not wrap around wire shelving, lay the packed bags on a tray in the fridge. When frozen, to conserve room in your freezer and conveniently find what you want, you can line them up like books on a rack. To capture drips from any leakage that may arise, make sure to thaw the food in a tub.
- Loads of Plastic with Lids
A variety of different types and shapes of plastic food containers are available on the market, ranging from recycled Rubbermaid or Tupperware containers to cheap disposable Glad and Ziplock goods. Over time, they appear to break down, being pitted, stained or damaged. Usually, though, they are pretty cheap, making them perfect vehicles to bring a meal to a friend or use for a short season.
- Pans of Aluminum with Lids
The aluminium baking pans in the commercial theme that I pick up at the kitchen supplies store are super handy. The aluminium lids make it easier to easily assemble and wrap a dish. They are also perfect for providing buddies with freezer meal gifts; they don’t have to think about returning a plate. Bonus: if you really don’t want to wash the bits of lasagna stuck off you can just chuck the pan off.
- Jars, bowls, or pans of glass with plastic lids
I use glass mason jars and dishes for storing food in the fridge. They do not smear or pit, they sit for a long time in good shape. I have some Pyrex that this year is going to hit 21 years! It’s a breeze to reheat as they can go from freezer to fridge to oven so that another dish doesn’t have to be dried.
If you freeze in jars, be sure to follow the advice of Aimee to leave enough headspace, cool in the freezer overnight, leave the lids off to freeze, and secure the lids gently. These precautions will assist you to prevent the breakage of mason jars.
- Sealer of vacuum
It’s an ideal strategy for maximising the shelf life of your frozen food if you have the money for a vacuum sealer. Because all the extra air from the box is taken out by the vacuum sealer, it reduces the possibility of condensation and thus frost and freezer burning in your product. While it could be costly for the unit, wrap, and attachments, vacuum sealing is a perfect way to freeze food.
For: wrapping smaller portions of a bulk meat package and extending the shelf life of food quality, vacuum sealers are best.
Clearly, when it comes to how you wrap your food for freezing, you have lots of choices. For your meals and your freezer, experiment and see what works best.
