I’ve had many requests to show you how I freeze food. Silly me. I tell you all about what foods I make and freeze. Perhaps I could also tell you how I freeze the food. That would be nice of me wouldn’t it?!
I use these basic supplies:
- Cookie sheets and parchment paper
I often “flash freeze” food on parchment paper lined cookie sheets. Some examples would be Chicken Fried Steak Strips, Popcorn Chicken, Burritos, Meatballs, Turkey Sausage, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls or Pizza Pockets made into mini pizzas: - Freezer Bags
I mostly use the gallon sized freezer bags. Unless I’m freezing raw meat, I wash out the bags and reuse them over and over. Beyond the food mentioned above, I usually use gallon sized freezer bags for baked goods like hamburger buns, breads, muffins and cookies.
Once the food is frozen, I transfer it to…
- Pyrex Dishes
I have six or seven pyrex dishes with lids, most of them are 9×13…but Matt surprised me with this last Christmas, so now I have a nice variety of other sizes too. I LOVE freezing food in these dishes as they stack so nicely in my freezer. If I make a casserole, this is what I freeze it in.
- Jars
Are you surprised? Don’t I use jars for everything? Just be sure if you freeze food in jars, you only fill it 3/4 full, or it will expand in the freezer and crack the jar. Also, be sure the food in the jar has completely cooled before you put them into the freezer. Cracked jars are sad. :(My favorite jars to use are wide mouth quart jars (for cooked rice and beans and hamburger meat) and half gallon jars (for broth and soup). -
Seal-a-Meal
One last thing I’ll tell you about is something I use A LOT this time of year while I’m freezing produce. A couple of years ago, a friend of mine bought me a Seal-a-Meal. I LOVE this thing. With the volume of strawberries, peaches, corn and green beans I freeze each year (usually a year’s supply of each), this Seal-a-Meal has been a wonderful way to make my freezer food last longer (cuts way down on freezer burn). Plus it is a HUGE space saver!! The Seal-a-Meal sucks all the air out of the bag so that I can get WAY more food in my freezer than I used to be able to when I just froze the food in freezer bags.
See how the air is all sucked out of the bags!?! So cool!!
I’ll try to do a video tutorial of this process sometime!
I think that if you just do a small amount of freezing foods…a small hand-held vacuum sealer is a great option. (I think Ziplock has a $5 variety at Walmart!) But if you do a large amount of freezer preserving like I do a Seal-a-Meal is the way to go! By the way, I buy rolls of bags and cut them to the size I need them. They are a bit pricey (again, worth it to me since I am able to freeze SO much food and keep it good in my freezer this way). Lately I’ve been using my Swagbuck earned Amazon cards to buy big rolls of bags!
Hopefully, I have now answered many of your freezing questions…but did I forget anything?!
Food I plan to freeze this month:
For casseroles…have you heard the tip about lining your glass casserole dish with cling wrap before you filling it? Then freeze, pop it out of the dish, wrap completely, and label with food type, date, and which dish it fits. When you’re ready to eat it, unwrap and place back in the dish before thawing. Lots of benefits to using this method:
-frees up your dish for other uses, and you don’t need as many of them so you save money
-takes up less room in the freezer
-can wrap food air-tight – no freezer burn in the space between the food and the lid
-can freeze LOTS more casseroles-you could have 20 in the freezer even if you only have a few dishes.
I really only freeze my meats and berrries, so I use the Ziploc sealer, and it works great. I would love a professional one, like yours. I’m hoping to try OAMC in the Fall, with my new oven that doesn’t burn everything I cook, so maybe I’ll invest in an upgrade. :)
Laura, do you blanch your green beans before freezing, or do you freeze fresh?
Yea, I blanch them first. https://www.heavenlyhomemakers.com/putting-up-green-beans-for-winter
When using jars, which I never thought about, do you buy new seals every time or just reuse all parts?
Also, I tried the method of using plastic wrap when freezing casseroles but found that it stuck really bad and unless the meal was completely thawed it was hard to get it all off, thus making a big mess. It’s almost as easy to just pop it out of the casserole dish and place in a freezer bag than using the pastic wrap. Just my experience.
Since I’m freezing the food, I reuse seals. You only need new seals when you’re actually needing the jar to seal…and in the case of freezing, I just need some sort of lid on the jar.
FYI on the handheld sealers. There is one that ziploc makes that is a hand pump (http://www.amazon.com/SC-Johnson-70055-Ziploc-Vacuum/dp/B001DRNESE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1280149473&sr=8-1).
I bought that when they first came out and was VERY disappointed. When frozen in our deep freeze, the seal on the bags wouldn’t hold up and allowed air into the bags resulting in quite a bit of freezer burn (better than with a regular plastic bag, but frustrating all the same). The new ones they have now might be better, but just a heads up for those who are looking for something like this to use.
Don’t use real ziploc type baggies for storing your raw meat! I save any bread bags or wax bags (like what comes in boxed cereal), and freeze our uncooked meat in those. If you don’t buy bread or cereal ask your family & friends. Someone is almost always willing to save these for you. They’re free, and you don’t feel bad when you have to toss them after taking your meat out. =-)
It is so nice to be able to freeze all the wonderful summer food. My question is how to store it in an upright freezer. How do you handle all the bags so they don’t slide around and so you can use the self space efficiently? Are there good containers for this?
Yeah, this can be frustrating. I try to keep all my green beans on one shelf, all my corn on one shelf, all my strawberries…but sometimes they slip out and hit my foot! I think it would be good to get some medium sized plastic baskets to put them in to keep them from falling out maybe?
I got free boxes from our Golden Spoon yogurt place and cut the top flaps off. They fit perfectly on my freezer shelves and pull out like drawers. So I have one for broth, one for meat, one for veggies, etc. I love those Golden Spoon boxes, they work great in so many place in my house.
I have frozen ketchup in jars before but never anything as solid as rice or meat. How do you thaw these? I love the plan I always put my rice and meat in plastic bags and than hate thawing them in the microwave (plastic in my food) so I would love to try this!
I just leave them in the jar in the fridge (or in a pan of water on the counter if I’m in a hurry to thaw them!).
I have started flash freezing more things since reading your blog. In fact, last week I made your homemade cinnamon rolls…we LOVED them by the way…the recipe made so many that I sent a half dozen with some frosting off to a neighbor, had some for lunch and froze the rest. However, I learned that I need to let them rise a second time before freezing them as they did not rise after thawing. THought I would save some space if I froze them without rising…still taste ok, but next batch I will let them rise the second time and then freeze!
I recently bought a Pump-n-Seal and it can vacuum seal in jars as well as Ziploc bags. I don’t need to buy any specialty bags so it saves a ton. I bought the system for $50 with the marinating option, but I saw it somewhere for $35. A great use for the glass jars that would ordinarily go into recycling. I vacuum seal our homemade granola and grape nuts, as well as crackers, hot cereal mixes, not to mention all the freezer uses.
great post. Since starting to read your blog, I have been doing some “flash freezing.” Just yesterday I baked 8 loaves of honey whole wheat bread and my azure strawberries (left enough to make jam and froze the rest). A few days ago, I did pizza pockets with eggs, sausage, and cheese in them. I plan on making “dessert” ones too with apples and cinnamon/sugar. I also have 50 lbs of potatos to process from my azure order. I plan to make hashbrowns, mashed potatos and french fries to freeze and some potato salad to eat fresh (YUM). I have gotten so many idea since I started reading your blog, but not enough money to do it all…I read how you got started eating healthy yesterday, and I am like you, was the Coupon Queen (though, I would say you were more so than I), but I would get the bill as low as $200 a month (on a good month)of processed, canned, boxed etc yuckies. It is a bit of sticker shock to switch up to organic, pastured, raw milk etc. My hubby at first wasn’t too into it, until I made him recall a day when we used to go to super walmart, spend $200 (a week) on food and still not know what to make for dinner. Now I spend about the same as then and I know what I am making or at least have a good idea… :-D
I love freezing foods, just started to do this a couple years ago when a friend gave us a bunch of venison. Wish I had realized how much I’d end up using a deep freezer – we would have splurged for a larger one! My only concern is power outages and losing all the wonderful food!
I just picked up a food vaccum sealer at a yard sale this summer for 15.00! I was so excited as it was going to be my big purchase this year. So instead I was able to buy the stand fan for my kitchen so I won’t cook myself while spending the rest of my summer over a hot stove.
Now my question is what size freezer do your have?! I have the 6 foot long chest freezer and barely have room for what I freeze and you seem to freeze so much more.
Oh and how did you get your sealer to work with corn? I seem to have to much liquid and it won’t seal all the way across. Any tricks you use? I just put up 100 ears over the weekend. Next time I plan to can it, so I can have both and the canned is great to have when traveling.
I have two upright freezers AND a large chest freezer…I bought them used so I don’t know what size they are actually. :) One upright is on the small side and the other is probably as big as you can get.
That’s why I can freeze so much! I am blessed to have three freezers! One I use for meat and premade food, the other I use for all the fruits and veggies we use all year and the chest freezer is for all the other stuff I can’t fit in the two uprights (because it’s in a different location and not easy to get to). We felt like the investment in the freezers (priced very well because they were used and kinda ugly) was worth it since we save so much money preserving so many foods!
Wow, three is a lot. When I was couponing, I got a used one for $10, it was old and ugly, but it worked just fine. When we moved from a house to an apartment, I bought a new small chest freezer. We only lived there til we could find a house we like to rent, and it ended up being my parents rental house. By the time we moved in to it, I hardly had anything in the freezer, and what was there, my husband accidentally turned off the freezer and it spoiled. So we didn’t use the freezer for months…until now :-) It is small, so I know I might need to get another one later.
Stupid question but I’m just recently learning how to be a good wife :) So, how do you thaw and use the buns, for example, after freezing them? Oven?
I try to just leave them in the bag on the counter until they are completely thawed. I’ve never had any trouble with them getting yucky this way. Or yes, you can thaw them in the oven if you like.
Dear Tori,
I just came across your post. I wanted to let you know that “being a good wife” has nothing to do with freezing foods, thawing buns, or being a homemaker. Being a good wife means doing what is right for you and your family, even if that means working a job, stopping by McDonalds for dinner, or disagreeing with your husband!
I froze hamburg (or hot dog buns) about a month ago. One week ago, I took them out when we were having sausage. the buns had that funky taste to them. How would I preserve them? They were in freezer bags. Needless to say, I haven’t frozen any buns since. I never had a problem like this before. :-/
Were they store bought or homemade buns? I’ve had trouble with storebought betting icky too.
Yeah store bought… I can’t get bread to come out right yet lol. I want pretty bread! But i”m working on it.
thanks!
I wondered about that too! How do u thaw the buns without them being gooey and gross.
I’ve never had trouble thawing my homemade buns…I just leave them in the bag on the counter until they’ve thawed. Store bought buns tend to get hard and freezer burned rather quickly for me though.
My mom said to thaw store bought bread/buns on a rack on the counter
so air can get under the bag. Also, I thaw up-side-down from whichever
way they were in the freezer, or at least turn them over half-way
through thawing.
Also, don’t try to keep store bought bread in the freezer more than a
couple of weeks.
Laura,
Thanks for all the terrific information and inspiration! I’m increasingly wary of plastic in our family’s life, especially around our food. In a recent move, I threw away all plasticware and am searching out aluminum and glass options. Any concerns on your part about using plastic bags?
We *love* the apricot bar recipe by the way!
I try not to use plastic and have as little waste as I can so I use Pyrex and jars for my freezing. OH and some stainless steel.
I love Pyrex! My husband often buys me Pyrex when other men would get flowers or jewelry. He knows me well! lol
Hello! I am new on this adventure of freezer cooking but my family is growing and I am not the greatest meal planner so I decided I’d like to give it a shot. My question is, how does it work from start to finish? I see recipes for meals, but do you fully cook the meal before freezing and then unthaw somehow or what? Or do you freeze it and then fully cook the meal the day you serve it? I’m confused about that and thus far have not found an answer to that question. I feel like I can’t start freezer cooking until I fully know what I’m doing. Thanks!
Usually I freeze the meal before I cook it. Then I thaw it out and bake it when I want to serve it.
I JUST BOUGHT A SEAL -A -MEAL MACHINE AND AM JUST LEARNING ABOUT FREEZING.CAN YOU TELL ME HOW TO FREEZE STRAWBERRIES AND BLUEBERRIES PROPERLY, cAN I USE SEAL -A- MEAL . DO I HAVE TO ADD A PRESERVATIVE IN THE FRUIT BEFORE I SEAL IT?
ALSO USING THE sEAL A MEAL , HOW DO i FREEZE A FRESH WHOLE CHICKEN ,WASH IT FIRST? HOW DO i FREEZE A RIB ROAST
CHUCK ROAST? THANKS A BEGINNER ANNE
To freeze berries, wash them and “flash freeze them”. I’ve explained that process in this post, although I only explained how to do it with peaches: https://www.heavenlyhomemakers.com/freezing-and-canning-peaches-for-winter
You don’t need to add a preservative to the fruit.
You don’t have to wash your chicken first. Just put the meat into a big seal a meal bag and let the machine suck all the air out and seal it. I’ve actually not done huge pieces of meat like that, I’ve pretty much just done fruits and veggies. I would imagine that your Seal-a-Meal came with a book that explains the ins and outs though?
Enjoy your new Seal a Meal!!
How long do different frozen items last? Casseroles..cooked…uncooked? Breads…Cooked…Uncooked? Do you just eat things unless they look or taste freezer burned?
Most things depend on what it is. Laura’s food usually doesn’t spoil
since they are always eating at home. She also has been very generous
to give meals to new moms at church so she is constantly serving people
in this way. :)
Love, love, LOVE Heavenly Homemakers site and recipes! I’m new to freezing foods (besides meats) and am confused! I just made a batch of b’fast cookies (which my kiddos LOVED) and see that you freeze these. How do you freeze? In a stack? Freeze on a sheet and then stack? And how do you prepare them after being frozen? Just thaw and eat? Reheat? If so, how? Micro? Oven on low heat? HELP! I don’t want to save money by making homemade and then waste it by not using what I’ve made. Thanks for helping this mommy make and serve healthy foods for my family. I am so excited about the transformation happening in our fridge and pantry and in our bodies! :)
I simply allow the cookies to cool, them place them in a freezer bag in the freezer. I just thaw and serve them, easy as that!
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