When freezing food...how do you package it?

[mickeymedic]

I hate wasting food. But lately we seem to be throwing out a lot of bread. Now, I still have 1 loaf of bread in the freezer from a while ago - but it is so freezer burned that I doubt we will actually use it.

So, as a New Year's resolution, I want to waste less food. It just seems that things get freezer burned so quickly. There must be a trick to wrapping things so that they last longer. Surely someone on the Budget Board can teach me to store food properly in the freezer!

Thanks!

 

[pixiewings71]

I use freezer bags, Ziploc brand usually but the Target brand works as well. I put all my meats, baking chips (like choc. butterscotch, etc etc) in them and don't have problems with freezer burn unless I leave them too long. I never have problems with bread, I guess we eat a lot of bread.

 

[wlake]

Hello! We invested in a Foodsaver vacuum sealer a few years ago, and it really works. It's a lot of money to start with, but we've thought it's worth it. For bread that would get squished by the vacuum, we usually freeze it first then seal it. Good luck!

 

[QVCshopper]

I don't waste much food at all. But, I don't buy much in the first place (enough to last 3-5 days), sometimes just spending $10 at a time. I swear that I spend less in my food budget making smaller, more frequent shopping trips. Plus, I waste very little. There are four of us and we have many food stores very close (my fav is 3 miles away--Wegmans!), so I know it's not an option for everyone. But, it's really worked out well for us. I usually spend $400-500 / month on groceries and we don't eat out too much. I usually only freeze meat (already cut and prepared in pyrex containers or ziploc bags) and already frozen items, like veggies, bagels, etc.

 

[mickeymedic]

I love Wegmans, but the closest one is 20 minutes away. So I generally do my shopping there every 7-10 days. We have a little grocery store in town, but its expensive (comparatively speaking). And there is a Tops on my way home from work, but I have always hated Tops. I wish there was an Aldi that was close/convenient.

I could probably save money shopping more frequently if there was a good grocery store close. When I lived in Ohio there were 2 groceries within walking distance...frequent trips and good exercise!

 

[Happy Mom2]

We use our FoodSaver for some stuff, and Walmart brand ziplocs. When I use ziplocs for meat and stuff, I get all of the air out, the close the bag.

For seafood like fish and shrimp, fill a ziploc freezer bag 2/3 full with the seafood, then cover the seafood with water, close bag, and freeze. The water will freeze around the seafood preventing freezer burn!

 

[Happy Mom2]

We use our FoodSaver for some stuff, and Walmart brand ziplocs. When I use ziplocs for meat and stuff, I get all of the air out, the close the bag.

For seafood like fish and shrimp, fill a ziploc freezer bag 2/3 full with the seafood, then cover the seafood with water, close bag, and freeze. The water will freeze around the seafood preventing freezer burn!

 

[Kycha]

I use a Reynolds Handi Vac. It is a hand held, battery operated food sealer. They used to sell these in stores but discontinued them about a year ago. Now you can buy the sealer and bags(gallon and quart size) on HSN from Debbie Meyer(the green bag lady).
http://www.hsn.com/cnt/search/searc...ays=&minprice=&maxprice=&srchCatNm=&o=esearch
Using the hand held sealer is just more convenient for me. Plus, it doesn't take up much storage space. I just recently discovered that the Ziploc Vacuum Pump bags work with the Handi Vac too. So, that's what I will use from now on(or until they discontinue them).

 

[hpfan100]

Hello! We invested in a Foodsaver vacuum sealer a few years ago, and it really works. It's a lot of money to start with, but we've thought it's worth it. For bread that would get squished by the vacuum, we usually freeze it first then seal it. Good luck!

I second the foodsaver...awesome!!!!

Anything I'm going to use in a week or so then I use foil and then put in tupperwares or pyrex dishes.

 

[stargazer2892]

DH just Plastic Wraps it and sticks a date sticker on it. However we do use Restaurant Grade Sysco Plastic Wrap so it actually works. I used to use glad wrap and a ziplock bag and it seemed to work fine. Never use foil on anything like ground beef, there where many dinners where I spent 10 minutes picking out shards of foil that got stick somehow in the meat.

 

[SarahandPaul]

Does anyone have a suggestion about how to store things like casseroles? My friends and I have a freezer cooking group that is getting together for the 2nd time in a week. We like Ziploc bags for lots of things, but foil pans seem good for casseroles. Opinons? Maybe a good website/store to purchase from?

 

[tavettava]

I wrap it in Press and Seal (get all the air out), and then I put it in a Ziplock type bag with all the air removed from that. No freezer burn in it.

 

[TheRatPack]

We go to the bread outlet once a month and buy 12 loaves of regular bread, and then buns and such. I just put it all in the deep freezer and we've never had a problem using it. Not sure how long it would last like that....but for a month it's fine. We use a loaf every 2-3 days though....so again it doesn't stay in the freezer too long LOL

We've used one of those vacuum sealers a few times but it's hard to freeze anything that you don't mind getting squished or all the juices sucked out of it.

 

[figment3258]

we use whatever is on hand. I put sauce in sip lock containers. i use freezer bags and tin foil.

 

[bookgirl]

Anything small or frozen for individual meals, I just put into a baggie and freeze flat. I wait until it is completly cooled off then press all the air out. I have kept food like this for months.

Soups, meat, anything family sized I freeze in Ziplock containers or freezer bags. (I really like the tall rounds for soup, can make two soup and cracker lunches or three meals w/sandwiches out of them, or the small rounds for leftover veggies, gravies, side dishes). Again completly cool first or you get condensation inside the baggie/container and that seems to shorten your freezer life.

I freeze even less than single portions because sometimes I make leftovers for dinner and everyone gets something different or two or three small side dishes. I do try to use up leftovers in lunches first but sometimes you just know you're not going to eat it (or I purposly overmake for quick dinners later) and I'd rather at least freeze it and maybe have a chance of using it up later.

I don't freeze bread unless I plan to use it for toast only. Tortillas freeze really well though.

Uncooked meat I just try to get as much air out as possible. Sometimes I wrap it first in wax or cling, and that seems to help as well.

I never 'plan' to keep anything beyond 3 months, but I've actually found items 6 months to a year later. A few had to be tossed but I've found that I lose very little.

Bags are generic walmart or target, the containers are actual Ziplock name brand. They seem to work better than the cheapies.

 

[IMALOVNDISNEY]

Does anyone have a suggestion about how to store things like casseroles? My friends and I have a freezer cooking group that is getting together for the 2nd time in a week. We like Ziploc bags for lots of things, but foil pans seem good for casseroles. Opinons? Maybe a good website/store to purchase from?

I too belong to a shared food group. I usually us the foil throw away pans for any casserole type foods. I also use them for meatloaf and breads. The cheapest Iretail place I have found them is Ocean State Job Lot. But, I buy them at a local wholesalers.