Batch Cooking and Freezing – What You Need to Know
What to freeze and what not to freeze
Most things do freeze well, but some do not. meatballs, rice, sauces, soups, bread, fruits, casseroles, pies, and muffins are a few foods that freeze well. Things like mayonnaise, uncooked potatoes, lettuce, and low-fat cream cheese are examples of foods that do not agree with being frozen.
Muffin pans are perfect for portioning meals
Make sure to freeze food in the way that you plan on eating it. So, if you make a casserole for six people to share – freeze it in one large dish. If you plan on serving a dish in individual portions, putting the servings in muffin pans is a great way to separate them. Smaller portions are always quick to reheat. when it comes time to use the frozen portions, just pop them out, place each portion in a bag and heat.
Make plastic wrap your best friend
Before you start filling up your muffin pans and other dishes, line them with plastic wrap. Once the food is frozen it will stay there till needed, then you just lift out as many portions as you need and place them into individual bags in order to reheat. The plastic wrap will help prevent the food from sticking to the dish that it was frozen in.
Flash freeze messy stuff.
Flash freezing is great for food items like burger patties, meatballs, cookie dough, and more. Place each individual food item on a baking tray, apart from each other and freeze for a short time, or until the surfaces become harder. Once they have flash-frozen, you can then freeze them with their friends in airtight containers for later use. Flash freezing allows the individual patties or other food items to NOT stick together.
Give yourself space to think
Before rushing into freezing anything, make sure that you have wrapped all the items carefully and make sure that all the excess air has been squeezed out of the container, or bag before placing it in the freezer. Doing this takes away the possibility of your food getting freezer burn. When you freeze soups, leave a little space between the soup and the top of the lid for expansion.
Follow these top 5 batch cooking and freezing tips to allow you and your family hassle-free heat up meals.
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