Make ahead frozen meals.

gottagetitoff11

I posted this a few days ago with no replies so I thought I would try again.

I was going to start making meals weekly and freezing them.
I was wondering a few things:

1. Is it ok to cook frozen veggies then refreeze in dished.
2. What are the best dishes to use.
3. Does the containers have to be full to kerp air out.
4. Is it ok to take them out the night before to defrost a bit before put in the microwave.

Thanks

nphillips94

I have been cooking and freezing bulk meals almost every week for hubby and myself for years. It's so much cheaper and easier than cooking every day! The one downside can be not all foods freeze well, but it's easy enough to check google it you're ever unsure about what will or won't defrost nicely on the other side. I avoid freezing cooked potato and zucchini, as they defrost into soggy pillows of water!

Anyway, to answer your questions in order:

1) I do this all the time, have done for years without any apparent ill effects. If concerned, you could lightly steam them without cooking them all the way through before you chuck them in with the meal you're freezing. Or you could just add them, still frozen, to the tub of cooked products. The simple act of reheating a defrosted frozen meal will defrost and cook those little peas and corn easily enough.

2) you can use anything that is labelled 'freezer safe'. This can sometimes include plastic takeaway tubs but my personal preference is to aim for good quality plastic tubs that are clearly labeled BPA free, microwave/freezer/dishwasher safe. My mother in law sometimes freezes food in glass tubs, but I'd be concerned about cracking. Some foods (anything liquidy like soup or stew) swell when frozen. Plastic is flexible enough to allow that movement. In short, you can freeze batch foods in any plastic tub or ziploc that is labelled freezer safe. I transfer the food to a ceramic dish before microwaving as I don't like to microwave food in plastic, but my hubby will just microwave the food in the tub in which it's frozen and he insists it's chemically safe!

3) no. Don't fill them all the way to the top, especially liquidy foods for the swelling I mentioned before. As long as the lid is secured properly, the tub can be as empty or full as it needs to be. You don't need to overfill it and it's best to leave 1 or 2 cm of space at the top.

4) I don't. Usually they defrost fine in the fridge. But I'm talking about individual servings, in small plastic tubs. If you have a large tub with multiple servings in it, you might be happy to leave it on the sink to defrost overnight. But if you've got individual serving tubs, they will defrost too fast and sit in the dangerous temperature zone for as long as it takes you to get it to the microwave (several hours, if you've left it overnight). Food safety comes first! Be sure that whatever you are leaving out will not defrost too fast and sit in ambient temperatures for periods of time, allowing bacteria to grow.

All the best! Enjoy exploring this new method of menu management. It can be great fun.

dutchandkiwi

1. Is it ok to cook frozen veggies then refreeze in dished.
Yes that is safe. It may affect the quality a little (become more squishy) but that is really the worst that can happen

2. What are the best dishes to use.
Freezer safe dishes. Do be careful if you want to microwave them as well - they may 'warp' a little which may mean that because of the twisting may not be usable with a lid anymore
I alway ensure I can take the food out (a little layer of boiling water container in it and it will unfreeze the layer between container and food) then and I transfer it into a microwave dish

3. Does the containers have to be full to kerp air out.
Nope that is not a requirement. Freezing in itself is a great storage way.
Do however ensure that your meal is cooled before you stick it in the freezer with other frozen stuff. Otherwise your freezer will warm up and some foods may become partially defrosted for a while. That could result in large ice crystals and a grainy lumpy structure.

4. Is it ok to take them out the night before to defrost a bit before put in the microwave.
Yes, provided you do the defrosting under controlled low temperature (read in the fridge) Taking it out and leaving on the bench is not a good idea, it may cause the growth of food spoiling organisms and in the worst cases that may result in food poisoning