Freezing and defrosting extra portions

HannahCB

Hi everybody this is my first post so hope its ok. I am planning on starting making double portions of things i cook so i can freeze a portion my question is if i where to make say a sausage caserole and freeze it how would i defrost and cook it? Also how long do you keep them in thr freezer for before you wouldnt eat it?

Thanks

Hannah

Beebop

I find the best way to defrost casseroles etc is to take them out of the freezer and put them in the fridge the night before you want to eat them - then, at dinner time, you can just take them out of the fridge and cook - by putting in a pan and heating through (but ensure it is heated thoroughly!!!)
HTH!

merlin1

i'll admit to being a bit lapse with freezer timings - sometimes my stuff stays in there for well past the reccomended time but its always been ok! (touch wood..)

when defrosting i'll either do as above and take it out the morning before or the evening before, and reheat it as normal, or if i forget to do that i'll microwave defrost, then reheat as normal on the cooker. the only thing my micro gets used for is defrosting stuff these days!!

stocks/gravies/soups sometimes bolognese i'll put the frozen lump into a large pan on a very low heat and keep turning it sometimes too - defrosts slowly so thats for when i've got a bit more time.

and welcome by the way!! :beer:

thriftlady_2

HannahCB wrote: »

Also how long do you keep them in thr freezer for before you wouldnt eat it?

Indefinitely;) Well, that's not strictly true -food cannot go off in the freezer but if it is there for too long and I'm talking years rather than months then the quality won't be as good, but it won't harm you.

merlin1

thriftlady wrote: »

Indefinitely;) Well, that's not strictly true -food cannot go off in the freezer but if it is there for too long and I'm talking years rather than months then the quality won't be as good, but it won't harm you.

phew - glad you posted that thriftlady! i thought it was just me being a wee bit risky with my freezer!! :rotfl:

chickaroonee

If I remember, I get things out the night before and let it defrost slowly in the fridge. If not, I defrost in the microwave, it always seems to nuke it rather than defrost it, but hasn't done us any harm!

To cook things, I either put it in the microwave or for things like casseroles, stews, I sometimes warm them up on the hob. It'll be fine whatever you do as long as you ensure it's piping hot.

HannahCB

Hi thanks for the responses everyone!! really getting into batch making i have made caseroles fish pie and curry this afternoon and all in the freezer now. Think im going to need a bigger freezer lol

merlin1

HannahCB wrote: »

Hi thanks for the responses everyone!! really getting into batch making i have made caseroles fish pie and curry this afternoon and all in the freezer now. Think im going to need a bigger freezer lol

YES YOU WILL! i found that years ago, there's just never enough room for stuff that you can freeze and save for later - even little bits! my mantra "oh it'll come somewhere!":rotfl:

buxtonrabbitgreen

merlin1 wrote: »

YES YOU WILL! i found that years ago, there's just never enough room for stuff that you can freeze and save for later - even little bits! my mantra "oh it'll come somewhere!":rotfl:

Yes I now have a tall freezer and a small chest freezer and another small freezer in with the fridge.

Patchwork_Quilt

I freeze extra chilli in a plastic, lidded container so that if I forget to take it out in time, I can float the container in a bowl of cold water, which loosens the chilli and I can then tip it into a pan in one lump and heat up slowly

Primrose

If you're regularly going to be into freezing extra portions I'd definitely recommend you to get a supply of the Zipped freezer and food/soup storage clear plastic bags which are available from Lakeland (shop or website) and probably other suppliers. When I first started this activity over a period of time I acquired a large number of plastic lidded boxes for the purpose (which worked well) but then found when they were empty and temporary out of use I had absolutely nowhere to store them all. The self-seal or Zipper bags are ideal for caseroles, bolognese sauces, chilli con carne etc and can be squeezed around to make more room in a freezer whereas the hard inflexible boxes can't. After emptying they can simply be washed out in warm soapy water, dried out and stored flat in a drawer. I wouldn't be without them!