glass - can it go in the freezer?

newleaf

thriftmonster wrote:

I sterilise my jars in the oven and just use the original screw on lids - no papers

Me too, I think that's the best way myself.

Agapanthus

Follow the example of the commercial jam manufacturers:

Use jars with good metal screw-on lids (discard any that have gone rusty.)

Sterilise the jars (I usually just run mine through a good hot wash in the dishwasher, as my Aga oven's a bit too hot for this).

Pour the jam in and screw the lid on tightly while the jam is still pretty hot - in fact as soon as you think you can do it without risking the jars cracking. The jar will definitely be too hot to touch at this point, so use a towel or something to hold it while you screw down the lid.

Result: any bugs inside the jar should be killed by the heat. If the lid has a pop-up button in the centre it should pop down as the vacuum forms when the jar cools, just as it did when the jar was originally filled at the factory.

I've been doing this for years. There's no need for jampot covers or waxed discs and the jam keeps for years in a dark cool cupboard.

Penelope_Penguin

Hi! I reckon the problem will be that when the jam is thawed, it may well last less well than if it hadn't been frozen. My reasoning is that as it thaws, there'll be a good chance of condensation developing, which, along with the sugar in the jam, will be great breeding ground for mould spores.

I wouldn't bother freezing it - I'm meticulous with hygiene when I'm making jam and very rarely have a problem.

Penny. x

ThyKingdomCome

Hello!

I am new to this site, this is my first ever forum post. I saw the Tonight programme and was inspired to be more 'old style'.

I am trying to meal plan like that nice granny lady, and freeze leftovers. If i were to make, say soup or pasta sauce, can i freeze it in a washed glass jar(for perfect portion sizes)??

will the glass crack? does there need to be a seal on the lid??

Thank you very much.

Pink.

Hi ThyKingdomCome,

Welcome to MSE :hello:

Freezing food in glass jars is not something I've ever tried but this thread may help:

glass

This thread may give you some ideas on what containers others use to freeze food:

Freezer containers (merged threads)

Pink

alittlebitofmagic

ThyKingdomCome wrote: »

Hello!

I am new to this site, this is my first ever forum post. I saw the Tonight programme and was inspired to be more 'old style'.

I am trying to meal plan like that nice granny lady, and freeze leftovers. If i were to make, say soup or pasta sauce, can i freeze it in a washed glass jar(for perfect portion sizes)??

will the glass crack? does there need to be a seal on the lid??

Thank you very much.

Technicallly I would say no unless they are proper freezer proof canning jars, due to normal jars cracking as the ice expands when you freeze it. However it would probably not crack if you put something fully cooled into it, leaving a gap at the top, then only seal the lid when fully frozen. Then defrost with the lid off.

Soup and sauces freeze best in bags really

ThyKingdomCome

thank you! I had no idea that you had a sort of database of discussions. I will have a nice read of that info, just off to get a cup of tea.

ThyKingdomCome

sorry, bags? like asdas bags?

HannahIOW

Freezer bags, the zip lock kind I think

CCP

alittlebitofmagic probably means freezer bags - the ones you can buy rolls of in supermarkets. That's what I tend to use - they're really good as they take up much less space in the freezer than having tubs.

I haven't read through the links Pink-Winged provided so I don't know what people on there say, but I would advise not putting normal glass in the freezer. My dad did this by accident once when I was a kid and I still have a scar on my hand from where it exploded when I tried to pick it up. :eek:

Toughened glass, like pyrex, is fine though - I have frozen leftover casseroles and things lots of times in one of my pyrex oven dishes.