In preparation for bulk cooking....

emylou

where can I buy the cheapest/best "lunchboxes" to store the food in?? Or is it best to use bags so I can write date made etc? Many thanks for reading

meritaten

I use freezer bags - cheap and you can write on them with permanent marker. you can also squidge them into spaces you cannot squidge the rigid boxes!

BitterAndTwisted

You could get those cheapie plastic boxes with lids form the pound shop, freeze your meals in those and then transfer them to a labelled freezer bag. They would take up less freezer-space than the boxes

Gigervamp

I use a mix of bags and boxes, depending on the contents.

Stock and soups I put in pour and store bags. Leftovers such as bolognese/curry etc, go in the plastic containers that chinese takeaways come in.
Sliced meats for sandwiches, I wrap enough in foil for 2 sandwiches, then store them all in a freezer bag.

Pink.

Hi emylou,

I save old margarine/ice cream/takeaway containers or use freezer bags for single sized portions for the freezer. For larger dishes (eg cottage pie, lasagne etc) I line the dish I intend to reheat it in with cling film or tin foil, freeze in the dish and once frozen, remove from the dish and wrap it well to stop freezer burn. Doing this means I can re-use the original dish as much as I want and when I am ready to defrost the meal it will easily fit into the dish.

This thread has lots of advice on what containers to use in the freezer:

Freezer containers (merged threads)

I'll add your thread to it later to keep the ideas together.

Pink

Fruball

I've had too many defrost disasters in my freezer to freeze liquids in bags :eek:

I buy the MrT Value tubs - they are just the right size and the lids are a good fit. They are £1 for 3

rachbc

I find the takeaway type containers split and crack after a couple of uses so I got some boxes fro Clas Ohlsen whcih are all same size but different depths so they stcak together. The plastic seems to be more flexible so they are lasting better. I freeze some stuff in bags in them so I then have 'bricks' of food that stack neatly in the freezer but can reuse the boxes. Stuff like portions of meat just get frozen in bags.

yorkiepud_2

I use cut down plastic 2lt milk bottles for anything liquid - just pop a freezer bag inside and then seal once filled.

Never thought of lining my oven proof dishes before I freeze them -thanks Pink-winged, its a brilliant idea! Can never find anything to cook in cos all my pyrex ends up in the freezer.

rosie383

Yorkie pud thanks for the tip about using the drinks bottle. Brilliant.

Pink winged I agree with YP. That is a great idea!! I would never have thought of that.
I love ice cream tubs as they are usually pretty sturdy, they are free and the lids snap on well. I'm talking about the 1 litre ones, not the more flimsy bigger ones.
I use bags for whizzed up onions. Ziplock bags that I use over and over again. If I run out of tubs, I pop the frozen stuff out into a bag and reuse the container again.
Oh, just remembered, I'm getting a delivery from AP today, and I seem to recall ordering a pack of 300 freezer bags for about 50p or something.