Best way to keep frozen hm food

smiler34

I am wanting to start making and freezing some hm meals for when new baby comes along so its one less thing for me to do. I will be doing cottage pie, corned beef cake and maybe fish pie. I want to freeze them in portions big enough for me, partner and 1 year old so won't need to be that big, I was wondering

1. What are the best things to store them in?
2. How long will they keep in freezer for?
3. Any other things I can make and freeze?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

Solomon_Broad

1] I find an old chinese takeway tub to be good. Or just an ordinary thin plastic bag of a roll.

2] I've taken stuff out of the bottom of the freezer up to 2.5 months later (I forgot about it, and it worked it's way down to the bottom) and it was fine. I think it was spag bol or something like that.

3] Spaghetti bolognese. Lasanga. Beefburgers. Yes we eat a lot of mince in this house. Tuna Neopolitana. Cauliflower cheese? Curry.

KerryHawk

I find ice-cream tubs invaluable - the ones like cart-dor are just the right size for two portions for freezing (we don't have kids). I can always tell when my freezer is getting empty as my bag of 'plastic' gets full!!

Also margarine tubs - especially the small ones would be ideal for children's portions.

I try to rotate my freezer contents - every so often I go through it and note what is in there and use up what is old (I write the date on my pots and bags before they go in)! Sometimes I get a UFO (unidentified frozen object) but they are few and far between if you remember to clearly label and date things.

Good luck - I bulk cook and freeze a lot. When you both work long hours it is the only way to have any home life.:o

Psykicpup

I would suggest freezing in the 2 portion sizes -1/2 portion for LO & single portion size, then you can mix & match acccording to how hungry anyone is on each day. I use a combination of those plastic tubs from the chinese, ordinary small freezer bags & the very large freezer bags. This way I can bulk say 3 or four (maybe more) portions -in little bags -into a large bag, keeping same foods together & easy to find. For instance my butcher does an offer on mince where you get 3 bags for price of 2, so when I get home I bag them individually but they are then put in the large bag I have in the freezer which also contains mince IYSWIM

Queenie

For baby foods, use ice cube trays and don't add salt.

For the adult meals you describe, marg tubs, ice cream tubs or invest in some "Sestema" plastic tubs from Matalan - freezer, microwave and dishwasher safe - to put your portions into. They come in many different sizes.

If it's something that you prefer reheated in the oven, buy some of those freezer foil trays with lids - places such as Pound shops sell them very reasonably and you can always wash and reuse them a couple of times substituting the original card 'lid' with some thick foil

For things which are sauce based, ie curries, casseroles, stews etc., then get some freezer bags; put the freezer bag inside a tub, pour the contents in and freeze. Once frozen, remove from the tub and you'll have a nice solid block shape and the tub can be freed up for other things.

Meatloaves are great and can be frozen, sliced, with some greaseproof paper (bought on roll and trimmed to size) placed in a freezer bag and then you can take out as many or few slices as you require. The same principle works for any roast meats you may cook between now and then too - slice the left over meat and store as for meatloaf.

Freezer Guide (PDF Format):- http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/yf/foods/fn403.pdf

Freezing Food:-
http://www.ext.nodak.edu/extnews/askext/freezing.htm

Freezer Plans:- (US site but inspirational )
http://snider.mardox.com/plans.htm

Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy and the safe arrival of your son; hope his big sister adores him!