Question about microwaving meals!

Hanniebis

Hi! Apologies if this doesn't belong on this board, but I wasn't sure where to put it..
I'm a student currently trying to cut down on food spending (and spending in general!) by making super cheap meals and freezing portions of it. If I freeze them in those plastic tubs you get, can I take the tub out of the freezer and put it straight into the microwave to defrost? Or should I defrost in the fridge instead before heating the food up? Thanks for your advice!

Bongedone

You can use the defrost function on the microwave. Make sure you lift the corner of the lid 1st or the tub may expand.

[Deleted User]

When I was a student, i bought disposable freezer bags.. it'll cost a few quid but save a lot of hassle - plus you can pierce them when microwaving

squeaky

I normally use defrost first, and then take the whateveritis out of the plastic and put it in a normal dish for reheating to full temperature.

Remember that reheated food should be piping hot throughout - which means a minimum temperature anywhere of 72°C

dan1979

Get some pyrex ones from woolies, they're good for oven/freezer/microwave and won't stain or pick up smells like plastics do.

I tend to do this for work, take stuff out of the freezer in the morning and let it naturally defrost until lunchtime. Reheating it from frozen isn't bad as such but some things take longer so you end up with really hot liquidy part and still frozen solids.

[Deleted User]

There's a lot of pyrex on sale at Sainsburys at the mo

sazziecee

My OH reheats from Frozen using the plastic tubs that have a removable rubber part on the lid that allows you to vent it, so it defrosts/cooks better

They were from Wilkinson and were very reasonable

Stephen_Leak

I'd certainly recommend the Pyrex ones. Woolies and ASDA do them. They do a particularly useful rectangular 0.8 litre dish with a plastic lid for freezing, which is perfect for that extra portion of the recipe for 2 servings. Scan the receipt, as they have a 10 year guarantee and the original thermally-printed receipt will probably have faded long before.

OTOH, the plastic takeaway ones, which you can buy in pound shops as well, also do the business for quite a few times before having to be pensioned off. Then again, you can't cook things in them in the first place.

I know that you are supposed to defrost first and then reheat, but I have been known to blast things from frozen at full power for an extra couple of minutes. As Bongedone says, undo the lid to prevent explosions and as Squeaky says, check that it is not only bubbling away on the outside but also still has no icy bits in the middle.

cowbutt

dan1979 wrote: »

Get some pyrex ones from woolies, they're good for oven/freezer/microwave and won't stain or pick up smells like plastics do.

Seconded. They're more expensive, but the plastic containers tend to discolour, and I'm also concerned that hot oils/fat in the food may cause PVC and other chemicals to leach into food as it is defrosted and re-heated.

Hanniebis

cowbutt wrote: »

I'm also concerned that hot oils/fat in the food may cause PVC and other chemicals to leach into food as it is defrosted and re-heated.

I'm also worried about this. Does anyone know if there's any truth to it? If so, I might get some of the Pyrex ones. Thanks a lot for all the advice, everyone. I'm actually a fairly good cook but I'm not too experienced in using microwaves..!

Suzy_M

For cooked casseroles and roast meats in gravy - Freeze meals in square plastic tubs (brick shapes are more efficient in freezers), when you are ready to eat one plunge container into cold or tepid water to loosen and tip contents into pyrex container. Microwave on full power for 5 minutes, stir, microwave another 5 minutes. I cook for someone with a very "sensitive" stomach and I've never defrosted any meal before microwaving and we've never suffered any ill-effects.

However, I never cook in plastic containers.

Also, a real time and mess saver if you are on your own is to batch cook and mash potatoes for freezing.

I use plastic chinese takeaway containers (bought new). You can save these - 500ml size is ideal for a good sized single portion casserole. They can be difficult to clean because of the oil but try hot soapy water and when dry rinse with white vinegar.