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Freezing Leftovers |
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#1 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2011
Location: South-East England
Posts: 645
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Freezing Leftovers
I would like to start freezing leftovers from dinner to have on another day. I've never done this before so I have a few questions...
Do I put the leftovers straight in the freezer or do I have to let it cool down before going in there? When it comes to cooking the leftovers, does it need to be defrosted first? If not, how long do I put it in the oven or microwave for? Thanks
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#2 |
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Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Essex
Posts: 16,223
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Yes, cool before freezing so as not to defrost other items in your freezer and not everything freezes well, especially stuff with dairy in there.
For defrosting, if you have time then take it out in the morning into fridge (or previous evening if eating at lunchtime) to make reheating easier. However you can reheat from frozen though times and power levels will vary with power of microwave and what you are defrosting. Main thing is the centre of food has to be piping hot. If you have defrost level on your microwave then use that. |
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#3 |
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Join Date: May 2011
Location: South-East England
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Quote:
Yes, cool before freezing so as not to defrost other items in your freezer and not everything freezes well, especially stuff with dairy in there.
For defrosting, if you have time then take it out in the morning into fridge (or previous evening if eating at lunchtime) to make reheating easier. However you can reheat from frozen though times and power levels will vary with power of microwave and what you are defrosting. Main thing is the centre of food has to be piping hot. If you have defrost level on your microwave then use that. So I should avoid freezing food with dairy in? Are there any other foods that aren't suitable for freezing? Also, I may as well ask while we're on the subject, sometimes I buy items from the supermarket which say to keep refridgerated and don't have a freezing symbol on them or any info about freezing, but what will happen if I freeze such an item? Will it effect the taste? |
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#4 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Whitwell, Near Worksop
Posts: 632
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I keep the plastic tub you get Chinese or Indian take out. Always freeze well and microwave well too
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#5 |
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Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Essex
Posts: 16,223
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Quote:
Thank you!
So I should avoid freezing food with dairy in? Are there any other foods that aren't suitable for freezing? Also, I may as well ask while we're on the subject, sometimes I buy items from the supermarket which say to keep refridgerated and don't have a freezing symbol on them or any info about freezing, but what will happen if I freeze such an item? Will it effect the taste? As for items without a freezing symbol, well in theory just about anything can be frozen as a preservative method but taste and texture can get funny with some items. Also some items do not microwave well you may need to reheat in the oven or hob top. Soft fruit and veg for example will get mushy but if you are going to make a smoothie or soup then not a big issue. Freash meat when frozen will generally release their liquid as cell walls burst and tend to get dry so may need cooking in a sauce to compensate. Industrial blast freezer used in commercial produced food can freeze food in seconds or minutes whereas home freezer will most likely take hours. Blast freezing tends to have less effect on taste and texture so you can get ready frozen items which you would have difficulty freezing at home. This sort of goes back to why you should chill food before freezing if you can as it reduces the freezing time. Have a look online if there is any specific item you are looking at freezing (or ask on here). |
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#6 |
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Join Date: May 2011
Location: South-East England
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Quote:
I keep the plastic tub you get Chinese or Indian take out. Always freeze well and microwave well too
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Basically if you are going to add diary at the last minute to a dish like cream to soup then freeze it before you add the cream if you can and add the cream when reheating. It can split and spoil the flavour and texture.
As for items without a freezing symbol, well in theory just about anything can be frozen as a preservative method but taste and texture can get funny with some items. Also some items do not microwave well you may need to reheat in the oven or hob top. Soft fruit and veg for example will get mushy but if you are going to make a smoothie or soup then not a big issue. Freash meat when frozen will generally release their liquid as cell walls burst and tend to get dry so may need cooking in a sauce to compensate. Industrial blast freezer used in commercial produced food can freeze food in seconds or minutes whereas home freezer will most likely take hours. Blast freezing tends to have less effect on taste and texture so you can get ready frozen items which you would have difficulty freezing at home. This sort of goes back to why you should chill food before freezing if you can as it reduces the freezing time. Have a look online if there is any specific item you are looking at freezing (or ask on here). |
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#7 |
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland
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Top tip from me for freezing.....get some large sandwich bags and use them. You know, the massive ones. They work a treat and you can fill them, then lay them flat in the freezer creating a lot more space.
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#8 |
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Join Date: May 2011
Location: South-East England
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Quote:
Top tip from me for freezing.....get some large sandwich bags and use them. You know, the massive ones. They work a treat and you can fill them, then lay them flat in the freezer creating a lot more space.
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#9 |
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 10,268
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Quote:
Oh that's a very good idea actually! Knowing my luck though (I'm as clumsy as they come) it'll all spill out when I lay it in the freezer!
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#10 |
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Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,597
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Wilkinson sell the single portion "takeaway" type plastic containers and lids at under a pound for (I think) 10. They just wash and reuse many times.
I use them for lunches at work, with both leftovers, and some stuff I cook specially. We have our own business and are fortunate enough to have a nice kitchen area with a freezer and microwave. Hubby and I got that if we ever saw another sandwich again we would vomit, and when I took leftovers one day, we soon realised that this was definitely the way to go. |
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#11 |
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Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: British ex-pat in the US
Posts: 165
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Quote:
The ones with a seal aren't too expensive these days but I prefer to use the clip lock tubs as they stack nicely and defrosting in the microwave is easier..
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#12 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: South East London
Posts: 1,050
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Quote:
Freash meat when frozen will generally release their liquid as cell walls burst and tend to get dry so may need cooking in a sauce to compensate.
Freezer burn is occasionally a problem but wrap up the meat properly and you'll generally avoid it. |
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#13 |
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Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Essex
Posts: 16,223
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Quote:
That's not really a problem I've ever experienced and I have frozen fresh meat practically my whole life, it does release a little water when defrosting but never noticed a texture change that would make me reconsider my cooking method.
Freezer burn is occasionally a problem but wrap up the meat properly and you'll generally avoid it. For freezing, - For larger items l use freezer bags (around 80p for 50 from Aldi) - For ready cooked meals you can get freezable & microwave takeaway containers for about 8 from pound shop. These can be washes and reused a number of times. - For liquid stuff like soup, you can get stand up freezer pouches. I purchased my last lot of 8 from Aldi for around £1.50. Again these can be washed and reused. Don't forget to label and date stuff. I normally use stickers for reusable containers. |
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#14 |
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Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: North Northumberland
Posts: 838
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Once something is frozen, how long can it be kept in the freezer for? Can you freeze things in that have cooked chicken?
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#15 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland
Posts: 4,011
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Quote:
Once something is frozen, how long can it be kept in the freezer for? Can you freeze things in that have cooked chicken?
Yes you can freeze things with cooked chicken, no problem at all. A lot of people look down on "eating out of the freezer" but I think it's because the associate it with processed, frozen ready meals. If it's something you've cooked yourself or is just a way of preserving fresh products then it's a great asset to have. There's nothing quite like coming in from work and having something ready in 10 minutes that would normally take hours to cook. You've already put the work in and you're reaping the rewards. I also store things like bones for making stock and I've a bag of old bread that I'd use to make breadcrumbs too. |
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#16 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,597
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A tip for the reusable containers - ordinary labels can be a devil to get off sometimes. Use masking tape and they just peel off leaving no nasty sticky stuff behind.
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