Sauces and soups work best in bags, frozen flat
Bolognese, chilli, curry sauces and soups pack well in freezer bags, one meal to a bag. A container you already have works too.
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Portion it out
One meal to each container, whatever you’re using. The FSA says
to cool food quickly, divide food into smaller portions in containers or freezer bags before putting in the freezer
(Food Standards Agency). -
Let it cool
The FSA says to
cool cooked food at room temperature and place in the fridge within one to two hours
, and tocool any warm dishes before putting them in your freezer
(Food Standards Agency). -
Label it
The dish and the date it was made, on every one.
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Freeze it
Using bags? Lay them flat on a clear shelf.
- Lay it flat to freeze
- Stack them
- Or stand them up like books
Pies and bakes work best in small foil trays
Cottage pie, lasagne and mac and cheese pack well in foil trays with lids, a small one for each meal. On a Wednesday you take out one dinner, not a whole lasagne.
- Small foil trays One meal each, and each keeps its shape.
- Your own big dish Bake it, let it cool and portion it into containers. To freeze the dish itself, check the maker’s instructions first.
Single portions go in small containers
For a parent who lives alone, or your own lunches, freeze some meals one portion at a time. The FSA says freezing in individual portions will help you defrost only what you need
(Food Standards Agency).
Cooking for your dad? He takes out one dinner, and nothing sits half-eaten in his fridge. Batch cooking for someone you care for has more.
Keep one more small container in the freezer: a container for peelings. Add carrot and onion peelings as you cook, and when it’s full, make a batch of stock.
Bags and trays on your shopping list
- Bags and trays On the same list as the food, counted for your portions.
- Using your own containers? Leave them off the list.
The FSA’s freezing basics
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To stop freezer burn, put food in an air-tight container or wrap it well in freezer bags or freezer wrap.
place food in an air-tight container
wrap it well in freezer bags or freezer wrap
Food Standards Agency -
Label everything that goes in the freezer.
label food you freeze so you don’t end up with Unidentified Frozen Objects (UFOs)
Food Standards Agency -
Keep the freezer at around -18°C.
your freezer should be around -18°C
Food Standards Agency -
Defrost in the fridge overnight. If you can’t, use the microwave’s defrost setting directly before cooking.
the safest way to defrost food is in the fridge overnight
use a microwave on the defrost setting directly before cooking
Food Standards Agency
Last checked against the Food Standards Agency page linked here.
Every rule, with all its sources: freezing, defrosting and reheating safely.
Starting from scratch, here’s what you need to start batch cooking, and a cook day or two in, upgrade your freezer kit.
Sources
- Food Standards Agency How to chill, freeze and defrost food safely gov.uk
Last checked . Each quotation on this page was read against the page it links to.