Can You Freeze Cooked Food? Do’s And Don’ts Of Freezing Cooked Foods

Can You Freeze Cooked Food?

Preparing meals in advance is quite a thing. But it definitely means giving your future self a gift of time. And if you have meals ready beforehand, you do not need to bother anymore about holiday outings or family gatherings.

Meals prepared ahead of time need to be stored properly to avoid spoilage. Even if you have leftovers, they need to be preserved adequately to prevent wastage. So, what can you do to preserve the meals? Can you freeze cooked food?

Yes, you can definitely freeze cooked food. It is a great way to preserve food for later use. If you freeze food, it also means you are minimizing your food wastage as much as possible. You can freeze almost any type of cooked food effectively.

But determining how to freeze a particular type of food at its best might be challenging. Freezing cooked meals depends on the ingredients you put in, and therefore if you freeze foods, keep in mind to check the ingredients.

How Can You Freeze Cooked Meals?

If you are preparing meals for the future, freezing them is the best way to preserve foods for longer. When you freeze foods, it also maintains the food quality and keeps the food safe in the freezer.

Follow the steps below, to freeze your cooked meals at their best.

1. Allow the food to cool slightly at room temperature, before refrigerating. It does not need to be entirely chilled. You can also place your food on cooling racks.
2. Put the food in the refrigerator to complete the cooling process before being bagged for freezing. Make sure, you cover the foods loosely to allow heat to escape.
3. Transfer the food into freezer-safe bags or containers using a clean spoon. Remove all the excess air to keep the food fresher for longer when you freeze it.
4. Date and label the food bags to avoid confusion with other things in the freezer. This will also let you know how long they have been in the freezer.
5. Make sure, you leave a headspace of about 1/2 inches in the containers before putting your foods in the freezer. This will allow air to circulate smoothly.
6. Stack the bags or containers carefully into the freezer, and lay them flat. And your cooked food items are ready to freeze in the freezer.

What Is The Best Way To Freeze Cooking Leftovers?

Freezing leftover food is quite easy, but you have to make sure you have applied proper freezing techniques to do so. This is because leftover foods have already come in contact with the air, which might spoil them later in the freezer. Therefore, make sure you freeze your leftover foods as soon as possible.

Follow the best ways mentioned here to freeze your leftover foods effectively.

1. Let it cool- If your leftover food is still hot, allow it to cool completely. Otherwise, the temperature in the freezer will rise, and the frozen foods may start to defrost as a result.
2. Freeze immediately- freeze your cooked leftover foods as soon as possible. Do not let it stay at room temperature for long, because this might spoil the food and lead to wastage.
3. Use sealing containers- Containers are important while you freeze foods. Meals should be frozen in airtight lidded plastic containers. You can also use a freezer bag to freeze.
4. Cover with plastic wraps- covering the stored food with plastic wraps before closing the lid, prevents any further freezer burns.
5. Freeze in portions- If you have huge leftovers, freeze them in parts. This will prevent unnecessary thawing and spoiling of your cooked meals.

Is It Safe To Store Leftover Food In The Freezer?

Yes, it is safe to freeze leftover food. Freezing effectively preserves flavor and nutrition, given that you freeze leftover foods immediately. Do not let them sit at room temperature for long. This will alter food textures when you freeze them and thus lead to wastage. Frozen leftover foods can last for up to 6 months in the freezer, depending on the type of food you cook.

However, some leftover foods lose their texture and appearance when you freeze them, and thus they are not ideal for freezing. So, which leftover foods do not freeze well? Food items, such as cream-based dishes, and egg-based sauces, do not freeze well in the freezer.

3 Do’s And Don’ts Of Freezing Food

Cooking with fresh ingredients is not always possible, especially when you run out of time. It is sometimes hectic as well. Therefore, freezing works as a great savior for stocking up your cooked foods in the freezer. And it makes your meal planning easier.

But if you freeze food, you have to look out for certain pros and cons. And if you do not freeze your cooked foods appropriately, they will lose texture and flavor. You would not want that, would you? So, check out the do’s and don’ts before you freeze cooked food.

1. Defrost your frozen food adequately. It is advisable to let your food thaw in the refrigerator overnight. If you have a shortage of time, you can also defrost the food in a microwave or oven for a few minutes, before reheating them.
2. Do not refreeze cooked food. You should consume defrosted frozen food on the same day. Do not refreeze anything that has already been frozen and thawed. This is because refreezing cooked food will only ruin the texture and flavor.
3. Do not freeze hot food. As mentioned earlier, it is strictly advised against freezing even slightly hot food items. If you freeze hot food, it will only degrade the freezing temperatures and will spoil the food. Therefore, food should be completely cooled before you freeze them.

Which Cooked Food Freeze Well?

You can freeze absolutely any kind of cooked food. While exceptions are there, cooked foods freeze well. So, which cooked food items freeze well?

Here is a list of the 5 best food items that freeze well.

1. Cooked pasta: Freezing pasta is beneficial to extend its shelf-life. And when you freeze pasta, it can be stored for up to 8 months in the freezer without altering its texture or flavor. And, you have a ready supply of pasta, whenever you crave a pasta meal.
2. Cooked rice: Rice is a mainstay in almost every meal. But it is not always possible to prepare rice dishes. So, rice is a good option to freeze. Rice also freezes well, and when frozen properly, they last for around a year.
3. Cooked potatoes: Everyone loves potato dishes, but they need time to prepare. If you freeze potatoes, it means you have a ready supply of the food item. Not only this but potatoes can also be used with other food recipes to enhance your meals.
4. Cooked meat: Meat is one of the dishes that stay best when frozen. Freezing meat increases its shelf life by around 8-12 months. However, it is necessary to wrap the meat carefully to avoid freezer burns.
5. Cookies: If you freeze cookies, you know you have ready snacks to satisfy your sweet cravings. Not only this, freezing extends the shelf life of cookies for longer. It is important to individually wrap the cookies with plastic wrap before freezing.

Which Cooked Food Does Not React To Freezing Well?

You know that freezing food is a preservation technique. But certain food items do not freeze well, and instead, turn pale when frozen. Check out the 3 most used food recipes that should not be frozen.

1. Sauces made with cream: These food items tend to break while defrosting. A recipe that relies heavily on cream does not react positively in the freezer. They are likely to turn grainy and therefore not suitable to freeze.
2. Sauces and foods made with eggs: Freezing eggs turn them mushy, so anything that contains eggs is not freezable. They release water and tend to separate while they are thawed. It only leads to the wastage of food.
3. Custardy desserts: When custardy sweets, like pumpkin pie, melt and release water, the protein contained in them clumps together and causes the dessert to become gritty. Therefore, they are not ideal for freezing.

Summing it up, freezing cooked food is quite beneficial in storing the food for the long run. However, you need to make sure you abide by the freezing guidelines to provide the proper preservation of your cooked meals.