Continuing from the article Freezer Cooking: What Are the Best Storage Options?, I wanted to touch on a question that was asked.
Yesterday, Mary Ann asked:
“Are there any times when it is better to freeze things in glass for flavor or safety?“.
She said she had been given conflicting answers on this from others. I honestly have not been asked this before, but it is an excellent question. And one that I can speak only from my own personal opinion and experience about. While I’m sure others will have other opinions, these are mine.
Personally, I have never found the need to use glass exclusively for flavor preservation at all and I have been using freezer cooking for over two years now. I use every single methods that I mentioned in Freezer Cooking: What Are The Best Storage Options. My meals taste the same to me, no matter which way I store them. So while I’m sure there might be conflicting opinions, I have never noticed a flavor change using one method over another.
However, I would like to explain how I feel about the safety factor. Glass storage can be the easiest and safest storage to use, in addition to the use of aluminum pans, because they can be placed right into the oven. Plastic cannot be placed in the oven – a big safety hazard.
So if you freeze a meal in a plastic storage container or baggie, you might need to microwave it a little to loosen it, and then place it in something else for cooking, if it needs to be baked in the oven.
Freezer meals can also be cooked or heated in the microwave or on the stove top in boiling water in their bags, if you use that storage method.
My advice would be, if you are hesitant about the safety or even the flavor factor, just be sure to read instructions on anything you use for freezer cooking storage.
I hope that answered your question Mary Ann.
Does anyone else have anything else to offer or any other safety concerns?
For more great articles on freezer cooking, please see the freezer cooking section in the frugal living blog or for some excellent recipes to prepare, visit the food blog.