I have blogged before about the alarming amount of food waste in America. But, I am guilty as well. We often don’t finish an entire meal and leftovers go in the fridge, only to be thrown out later because we don’t want to eat that same thing again so soon.
Freezing food, even leftovers, is always an option. But, I always worry about freezer burn, which ruins the food. What can we do to alleviate freezer burn? Well, there are plastic bags that are airtight, helping you avoid freezer burn, but what if you are trying to avoid plastic? Some people don’t want to use plastic because of harmful chemicals and some don’t want to use it because of the mess it makes in the landfill.
Fortunately, people were canning and freezing things long before plastic came along. If you are planning on freezing food, glass containers work well. Look for flat glass containers that have silicon lids so you can seal them well enough to keep freezer burn at bay. Consider Pyrex as an option as some of its glass wear has lids that perform an airtight seal.
Of course, if you have Mason jars you are already using for canning, these work in the freezer, but you may want to avoid them simply because they won’t stack as well. If you can only afford a few glass containers, consider freezer an item in the container, then removing it and placing it in something else, such as aluminum foil, butcher, or wax paper so it can quickly be used again to freeze more food.
No matter what type of jars you use, it will help to add about a quarter inch of water to the food after it is frozen to help create another seal to prevent air from getting in. When you are ready to use it, just rinse the layer of water off with warm water.
As for wraps, butcher paper is good for short term or as a first wrap, but won’t last long because it will absorb moisture. Waxed paper works for a few weeks, but your best bet is aluminum foil. It will prevent moisture from coming in and seals better than other types of wraps. To further prevent freezer burn, wrap the item in aluminum foil, then cover in butcher or waxed paper and seal with freezer tape.