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One of the first things you will need to decide before beginning your adventure in Once a Month Cooking is how you are going to freeze your meals. I've outlined some of the best ways to freeze in this section.
Freezing Methods I buy bags that are specifically freezer bags (although I have used bags that are not specifically for freezing). I get out as much air as possible before sealing. I use this method primarily for meals that have a lot of liquids. I use this method of freezing when I am freezing things such as meatloaf or lasagna. It is for items that use a particular pan and need to keep a particular shape. To use this freezer method you must begin by lining a pan first with foil . Then put a layer of plastic wrap on top of the foil. Make sure that you use enough wrap to cover the entire dish. Put the food item into the dish and seal all the foil and wrap securely. You don't want to allow any air to get to the food. Place the food, in the dish, into the freezer. Leave it in there for a couple of hours or until the food is frozen enough to hold the shape of the dish. Remove the dish from your freezer and leave the food in the freezer. Now when you are ready to cook you can thaw the food slightly, remove the foil and plastic wrap and place in the baking dish to finish thawing. This is a great method because you don't tie up all your baking dishes in the freezer and your food fits perfectly into the baking dish when it is time to cook! -
Vacuum Sealer - These are great because they help to protect your food from freezer burn allowing the food to stay really fresh tasting.
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Any disposable, or reusable containers that are for the freezer.
- Flash Freezing - Flash freezing is the method I use for freezing items that need to freeze individually. I'll use meatballs as an example. Initially you will lay the meatballs on a cookie sheet and place them in the freezer for a couple of hours. Once they have frozen into their form, you can then transfer them into a freezer bag.
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