I’ve got a small chest freezer for storage. I use it because growing your own leads to gluts, particularly in the summer, and in the when you buy a whole deer in the Autumn to butcher you need to make sure you’ve somewhere to put it!
So, for lots of things I make up 500ml blocks. It’s so I have a know portion size and (more importantly), they stack well in the freezer. I could buy lots of Tupperware, but I’d rather reuse, or upcycle stuff I already have in abundance.
I use margarine tubs and I use them for lots of stuff. It’s November and right now I have
- Venison chilli
- Tomato (passata)
- Tomatillo paste
- Courgette soup
- Rosehip syrup
- Home made Haggis
Some things I freeze as smaller portions, like the tomatillos for dips, and some things I freeze in ice cube trays (basil paste, Vietnamese coriander, rose petals, french tarragon). And I cycle through whats there as the seasons change. Oh and don’t use your regular ice cube trays – buy some specially if you want to use them for herbs and get ones that are flexible because they don’t pop out quite as easily as ice cubes…
Rule of thumb – clear out the veg (and herbs) from last year before you add this years.
So how to do it:
- Save up some large margarine tubs and keep the lids. Open out a plastic freezer bag and place it in the tub (remember to label it first),
- Pour in the stock/sauce/whatever until it’s almost full, fold over the bag to cover the top then pop the lid on. Leave until it’s cool before stacking in the freezer.
- Leave it for at least a day to freeze then pop it out of the tub, still in the bag and tie the bag – hey presto a 500ml cube…
Remember not to tie the bag before you freeze it as the liquid will expand – and for the same reason always leave a little room in the tub for expansion – if you over fill the tub will crack.
And to defrost – top tip – pop the block (in its bag) back into a tub and leave it overnight in the fridge. Keeps it nice and clean and contained.
Basic tip, but for getting the most out of a freezer and stopping stuff freezing together in a big icy food icicle it’s the business.