freezing WITHOUT (new) plastics

[baymule]

I have used various things in the freezer. I used to save paper milk cartons for freezing fish, they work pretty good and I always froze fish in water. But it's hard to beat vacuum sealed plastic bags. I love my FoodSaver and refuse to give it up! I have used white butcher paper for meats for years, and got the resulting freezer burn. I love zip lock bags, they get the job done.

While I understand the desire to not use plastic, I come from an era that didn't have those choices and I will choose plastic freezer bags hands down every time.

 

[Mini Horses]

Love my Food Saver! Have the jar lid attachment and bottle plug things (reseal wine, etc.) and a couple of the vac marinade containers. Got a 2nd FS unit from doing demos. Wish it had been before I bought one.

We have a few re-cycle bins at our dump & plastics are one...glass another, etc. We do not have curb pick-up here but community sites with big dump bins. They are picked up by trucks & empty ones left. It works. I am only a short distance over the county line and watch the darned truck pick theirs up!

 

[wyoDreamer]

We froze fish fillets in ice blocks, then double wrapped them in freezer paper also. Make sure to unwrap from the paper before thawing, lol.

Not sure how about freezing vegetables... my mom canned any veggies that we were going to eat through the winter.

 

[Mini Horses]

I have a vac seal, and figure that it keeps foods from getting freezer burn, thus they last MUCH longer, and the flavor is better.

Me, too. Some veggies freeze ok, others, gotta can! In fact, most I like better canned. Ok though. as it saves freezer room for prepared meals, soups, cheeses, etc. that I like to have in portion sizes for winter use. Plus, I save colostrum & milk "in case".

MILK -- well, I have dairy goats. Fresh milk most of year. I do dry them off for mid winter as I do not like to milk in the cold! One day I may do a little heated room. I have milked thru a winter and while the goat was ok, I didn't enjoy it at all! This year I dried them off.

Since I don't use the barn for horses anymore I have considered re-arranging for other uses and to change the concreted tack room for a milk room that isn't as drastic -- possibly in 2019. Depends on what else I am doing. I do love the fresh milk and cream. Who knows? Not real high on priority right now.

 

[enjoy the ride]

I vacuum pack in mason jars all the time -as vacuum packing doesn't preserve things, just keeps them fresher, I put these jars in the fridge a lot. For things like bulk cheese, etc.
I wonder if the vacuum would hold in the freezer??? I have never tries it- I wonder if the canning lid rubber seal would get too hard and allow air in.
Just a thought. BTW I have never used freezing jars- just regular canning jars.

 

[patandchickens]

Wouldn't a vacuum-packed jar in the freezer still get freezerburn? Maybe even worse than non vacuum packed? (It is different when things are vacuum-packed in plastic that molds itself to the shape of the food, thus no empty space)

I do not know, I am just guessing; by all means tell me if you've done this and I'm wrong

Pat

 

[FarmerChick]

would glass do well in a deep freezer?
fridge yea, but freeze glass? even with no expanding liquid, wouldn't it crack?
I don't know, never froze glass???

 

[nccountrygirl]

Glass does not freeze well at all. It will crack and even if it doesn't crack in the freezer when you take it out the temp. change cracks them sometimes. I never freeze glass.

 

[FarmerChick]

thanks nccountrygirl
I know I never would put glass in the freezer.......DUH
not many options really when freezing is there? plastic still seems best for me

To save on throwaway bags and such, I freeze in alot of tupperware type things. At least reusable for long time!

 

[me&thegals]

Wouldn't it depend on what you are freezing? I use Mason jars in my freezer all the time--I just use them for things that have lots of juice to pack around the product. I use them for tomtaoes, soup, all kinds of jam and fruit sauce. You just have to be sure to leave enough headspace or you'll lose as many jars as I have in the learning process :|