preventing freezer burn

[goatilocks]

So i like to make big batches of stuff in my crock pot. I like to stick a tupper ware thing full in the freezer to eat when I dont have anything else to make. Trouble is, it gets freezer burn on it fairly quickly. How do you prevent freezer burn?

 

[THEFAN]

I use a foodsaver. It's a vacuum sealer. Air is your enemy when freezing. Hope this helps. Don

 

[MorelCabin]

I'm thinking I'm going to try some freezer paper over the top of the food before I put the lid on. I notice that nothing wrapped in freezer paper from the butchers gets frostbite, but the reg foam and saran wrapped meat from the grocery store sure does.

 

[moolie]

Easiest is to freeze the casserole solid, then add about 1/8" of water to the top to "glaze" it like they do with frozen fish filets to keep them from getting freezer burn. If any dehydration (freezer burn) happens, it will take the glazing layer of water away and leave your casserole intact (unless you leave it in the freezer for far too long).

That said, always freeze food in containers pretty close to the size of whatever you are freezing to minimize surface area that can get dehydrated

 

[2dream]

How big is your freezer? Frost free or not? Food last longer in a freezer that is not frost free. But if your freezer is frost free and you can afford the room loss you can line walls with frozen water bottles, frozen milk jugs, ziplock bags with a little water in them frozen flat and stacked, etc. This keeps the defrost cycle from thawing out your food a little everytime it cycles. It thaws the water instead.
And what everyone else said.

Edited because I entered before finishing - LOL

 

[2dream]

Easiest is to freeze the casserole solid, then add about 1/8" of water to the top to "glaze" it like they do with frozen fish filets to keep them from getting freezer burn. If any dehydration (freezer burn) happens, it will take the glazing layer of water away and leave your casserole intact (unless you leave it in the freezer for far too long).

That said, always freeze food in containers pretty close to the size of whatever you are freezing to minimize surface area that can get dehydrated

Why didn't I think of that. My soups always get frosty on top. I am definitely going to try this. Thanks.

 

[goatilocks]

My freezer is just the top part of my fridge, so its pretty small. Im hoping for a chest freezer for Christmas or in the near future. I dont keep a lot of ready meals in it, but maybe 3 or 4 medium sized one, enough for 1 meal for 3 adults. I will try the water on top trick, sounds like that will work!

 

[Emerald]

I do the same trick as Moolie! and it does work. But on most stuff I have the food saver and stuff that is vac-packed lasts much longer than stuff without. I've also used the trick with chicken wing pieces that the big stores do... I cut them up and then lay them out on cookie trays and freeze and then quick dip each piece in cold, cold water and freeze a bit more and then put in vac-pack that way if I only want a few I can cut the bag open take out half(since they tend to be nice and loose even if vac-packed) and then re vac them and put them back in.
Since hubs started working away from home all week and only home on the weekend I've had to figure out how to downsize dinner.

 

[pinkfox]

im planning on investing in one of those vacue sealers, good to know everyones having good experiences with them!
Being im a single gal and buy in bulk to save money i think the vacume packer is definatly the way to go.