Freezing Guide - Prepared Food

How to freeze prepared meals

• Prepared meals can easily be frozen and are the solution to decrease cooking during the week by diversifying your meals.
• Cool your meals as soon as possible by placing the food in a bowl then place that bowl in a larger bowl filled with iced water. Freeze them as soon as they are chilled. Remove any fat, which will solidify on the surface. This way you will eat healthier meals when you thaw them!
• If you have planned to cook meals in advance, a good tip is to freeze them slightly undercooked. You will get better results when reheating!
• Be sure to freeze portions that you will use at one time, once thawed, the prepared food deteriorates faster than fresh food.
• Ensure that frozen foods remain frozen solid while being stored at temperatures of -15 °C or lower
• The Freezer Keeper® or Heat n' Eat containers are perfect for freezing prepared foods; they remain well sealed while frozen to protect the food from freezer burn and are very easy to unmold from thanks to their flexible material.
• TupperTip: Instead of cooking each week everything that you will need, prepare 3 or 4 dishes in double or triple quantity and freeze the left-overs.

How to thaw

Thawing in the refrigerator

• Make sure the temperature in the refrigerator is set between 0°C and 4°C.
• Never leave food for longer than 24h in the fridge before cooking it.
• Thawing in the microwave
• Defrosting in the microwave is desirable because it allows you to thaw very fast while keeping the original texture of the food.
• To thaw the prepared food, first work with the defrost function of your microwave and once thawed, you can use the “reheat” button.
• The MicroCook Pitcher and Heat 'N Eats are perfect for reheating. Never put your Freezer Keeper® containers in the microwave.  
• For better results, stir the food halfway through thawing and leave for a standing time of around 5 minutes. Serve and consume immediately!

No thawing

Prepared meals can be reheated directly on the stovetop without prior defrosting. For faster reheating of foods like casseroles, use a double boiler (ie, bain marie)!
Alternatively, you can reheat the food in the oven. Use your favorite Ultra Pro™ and reheat your frozen prepared foods. This is the best way to preserve the texture of the food!
Additional Resources
Not sure where to start? Get to know your fridge and learn how to freeze your food correctly in our Tupperware Freezing Guide - The Basics.

Ensure the safety of your frozen food with our freezer containers.

 

Sources:

• www.health.vic.gov.au