Wednesday, February 14, 2018

My Experience Using Freshware Food-to-Go Packs to Freeze Soup: A Review

Freshware Helped me Freeze Individual Mug-Size Soup Servings


After a recent bout with the flu, I realized I had not really prepared very well. Everyone knows how important chicken soup is in helping respiratory illnesses, but few people are up to making it from scratch after they get sick. I wasn't, either, and canned soup just isn't as good. If only I'd been able to pull individual servings out of my freezer that were just the right size for my soup mugs! But I couldn't, since there weren't any there. Since then I've stashed many soup servings in my freezer. Here's how.

My Experience Using Freshware Food-to-Go Packs to Freeze Soup: A Review




Fortunately I did have some frozen French onion soup I'd bought at Costco to get me though a couple of days of flu. Each portion was just right to heat in a soup mug. I decided to look for something that would help me freeze my own individual size portions, so I searched Amazon. I was actually looking for molds, but all I could come up with were muffin tins, and they weren't the size I wanted. I finally found these Freshware Food-To-Go Packs.

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Freshware Food Storage Containers [36 Set] 16 oz Plastic Deli Containers with Lids, Slime, Soup, Meal Prep Containers | BPA Free | Stackable | Leakproof | Microwave/Dishwasher/Freezer SafeFreshware Food Storage Containers [36 Set] 16 oz Plastic Deli Containers with Lids, Slime, Soup, Meal Prep Containers | BPA Free | Stackable | Leakproof | Microwave/Dishwasher/Freezer SafeCheck Price

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I finally decided on the 16-ounce size. As you can see above, I wanted a portion just right for my soup mugs. My mug holds 12 ounces comfortably with a bit of room at the top. If I pour 12 ounces of soup into the Freshwear container, there is room left for expansion at the top.

My Soup Story


When my Freshware Food-To-Go packs arrived from Amazon. I was anxious to try them out. I chose them because they are BPA Free, and I didn't want to put anything hot  into a plastic container that contained BPA. I also liked that they could go from my freezer into my microwave so that I could partially thaw the soup before pouring it into my mug. It can stand temperatures from -40°F to +250°F. I liked that I could pour it straight from my crockpot into the containers without waiting for the soup to  cool.

My Experience Using Freshware Food-to-Go Packs to Freeze Soup: A Review


This is my most recent batch of soup as it simmered in my crockpot. This time I made vegetable soup with just a bit of ground beef for added flavor. Here's how I made the soup you see here: I Made Soup Again Today.

I really like my crockpot. It's an older version of this one, and its shape makes it easier to cook many kinds of meat and poultry that are harder to cook in my round crockpots. I can also program it for specific cook times and temperatures, knowing it will switch to warm if the cook time finishes. I can't do that with my older crockpots.

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Crock-Pot 6-Quart Countdown Programmable Oval Slow Cooker with Dipper, Stainless Steel, SCCPVC605-SCrock-Pot 6-Quart Countdown Programmable Oval Slow Cooker with Dipper, Stainless Steel, SCCPVC605-SCheck Price

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Freezing Hot Foods in Freshware


I found the Freshware very easy to work with. It stacks neatly in the cupboard for easy storage. When I need to freeze soup or anything else in a mug-size portion, the containers are easy to fill and stack.

I usually make a crockpot full of soup or another dish. I put about six servings in a casserole dish to store in the refrigerator to cover about three meals for two during that first week after cooking. I freeze what's left in the Freshware containers. Here's how that looked when I froze some beans I had cooked.

Here the containers have been filled and I've put the lids on them. The foods were still hot when I filled the containers.

My Experience Using Freshware Food-to-Go Packs to Freeze Soup: A Review


Below I show them stacked.

My Experience Using Freshware Food-to-Go Packs to Freeze Soup: A Review


Notice how snugly the lids fit and how neatly they stack for storage in the freezer. Because the containers are clear, you can see exactly what's in them.

Thawing My Soup after Freezing in Freshware Containers


I had planned my container size for filling mugs that comfortably held 12-ounce portions of food, mostly liquid. You can see the beans I froze above, before they went into the freezer. Below you see the soup after it came out of the freezer. On top you see the soup still frozen after I removed the lid, which kept its shape well. You can also see that the soup had plenty of headroom for the liquid to expand.

My Experience Using Freshware Food-to-Go Packs to Freeze Soup: A Review

The middle photo shows the soup thawing in the microwave. I thawed it without the lid. When it was almost thawed, I transferred it into the mug, since I prefer handling a mug when the soup is hot. Had I wanted to take this to work as a hot lunch, I could have packed it frozen and heated it in the container at lunchtime and also eaten from the container.

Note: This week I cooked a large batch of lentils. I filled three Freshware containers to freeze and one to put in the fridge. I wanted to be able to easily add cooked lentils to soups and salad during rest of the week. When my husband was removing something else from the fridge, my lentil container fell out and fell on the floor from three feet up. The thin bottom of the container broke, but did not shatter. The top stayed on. I was able to safely remove the contents to a new container without adding any cracked plastic with the lentils. It was a very easy process.

Lunch is Ready


The soup is pretty hearty, with lots of protein and vegetables, so it doesn't need a lot to go with it. I toasted a slice of sourdough bread and peeled a tangerine because I love tangerines with anything savory. I can eat the toast on the side or dip it in the soup.

My Experience Using Freshware Food-to-Go Packs to Freeze Soup: A Review


What do you like with your soup?

Get Freshware Containers to Make Your Life Easier


As you can see, Freshware Food-To-Go Packs make preparing and freezing meals in single portions very easy. Cook a large batch of your favorite lunch, freeze what you want to store for later, and thaw at home or take frozen to work to heat there. The containers are able to be washed in a dishwasher. I didn't try this because my dishwasher isn't working anymore and I'm waiting to replace it. But the containers are easy enough to wash by hand. Why not pick up some Freshware containers today while you're thinking about it?



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16 comments:

  1. These Freshware containers look to be the perfect food storage item for any meal preparation from cooking to freezer to reheating. Very handy for anything from soups to casseroles and appear to be a nice size for one or two servings. Thanks for telling me about them, Barbara.

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    1. They are the perfect size for my soup mugs and for reasonable portions of other foods I want to cook in bulk like rice and legumes that I want to use in smaller portions. I fill one container for the refrigerator and fill the rest with the remains to freeze until I need to replace the one in the fridge. I love this system.

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  2. Thanks for the info! I love freezer to microwave - safely!

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    Replies
    1. I love that I can fill these with hot foods in a way that isn't safe in my other plastic food containers.

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  3. I used to make lunches this way and freeze them when our children were in school. Now that you have shared your flu story, I can see the benefits again to cooking and freezing ahead of time. Of course, you are right. When you are that sick, you don't feel like cooking, but you do need to eat. I am so glad you found containers that will go from the freezer to the microwave! That is truly fabulous. And, how neat that you were able to transfer the frozen contains from a cracked container to a new one. Awesome review Barb for something we all need in our homes.

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    1. This is one purchase that I've really been happy with. They have so many uses!

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  4. Awesome I love these Freshware containers! I will have to get some of these for out large batches of soup we make! Great Review Barbara!!! Love to see your soup and Lentils recipes!!!

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    1. I love that I can freeze in individual portions so that when I do want soups, I can choose between the different varieties in the freezer instead of having only one choice. Of course, that means I have to freeze more than one variety, but I can easily do that with the crockpot.

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  5. Saw the link for your soup! I have never heard of the herb "henbit" ! Sounds like a yummy soup!

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    1. Henbit is actually an edible weed -- one of the first that sprouts after the rains here. I use it in soup and salads while it lasts. I like to use what Mother Nature gives me free.

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  6. These containers are great. I do made a big batch of soup and froze them in servings for two. Now when it is lunchtime I just take one out for my husband and me. Good review!

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    1. What I like about this size is that if my husband and I want to make different choices, it's easy. I had chicken soup today and he had baked beans. I love this system.

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  7. Oh I love this idea! The next time I make a batch of chili or vegetable soup, freezing some for later would be so nice. Thanks for the tip!

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    1. I think chili will be next on my list of things to make. It's really getting cold out.

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  8. I've never thought to freeze individual soups, not sure why? A terrific idea, that would be quite popular in our house. You have me thinking now - the containers sound ideal for it as well.

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  9. I'm now making a different soup almost every week and freezing three or four pints of it. Having several kinds ready to pull out gives me some choice. I also make rice in quantity and freeze it by the pint. It saves energy cooking it, and freezing part keeps it from spoiling before we use the big batch. I now have one pint of cooked lentils I can throw in soups and salads as desired, two pints of rice, and assorted containers of soup and chili. I love it.

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