Batch Cooking

[danibel]

I've done both over the years, no issues (though I personally prefer not to freeze if I can avoid it). Your mileage may vary, but for us custom-making each bag was kind of a pain, especially as we found that most single serving stuff easily fits in a pint bag.

I'm sure some food doesn't hold up well when frozen and reheated. I will ponder that.

If I owned the food saver, I might be more inclined to buy a wide assortment of sizes/types, but I am borrowing this from a friend to try this year. If it goes well, I might invest in food saver. They are pricey!

[Madgirl]

Danibel, keep an eye out for a used one at your local thrift store or on Craigslist....I got mine used (with a bunch of bags) for $10 and it works like a champ.

[Kelsier]

After seven years of cooking fresh food and dealing with gallons of grey water from washing dishes, I am done. I have access to a food saver and I am looking at 8 inch or 11 inch rolls (food grade - no BPA, for sure). Any recommendations?

Planning on buying some of my favorite take out (noodle dishes with veggies, some chinese), and making enchiladas-beans-rice, and perhaps a few other yummy things. I want to freeze these and keep in the freezer until I leave Monday the 29th - throw them in my food cooler with blocks and hope that they last the week. Is this possible? I really do not want to deal with dry ice, as I don't think it will last long enough anyway. I will keep the cooler iced of course, I just want to make sure I don't get me or my sweetie sick.

Also - when it comes to heating - how do you tell if the food is done? I am guessing simmer it for a bit, then pinch the middle of the bag to see if it's hot? There may not be an answer to this - because all food would heat differently?

So how did this work out for you last year?

Anyone else discover the joy of vacuum sealing and reheating?

[BBadger]

Many of my friends go that route of sealing and boiling. Works well for them, and I might go that route too this year.

You should look into those large vacuum sealing rolls, as it is much cheaper. I'll probably just look at what Amazon recommends.

Often what you'll cook should be already cooked, and you're just reheating the contents. That way you'll know when your food is done when it is hot enough to eat (melty cheese?), without worrying whether it's safe. Also consider running experiments at home with your meals.

[danibel]

After seven years of cooking fresh food and dealing with gallons of grey water from washing dishes, I am done. I have access to a food saver and I am looking at 8 inch or 11 inch rolls (food grade - no BPA, for sure). Any recommendations?

Planning on buying some of my favorite take out (noodle dishes with veggies, some chinese), and making enchiladas-beans-rice, and perhaps a few other yummy things. I want to freeze these and keep in the freezer until I leave Monday the 29th - throw them in my food cooler with blocks and hope that they last the week. Is this possible? I really do not want to deal with dry ice, as I don't think it will last long enough anyway. I will keep the cooler iced of course, I just want to make sure I don't get me or my sweetie sick.

Also - when it comes to heating - how do you tell if the food is done? I am guessing simmer it for a bit, then pinch the middle of the bag to see if it's hot? There may not be an answer to this - because all food would heat differently?

So how did this work out for you last year?

Anyone else discover the joy of vacuum sealing and reheating?

Ah thanks for asking! Overall I'd say this was the way to go. The pre-baked potatoes were the best part. I recommend smaller rather than larger for ease of heating through. Also, need to pre-freeze anything that has liquid, like sauce. I found the vacuum sucked the liquid too much and didn't create a good seal. The polenta and sauce was good, as was the take out sticky rice. If I had more food prep time I would have made breakfast burritos, ah well, next time! Oh. Don't try to seal grapes. Not sure what I was thinking, but let's just say, it wasn't optimal.

[Molotov]

I prefreeze any dishes with a substantial liquid content in freezer containers with snap on lids, then the next day pop the frozen chunk out into my heat seal bag and put it on the vacuum sealer. No mess. And you can let them thaw a bit after sealing and mash them down flat and freeze them up into flat packs that take up less space.

I'm no nutritionist, but I would bet foods with a higher acidic content, would be more resistant to spoilage as they thaw. Link to Food safety and pH values web page

[Simon of the Playa]

[Jordancc]

Protip - if you'd like to vacuum-seal liquids, like soups, just freeze them first