One of the ways I’m able to keep our grocery budget so low is by freezing our extra fruits and vegetables during the growing season. I also like to make large servings of soup in my crock pot during the week as well. Knowing I have the option to pull a hearty soup or pasta sauce from the freezer when I’m having a busy day {or week}, is a huge stress reliever.
How to Freeze Soup, Sauce, and Puree
- Fill quart sized zip baggies with 2 cups of soup, sauce or puree and seal.
- Lay bags flat on a cookie sheet and place the cookie sheet in the freezer on a flat surface.
- Once the contents are frozen solid {I usually wait 24 hours} stack them on a freezer shelf or in a freezer basket.
If you have a large quantity of soup to freeze, you may also want to use a large baking pan to stack your bags in while they are freezing. I have used this method before with various produce, purees, and soup as well and it works great.
So what do you think? Am I just a total weirdo with too much time on my hands?
Or do you freeze your excess soup and purees too?
~Mavis
Thinking about investing in a FoodSaver machine? Here are a few Amazon links if you are interested.
FoodSaver Vertical Vacuum Sealer
FoodSaver Advanced Design Vacuum Sealer
Mary Beth says
This is genius! I can only make soup in enormous batches, but with just me, sometimes I get way tired of eating the same thing for 6 suppers in a row. I love the idea of freezing it in individual portions, but all those containers get awkward in my freezer.
Shirley Kelly says
I, too, live alone and I love to cook regular size recipes or large quantities of soups and freeze some for later meals. Mavis, the idea of laying the baggies flat to freeze and then putting them upright in a container in the freezer is genius. My freezer in my apt. has just a small freezer on top so this would really maximize the space. I keep learning from you young women all the time!!
Kayla says
I think that’s a great idea! My freezer is now envious of yours.
Gwen says
Love it! I freeze so much stuff that the baggie idea looks like the way to go. Thanks for posting. Hey, did you make your own pizza sauce? That’s silly question :). Would love to know the recipe if you have the time to share.
cptacek says
I freeze them this way, but then they go in the freezer haphazardly. :/
A good way to get the air out of the baggies is to submerge it under water just up to the zipper part, then zip it. Then, massage the bag to get it to lay flat.
Kristen says
I freeze tons of soup and stock, but have used 32oz yogurt containers for years. There is a lot of wasted space, I think I will try the Ziplock method. Do you reuse your bags? I go through stock like crazy and would hate to throw out a nice freezer bag or two each time I need stock?
Kim says
You know I wash mine out each and every time! I do keep extra bread, hot dog wrappers but I wash my ziplocks! I have a couple questions too . .
1. what is the recipe for your pizza sauce, can you share?
2. how do you NOT have soggy zucchini when you thaw it out?
Mavis says
Hi Kim, Pizza Sauce Recipe
Ashley says
Did that blue thing in the first picture come with your freezer? Or did you buy it? I NEED one of those suckers!!! My chest freezer is a mess.
Wendy says
I’m too short for those chest freezers, so I now have an upright. But I was thinking you could save the rice bags, the ones with handles. Just place your frozen freezer bags in the rice bags and place in a standing position.
You Can Call Me Jane says
We freeze a lot in bags, too. I find that using shallow boxes to “file away” the bags is really helpful. I put all of one thing in a box and then stack them. This way, if you need something underneath, you can just lift out the top box or two and reach what you need easily without keeping the door open too long- it works great in chest freezers, but also helps with uprights- so the bags don’t go sliding out the door when you open it:-).
Were you a filing clerk in your past life? Just checking;-).
Mavis says
Ha! No…. I like the filing box idea. 🙂
Kathy says
I freeze the same way. Haven’t bought spaghetti sauce or diced tomatoes for my house in years. I also can in quart, pint and half pint jars. So we get stocked in freezer and out and usually lasts until August, when things start coming in again.
Sara says
I freeze flat, but I try to be careful and just stack them on top of other flat bags. Your way would certainly limit towers of bags collapsing on me though.
Diana says
I freeze the same way with either my foodsaver or ziplocs. The only store bought food in my freezer is some salmon and some butter. Everything else is from the garden!
mamalala says
I did this exact method for freezing my breast milk. It was so easy and took up less freezer space. Plus, everything defrosts faster and more evenly.
Lisa says
I use the baggie method too! Just took some frozen peppers out for a yummy stew the hubby put together. Yes, the hubby is the one who does all the cooking! I have given up trying, because even my best cooking doesn’t measure up to his. Until a couple years ago my daughters thought that every dad was the cook in the family…wake up call!
Heidi McClave says
I just started freezing leftovers (flat like in the pics) a week or so ago and it is so nice to know on my super busy nights it will be so quick to heat up that delicious chili or taco soup or whatever that is just waiting for me. Not to mention the desserts I am starting to stock pile away for those “special” nights when I just feel like having dessert. Plus, I like to just open my freezer and look in sometimes. It feel good to have a stack of prepackaged, homemadeness looking back.
Michelle O. says
I have started cooking more from scratch and so far the items I freeze are pizza sauce, marinara sauce, refried beans, bananas and cookie dough. I received a canner last week for my birthday, and am so excited to learn how to can so I can add to the homemade goodness.
I use the flat freezer bags as well, over and over again 🙂 Thanks for all the great ideas/recipes you’ve been posting!
Heidi says
Now I’m convinced your are WONDER WOMAN! Where do you hide your cape?
Mavis says
In the closet of course. I only bring out the boots and gold bangles for special occasions though.
Laura says
How do you thaw the pizza sauce (for example) without melting the bag in the microwave? Because I ADORE how organized your freezer looks Ms. Mavis, but I don’t think to take things out of the freezer before I leave for work in the morning. My thawing method is to pop it in the microwave.
Mavis says
I put the pizza sauce on a plate and stick it in the refrigerator to thaw. Or, if I’m in a hurry, I just place it in a bowl and run cool water over it and the pizza sauce is thawed and read to go in like 5 minutes.
Beth B. says
Mavis–I love your blog!! I always make extra soup to freeze and last night I froze 3 containers of homeade marinara sauce. Last weekend I bought 100 ears of corn for $20 and froze 23 bags (3 servings p/bag). And I still have corn coming out of my ears!!
I have started putting my ziplock bags of fruit or veggies into a brown paper bag to protect them more from freezer burn and it’s working!
Mavis says
100 ears of corn? Holy canolies. That ought to last awhile. Good job! Thanks for the brown paper bag tip. I’ll try it. 🙂 Yay!
MyRedSandals says
Hi Mavis!
I LOVE your ideas…keep them coming!
Alas, I used this freezer method all the time when we had our huge old side-by-side, but since we remodeled the kitchen (and sadly, downsized the fridge), my freezer capacity is so much less. I am still able to freeze limited amounts of soups, sauces and veggies in quart-sized bags, but there simply isn’t the space to be as neat and tidy as what you’ve shown above. The good news is, you’ve inspired me to reclaim my frozen real estate! My plan now is to ask for a stand-alone freezer for Christmas, and if that doesn’t fly, I’ll work my way through everything that’s in the freezer and start fresh with this storage method in the New Year.
Did those colored storage bins shown in your photos come with your freezer? They sure make it easy to stay organized!
Thanks,
Red
Angie Smith says
I do this same thing. My mom gave me the idea, and it works beautifully! We buy the freezer bags in big boxes at Costco & it saves us from having to buy & wash a ton of containers besides making room for more food in the freezer!
Kristen says
I currently have many quart bags filled with stock in my freezer. They are not frozen yet, and I am a bit concerned that they are going to burst. I filled each quart Ziplock with about a quart of liquid. They are lying flat, and again I am a bit nervous. Can they explode when there is expansion? thanks!!
Heidi says
I assume they could burst as liquid expands as it freezes. If it was me I’d probably put the quart sized bags into gallon sized bags to prevent them from exploding into the freezer. My guess is they won’t burst but I wouldn’t take the risk.
Mavis says
Eeeek! I have never had on burst before. But then again I do not fill mine to the top either. Maybe you should do what Heidi said above and place them in a gallon container to be safe.
Gail K says
I have been using the freezer zip lock bags for freezing left overs and soups. I use to hate making soup till I starting freezing it cause it always went to waste. Now I go to my freezer for the quick meals or just for dinner period. With just the two of us it makes for more money in the pocket cause I have so many soups, sauces and meals already made and it doesn’t take time to defrost. I do how ever use plastic shoe box’s to store my quart size items they only cost a buck and last forever. It’s a great filing system for when you are looking for that perfect meal. It always works for the DH he just looks in the freezer picks out what he wants to eat and I don’t have to worry about making a bunch of food for him that would go to waste in the frig if I am not at home. Love your website…..Great Job
Alton Clark says
We use our cookie sheets when freezing squash to fry, we slice and batter the squash then layer on the cookie sheet then wax paper over that and each layer after that put in freezer until frozen then put in bags . When time comes to cook just reach in bag and take out what you need and put bag back in freezer .
Alison Harness says
OMG!!! Mavis where have you been all my life??!?! I literally had an Oprah “Ah ha” moment! I am continually amazed at you/your ideas. I agree with the Wonder Woman comment – Keep up the GREAT work!
DANA says
MAVIS, I JUST TOLD MY DAUGHTER THAT YOU WERE A REINCARNATED PRAIRIE WIFE FROM THE 1800’s ONLY WITH MODERN TECHNOLOGY… I LOVE YOUR SITE …DONT EVER STOP BLOGGING, THANKS
Joyce Walrath says
Now ‘they ‘ are saying do not heat food in plastic bags.{I still do of course. Trying to break the habit} I freeze soups and sauces in glass jars. never never reuse bags that have contained meat. also, when I reuse bags the seals often fail.
Erin S. says
What a wonderful Idea. I always put them into containers and hate it because things always look so mess in my freezer. Will be doing this more often 😀 Thanks Mavis
JemAppel says
This is a lovely idea but it’s concerning that the plastic bags have toxins that leech into the food, as well as all the baggies that end up in a landfill. It’s great that a lot of the commenters here are reusing their bags. Reusable and non-plastic containers are ultimately healthier and better for the environment. Sorry to be a buzzkill but just trying to look out for people’s health. Some alternatives at: http://www.rodalenews.com/food-storage
Em says
I re-read this post today and noticed you put only two cups of food into a quart-sized bag. I have been putting a full quart in.
In addition to being easier to organize that way, yours would probably hurt less when I drop them on my feet. Something I am going to consider. 😉
Mavis Butterfield says
Yes! Only fill the bags half way full. 🙂 Sorry about your foot!