The experts over at Ziploc told me that their freezer bags “are designed to protect in very low temperatures and harsh environments against punctures and tears.” So, in other words, while you can use a normal Ziploc bag to freeze food, chances are it won't escape the clutches of freezer burn and will be more prone to ...
Both Zip Lock bags and plastic containers are effective for freezing food, but each has its advantages. Zip Lock bags are more space-efficient and allow for easy removal of excess air, which helps prevent freezer burn. They are ideal for flat, stackable storage.
Food grade materials, such as aluminum foil, heavy freezer-weight plastic bags, heavy plastic wrap and parchment or freezer paper are excellent choices. It is safe to freeze meat or poultry directly in its supermarket wrapping, but this type of wrap is thin and lets air in.
The best containers for freezing food
The key to ensuring your food tastes great after it's thawed is how you store it: Food stays freshest when it's frozen in airtight containers and thick, durable wrappings.
Ziploc® Containers with lids feature easy-to-use, leakproof Smart Snap technology. They are BPA free and safe for use in the microwave, dishwasher, freezer and fridge (when used as directed). Use them to store food, organize supplies, or while on the go. Reusable and recyclable.
Rigid containers made of plastic or glass are suitable for all packs and are especially good for liquid packs. Straight sides on rigid containers make the frozen food much easier to get out. Rigid containers are often reuseable and make the stacking of foods in the freezer easier.
THE BOTTOM LINE For storing food in the freezer, use freezer bags because they are thicker and thus better at keeping moisture in and odor out. For general storage, freezer bags offer extra protection but regular storage bags are slightly less expensive.
Our products are made without BPA or Phthalates. Our products are reusable. Our products are recyclable.
Leaching is when chemicals such as BPA are transferred from the plastic to food. It is commonly transferred through changes in temperature. For example, when you microwave food, if you are using plastic, the chemicals will leach in to your food. Similarly, leaching can also occur if left in the freezer.
Freezer burn happens when frozen foods are exposed to cold, dry air, which causes them to dehydrate as the outer layers lose moisture. One of the most commonly recognized signs of freezer burn is the formation of ice crystals on the outside of food, making it appear frost bitten.
Wrap each chicken part (or whole bird, if you bought it whole) in plastic wrap, as tightly as possible. Place those wrapped parts in a zipper-lock freezer bag in a single layer. Better yet, vacuum-seal them in a plastic bag, if you have a vacuum sealer. (Our favorite is this one from NESCO.)
Proper packaging helps maintain quality and prevent freezer burn. Aluminum foil, freezer paper, plastic containers, and plastic freezer bags will help food maintain optimum quality in the freezer. Plastic wrap alone will not provide enough protection by itself, but can be used to separate foods within another package.
If you are using plastic bags, make sure to squeeze out as much air as possible before sealing them. Label the containers with the date on some freezer tape so that you know when the items were fully frozen. Most fruits can last for up to six months if they are stored properly.
Use a Vacuum Sealer
If you don't have access to a vacuum sealer, try placing your food in an open freezer bag and sticking it in a pot full of water without submerging the opening. "The weight of the water forces almost all of the air out of the bag, and you can zip it just before it's about to sink," says Pace.
Additionally, traditional sandwich bags may not offer sufficient insulation to protect food from freezer burn or moisture loss, potentially impacting the quality and taste of your food.
Food experts recommend freezing food in foil for a maximum of a year. Technically, tin foil is a safe option for storing frozen food. But just like plastic, it's not the most sustainable.
Containers made of PET plastics can release chemicals at a temperature of 25°C and at temperatures of 50°C and above, the leaching of chemicals can occur very rapidly. Food high in fat content should never be heated in plastic as the fat better absorbs chemicals.
Can You Use Regular Storage Bags in the Freezer? Yes. You can use regular zip-top storage bags in the freezer. However, foods stored in these bags in the freezer might not hold up as well over long periods of time, and can be more prone to punctures and rips.
Our Ziploc® products are suitable for food contact use for microwave defrosting and reheating, room temperature, refrigeration, and freezing. Remember, it's always important to follow each product's usage instructions. Furthermore, Ziploc® brand products are made in accordance with Good Manufacturing Practices.
For example, due to the wear/tear and continuous use of the self-sealing plastic ziplock bag, the plastics can be broken down and release some debris as microplastics.
“You can reuse Ziploc bags as long as they haven't been used for raw meat or other TCS foods,” Hutchings said. “TCS (time/temperature control for safety) foods are more susceptible to bacterial growth than shelf-stable foods, so if you store a TCS food item in a Ziploc bag, there may be more germs inside the bag.”
Plastic sandwich and food storage bags are typically made from polyethylene, which is considered non-toxic.
It is part of the Polyethylene (PE) family, which is the most widely used plastic. Polyethylene-Low Density, also known as LDPE, is commonly used in rigid plastic containers. We use a mix of different polyethylene densities to get the ideal strength and flexibility for different bag types.