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
Metal is impermeable and if sealed properly, it blocks freezer burn and any odor transfer or dehydration. So is glass and some triple wall bag packaging.
Room can be left in containers to account for this expansion but it is not always able to prevent damage to a container. Polypropylene and PVC are both plastics that are brittle at temperatures below freezing. Polystyrene is considered brittle at 68°F and is very brittle at temperatures below freezing.
By far, glass jars are the best containers for freezing food. Glass is impermeable, meaning no staining or stink. Glass also won't leach toxins into your food like plastic does, plus it's 100 percent recyclable (unlike plastic, which is super complicated to recycle).
Glass containers for food storage are generally freezer-proof and leakproof, and they are made with a tight seal to prevent any air or liquid from coming into contact with food stored in the container. Most glass containers can move from the freezer to the microwave or oven.
Jars with tapered sides or straight sides are freezer safe; shouldered jars are not.
Glass used for packaging has a high recycling rate compared to other packaging materials. In Europe, the average glass recycling rate is 76%, compared to 41% for plastic packaging and 31% for wooden packaging. When glass is left in the natural environment, it is less likely to cause pollution than plastic.
Stainless steel is highly resilient to temperature changes. It can safely go from the freezer to the oven without any issues. This versatility is especially useful for meal prepping and storing a variety of foods.
Glass is also less forgiving than plastic if food expands and will break rather than flex. Stainless steel containers also withstand freezer temperatures, are endlessly reusable, and won't leave an odor or flavor. They, too, need adequate headspace for expansion and an airtight lid.
Freezer Temperatures
The temperature of a freezer should be set at 0 degrees Fahrenheit so everything stays very cold. A freezer should be cold enough to keep food frozen and preserve it until they are ready to be cooked or reheated.
Good insulators are materials that do not conduct or transfer energy well and keep your ice from melting. Things like polystyrene, bubble wrap and cotton wool are good insulators.
Zip-top bags are great for freezing food because it's easier to get all the air out of them than it is with rigid containers. And zip-top bags have an added space-saving benefit: You can stack them, if you lay them flat to freeze first.
Regular mouth jars are not recommended for freezing because of the shoulders. As we know, when liquid freezes it expands. Therefore it is critical that enough headspace is available to allow for this expansion. However, even leaving plenty of headspace the regular mouth jars can crack.
Our borosilicate glass products can be put into freezer and can resist till -40°c.
A snowflake is probably the most easily recognizable indication of cold, which makes it the perfect symbol to mark freezer safe kitchenware.
Rigid containers are made of plastic, glass, aluminum and heavily waxed cardboard and are suitable for all packs. These are often reusable. Straight or tapered sides on rigid containers make it much easier to remove frozen foods. Glass jars used for freezing should be made for the purpose.
It is important to only freeze in mason jars that do not have shoulders (jars that are straight sided or “tapered”) are the easiest because the contents can expand upward in the jar during freezing, especially if you're freezing liquids (jams, jelly, soup, broth, etc).
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.
Per FSIS-USDA guidelines, if kept frozen continuously, chicken will be safe indefinitely, so after freezing, it's not important if any package dates expire. For best quality, taste and texture, keep whole raw chicken in the freezer up to one year; parts, 9 months; and giblets or ground chicken, 3 to 4 months.
Freezers typically last anywhere from 12 to 20 years. Along with gas and electric ranges, freezers tend to be the longest-lasting kitchen appliances. But that's not a guarantee! Many factors influence how long freezers last, including maintenance and environmental factors.