If you batch cook for the freezer...

[littlemrschatterbox]

Which containers do you use for what?

Looking to do this soon and wondering what would be the best in terms of ease and economy. Planning to label stuff too which I often don't do so freezer is often a mish mash of 'freezer surprise' dinners!

[gutted2014]

I tend to portion food up as it will be eaten - so, 1 large tub for me & DH, then 2 individual tubs. Tommee tippee bowls with lids are good for smaller dc as they can eat the food straight from there We use all plastic tupperware type tubs as they fit well in the freezer.

[Lamu]

I also use little plastic zip lock food bags for sauce type dishes or casseroles. I find I can fit more in my freezer that way.

[Mum2Fergus]

Depends what the food is...but either tubs or bags (I freeze them flat then can stand them side by side,let's me fit in loads)...

[Ememem84]

Takeaway style containers from pound shop. Save on washing up.

[Passthecake30]

I use tefal toughened glass I think with a plastic lid for lasagne, Shepherds pie, enchiladas etc that I cook in the oven. Random plastic for anything else

[plumnc]

Pyrex glass containers w plastic lids - courtesy of Tesco promotion last year

[Artandco]

Pyrex glass with Lids for stuff that can go straight in oven ie lasagne/ fish pie. Lock lids for soup/ family portions of anything.
And I use those silicone muffin trays to freeze sauces/ small amounts of bolgnaise. Once frozen you can pop out of the silicone and put in a labeled freezer bag and reuse tray.means we can just defrost a few muffin sized cubes quickly if just the kids eating, or more if we all have

[Awakeagain]

Plastic ziplock bags here too
Fit in loads more
We lay them flat to freeze then try and stand them up so you can sort of flick through what there is (almost like a freezer filing system!)

[souperb]

I have two square plastic boxes- one fits a single portion and one does family-sized. I line the tub with a freezer bag, fill and freeze until solid. Then I pop out the frozen cube wrapped in the bag out and write the contents on with a sharpie. The cubes stack nicely in my freezer and I reuse the boxes again and again.

[littlemrschatterbox]

Great ideas here, thank you. I particularly like the freezer filing system!

[Ishouldbeweaving]

I freeze in lidded plastic pots and then transfer it to plastic bags when frozen. Depending on what it is I'll portion it for 1, 2 or 3 people, there are times when there's only me to feed and things that my son won't eat. I used to have a list of what was in the freezer but now I just settle for rummaging through it.

The one rule is that everything that goes in must be clearly labelled and have the date on it. I've played freezer surprise far too often for it to be fun anymore.

[Clutterbugsmum]

I use a mixture of tubs/containers.

I use bags for soups.

Foil containers of various sizes depending on what i'm making/portion size.

And try not put my china serving dishes in the freezer.

[atthestrokeoftwelve]

I use bags for everything.

[BoffinMum]

I use little foil containers with lids, like you get takeaways in, and being rather sad I label them with my electronic labeller so I feel like Martha Stewart.

[cozietoesie]

I use the plastic tubs that buttery spread and ice cream etc come in. (They're fine as long as you decant them before heating - they can't usually take the microwave or oven.) My prime containers are Lurpak Spreadable 500g ones.

Over the years, I've learned their capacity so that I know how much to make to fill them in order to make X containers of Y for Z meals. (One Lurpak Spreadable tub for example will hold enough home made tomato sauce to make one very large homemade pizza, or to add to a tin of kidney beans for a vegetarian chilli (with some Chinese chilli and garlic sauce) or to use as a straight spaghetti sauce or.... or.... or.......)

The only disadvantage of using existing tubs for things is that they're not always easy to clean if you'd had something eg tomatoey and oily in them. I've found that the best way to clean them after decanting is some cheap cream cleaner and an old dish brush or green pot cleaner. Then rinse and stick in the washing up water.

[MrsCakesPremonition]

We bought a box of takeaway style containers from Costco and are working our way through them slowly, we generally reuse them a few times so the boxful is lasting forever.