To think batch cooking is awful

[Newyear2025]

It takes forever to do and everything comes out tasting of freezer.

Better things to do with it than stand there batch cooking like a little hand maid!

Im no one’s hand maid, I do have a very busy life so batch cooking means something home made and delicious in the freezer without relying on UPF. I’ll sometimes plan a big batch cooking afternoon but more often than not I’ll make a huge chilli and freeze 2/3 of it. So no more time than usual but meals for busy week nights.

I don’t think I’ve ever tasted freezer, my food tastes great.

I did that once, what I thought was leek and potato soup was stewed apples 😆

I think the doubling up is a good idea, I have started to do this as I wanted to have stuff in to avoid the Charlie Bingham purchases when I couldn't be bothered.

I wouldn't spend a day batch cooking though as I just find that level of dinner planning and making too much in one day.

I'm a big fan, especially when the kids were small and we both had full time jobs. Big Costco haul plus a day of cooking and you're sorted with home cooked, tasty, healthy meals in minutes for about six weeks. What's not to love?

I don't like soggy peppers etc, and haven't found any high quality mix of the veg we like. Cauliflower rice is fine though, I'll buy that.

I agree that slow cooker food has a certain taste and is rank. Not all foods are suitable for batch cooking. Anything mince based or curry usually tastes fine to me.

You are almost alone.

I think you're talking of freezer burn which may come from not wrapping enough or freezing foods that don't freeze well- eg mushrooms and cauliflower.

If there was any truth in what you're saying then surely ALL frozen food would 'taste of freezer' whether that's frozen over chips, fish fingers, ice cream etc etc?

You mean you can’t. Other people can.

I don't ever get why batch cooking is suggested so often on here.

I mean...the very very last way I'd ever spend a free day is cooking multiple meals. What an utter waste of a day! No meal takes that long to cook really.

Good grief how/what on EARTH are you cooking??

Then they are not wrapping their food enough.

Why do people deny and ridicule other peoples' experiences like this? I know sometimes I taste things some others don't. I'm not insulting their (or your) taste or cooking. Of course no one licks their freezer, what a daft comment.
I know exactly what the OP means, there is a freezer taste for some people.
Just in the way that some people think coriander tastes of soap and some people find much food too salty.

I use ikea Pyrex and stainless steel containers. No issue with it

You're missing the point.
You just cook double what you need.

I made 3 batches of meat for a casserole and put it in 3 freezer bags so I've got 3 meals ready to go.

I cook meat for nearly 2 hours in the oven for casseroles, so doing that once saves fuel and time.

There is just me and DH usually, but if DCs come I can whip out 2 bags of casserole and Voila!

Some food doesn’t freeze well. I tried freezing shepherds pie but hated the mash reheated.
I felt the same as some of you about my slow cooker until I found a slow cooker group on FB. Satay and curries delicious. It’s also fab for pulled pork and ham.)

Quite possible.

I did it more when DD was weaning, would cook double of pretty much everything and freeze portions, then there was always something easily available either for her lunch or if we were having something for dinner that wouldn’t suit her (rarely to be fair). And also I think I was just more shattered in those days and less inclined to cook each evening.

I still do the odd thing - usually tomato/ vegetable sauce that I can use in different dishes, or if we’ve got lots of fruit to use up I might stew it, a lot of vegetables I might make a root veg mash or soup. I’m not great at remembering what’s in there though, like a previous poster.

I still cook extra portions of things at dinner, but more often than not we’ll have them the next day for lunch or another dinner.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with my cooking.

And to the pp I don't keep food in my freezer longer than a month because it tastes of freezer. My kids happily eat last year's ice creams if they find them, but I can't stand the taste.

I do get what OP means about freezer taste, I find it’s when something hasn’t been in a decent container, stuff wrapped in cling film just gets freezer burn and kind of frosty. I’ve got some silicon reusable packet bags that have a good seal. And you can write on them.
For slow cookers , a good thing l learned here years ago is to put a tea towel over it, then the lid on, it absorbs moisture and you don’t get watery food

Exactly this, and yes coriander is the devil's soapy herb for me. Maybe there's something in that.

How / why do you freeze baked potato? And how do you cook them second time round?

I gave up on slow cookers after trying many recipes, so it's mainly what others are cooking. And recipes that would be fine on the hob or in the oven.
Some people just taste things differently.
I do notice friends cook things that are very strong tasting and spicy, I probably wouldn't notice then, but I can't eat that type of food anyway.

How are you wrapping it?

If the food looks grey or white, it's got freezer burn.

IMO you need a solid container and then a freezer bag as well.

@NeedToChangeName If the oven is on anyway - I do 4 or 5 spuds as normal
Freeze them when cooled down and then just stick in air fryer for 5 minutes once defrosted
Perfect

Standard tupperware/takeaway style tubs. No freezer burn.