Freezing Done EFFICIENTLY!
I’m a big proponent of freezing food—lots of people are, I know. When done efficiently and correctly, it saves money and time, and is an easy way to keep your food fresh longer. It’s also a smart routine for preserving the flavor and freshness of foods you buy in bulk; freezing them will keep them fresh and tasty for months to come!
But note the above phrase, “done efficiently.” This is the topic here. I’ve discovered a product that’s the “Mother Superior” of freezing, the queen of freezing efficiency. This item has absolutely upped my freezer game by 100%, and you want to know about this. It’s a kitchen gadget that prevents food waste, saves money, and keeps your freezer even more organized than before.
This product is a spinoff of the traditional ice cube tray. We all know to use those to freeze liquids, everything from homemade soups to fruit purees. It’s a great food management approach because you can grab a few cubes at a time as needed instead of having to thaw out a big frozen block of something.
I’m talking about PrepWorks Freezer Pods. (How’d I live so long without ‘em!) I found these on a favorite site, “One Good Thing by Jillee.” These take the concept of freezing liquids in ice cube trays and makes it even better! While they’re similar in size and shape to standard ice cube trays, the cavities in each tray have more varied capacities. The trays come in 2-tablespoons, 1/2-cup, 1-cup, and 2-cup varieties.
And talk about clever. Each frozen cube will come out with the amount clearly marked on it. No more guessing when trying to figure out how much of you have of whatever you’ve frozen.
Jillee says, “And with the larger capacity Freezer Pods, you can easily portion out soups and sauces in just-right amounts. And when the time comes to eat or cook, you can defrost exactly as much as you need.” Can you see how this concept is a meal-making game changer?
But wait, there’s more! Unlike most standard ice cube trays, each Freezer Pod tray comes with a silicone lid that allows for expansion when freezing. The expanding lid is a very useful addition to these trays, because it prevents messes and also ensures your food doesn’t take on any weird “freezer tastes.”
This feature gives you options. When using an ice cube tray to freeze something, you need to remove the food from the tray fairly soon after it’s frozen and transfer the cubes to a freezer bag or container, to protect it from getting freezer burn. But with the Freezer Pod, you can keep the food in the container if you wish because of that handy silicone lid.
And they also make it easy to stay organized by including a designated area to label each tray, so you can easily identify what you’re freezing.
Jillee says she likes to remove her frozen portions and seal them in vacuum-sealed FoodSaver bags, both to free up the trays so she can use them again, and to further help prevent freezer burn. I agree and will do the same.
Jillee concludes this hugely helpful article with this thought: “Gone are the days of struggling to arrange large containers and bulky bags into your freezer like it’s a game of Tetris! You can store the cubes from your Freezer Pods in rigid vacuum-sealed bags that are easy to stack, or malleable zippered freezer bags you can fit into any available nook or cranny.”
I’ve found these at Bed, Bath and Beyond (BB&B) and amazon.com. Both places have them for $14.99 for all portion sizes. And BB&B offers a 20% off coupon every month, making them $11.99 each. So maybe we ought to consider asking Santa for one or two of these?
The bottom line: Food comes out of these Pods stackable, conveniently portioned into serving amounts, and ready for easy reheating. THAT’S freezing done efficiently!
But note the above phrase, “done efficiently.” This is the topic here. I’ve discovered a product that’s the “Mother Superior” of freezing, the queen of freezing efficiency. This item has absolutely upped my freezer game by 100%, and you want to know about this. It’s a kitchen gadget that prevents food waste, saves money, and keeps your freezer even more organized than before.
This product is a spinoff of the traditional ice cube tray. We all know to use those to freeze liquids, everything from homemade soups to fruit purees. It’s a great food management approach because you can grab a few cubes at a time as needed instead of having to thaw out a big frozen block of something.
I’m talking about PrepWorks Freezer Pods. (How’d I live so long without ‘em!) I found these on a favorite site, “One Good Thing by Jillee.” These take the concept of freezing liquids in ice cube trays and makes it even better! While they’re similar in size and shape to standard ice cube trays, the cavities in each tray have more varied capacities. The trays come in 2-tablespoons, 1/2-cup, 1-cup, and 2-cup varieties.
And talk about clever. Each frozen cube will come out with the amount clearly marked on it. No more guessing when trying to figure out how much of you have of whatever you’ve frozen.
Jillee says, “And with the larger capacity Freezer Pods, you can easily portion out soups and sauces in just-right amounts. And when the time comes to eat or cook, you can defrost exactly as much as you need.” Can you see how this concept is a meal-making game changer?
But wait, there’s more! Unlike most standard ice cube trays, each Freezer Pod tray comes with a silicone lid that allows for expansion when freezing. The expanding lid is a very useful addition to these trays, because it prevents messes and also ensures your food doesn’t take on any weird “freezer tastes.”
This feature gives you options. When using an ice cube tray to freeze something, you need to remove the food from the tray fairly soon after it’s frozen and transfer the cubes to a freezer bag or container, to protect it from getting freezer burn. But with the Freezer Pod, you can keep the food in the container if you wish because of that handy silicone lid.
And they also make it easy to stay organized by including a designated area to label each tray, so you can easily identify what you’re freezing.
Jillee says she likes to remove her frozen portions and seal them in vacuum-sealed FoodSaver bags, both to free up the trays so she can use them again, and to further help prevent freezer burn. I agree and will do the same.
Jillee concludes this hugely helpful article with this thought: “Gone are the days of struggling to arrange large containers and bulky bags into your freezer like it’s a game of Tetris! You can store the cubes from your Freezer Pods in rigid vacuum-sealed bags that are easy to stack, or malleable zippered freezer bags you can fit into any available nook or cranny.”
I’ve found these at Bed, Bath and Beyond (BB&B) and amazon.com. Both places have them for $14.99 for all portion sizes. And BB&B offers a 20% off coupon every month, making them $11.99 each. So maybe we ought to consider asking Santa for one or two of these?
The bottom line: Food comes out of these Pods stackable, conveniently portioned into serving amounts, and ready for easy reheating. THAT’S freezing done efficiently!
Sources:
- www.mythirtyspot.com
- www.goodcook.com
- www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com
Alice Osborne
Weekly Newsletter Contributor since 2006
Email the author! alice@dvo.com
