How to Freeze Foods in Disposable Tin Pans
Freezing food in disposable tin foil pans is a great way to extend the shelf life of your leftovers or to plan your lunches and dinners for months in advance. Foods that store well in tin pans include bread, brownies and lasagna. While freezing food is a way to extend its shelf life, it is important to properly handle your food to ensure that it retains the best possible quality and doesn't succumb to freezer burn. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Remove the food from the oven, and allow it to cool completely. If you place the food in the freezer while still warm, steam can build up, leading to the formation of ice crystals.
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Prevent exposure of the food in the tin pans to excess air. Ideally, you should cover the top of the pan tightly with plastic wrap, with the plastic film pressed directly against the food. You should then cover that layer of plastic wrap with a cardboard cover (if the disposable tin came with such a lid), or else with one or two layers of heavy-duty tin foil. The less air in the packaging, the less risk of freezer burn.
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Freeze pans in a single layer before stacking them for storage. If you stack too many pans on top of each other before they are completely frozen, you could crush the food on the bottom of the stack. Freezing in a single layer also increases air circulation in the freezer, helping food chill at a faster rate.
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Use a marker to label each frozen tin clearly with two dates: the date of creation and the projected use-by date. The shelf life of frozen foods varies based on ingredients (see Resources). Generally, breads freeze well for three months, lasagna for up to two months.
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Don't overwhelm your freezer's chilling capacity. Only add new foods to be frozen in small batches, ideally 2 to 3 pounds of food for every cubic foot of space in your freezer.
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Tips & Warnings
To reheat precooked, frozen foods, thaw for 24 hours in the fridge and then heat in the oven until warmed through.
Don't forget to remove plastic wrap from the food before heating in an oven.
