Are you tired of throwing away leftovers every day? You don’t need to throw anything; you can freeze your food safely and use it anytime you like by using a mason jar. Freezing food, leftovers, cooked meals, and raw vegetables and fruits is no longer a problem with this simple addition to your pantry.
Mason jars are the handiest tools in your kitchen as they help you store your own stock of food and reduce waste. Whether you buy them or keep empty glass jars from previously-bought goods, you can store whichever amount of food and freeze for later use. If you’re worried that the jars may break or crack, read the following points as they will clarify how to safely freeze your mason jars.
Choose the Right Size
Depending on what you want to freeze, choose the correct size. If you’re preparing weekly meals or on-the-go eats, use quart-sized jars to help you store the whole amount. However, if you want to freeze baby food or small portions of jams, mini mason jars will be perfect. Use wide mason jars to save one to two portions of stew or soup; for best results use wide-mouth 16-oz containers. Additionally, you want to keep in mind the size of your freezer; choose jars sizes that fit. Don’t go for bulky containers when you have a small space in your freezer.
Allow Food to Cool Down
We know how tempting it is to preserve meals once cooked and to place them immediately in your freezer. Unfortunately, doing so makes food freeze faster and helps break jars easily. Cool the food before placing it into jars; allow it to reach the room’s temperature prior to freezing it. It is also safer to wait until the food is cool to avoid burning your hands while pouring it into the containers. According to Puratium, frozen jars break because of thermal shock. This shock happens when you place very hot meals into jars and freeze them instantly. Frozen glass jars shatter as well when there isn’t enough space left, but we’ll come to this bit in a second.
Don’t Fill Jars to the Brim
Food and fluids expand when frozen, so you need to leave enough space in your container for them to expand. Leave at least two inches between the brim and the liquid you’re filling it with or fill only about three-quarters of the container, and make sure you freeze it standing up. Most jars have indicators at the top to show you when to stop filling it. If yours doesn’t have an indicator, give food enough space to expand freely when frozen. Use wide jars instead of tall and narrow ones to allow the pressure to expand in a larger area, hence a lower chance to break.
Mason jars are extremely practical and handy containers that everyone should have at home. They turn out useful to store foods in the pantry. Their value becomes even bigger when you use them to freeze meals and juices. These jars are made from molded glass that helps to preserve food safely. Make sure you read the above points to help you freeze mason jars correctly.
