Are you working all day long just to come home and see your fridge empty and without a delicious meal? If so, this article is just what you need as it will introduce you to the art of prepping and freezing meals that can perfectly calm your rumbling stomach after long and exhausting day.
Making a batch of baked beans or cooked dried beans in advance will not only help save you some time but money as well. The only remaining question is “Can you freeze baked beans?”
You can find an answer to his question and many more quick cooking tips that will allow you to chase a successful career without sacrificing everyday self-evident things, such as warm meal on a table, in the following paragraphs.
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Can You Freeze Baked Beans?
Gladly the answer to this question is YES! Whether you have bought the canned baked beans from the local grocery store and only used the half of the product or whether you have prepared too much of your crowd-pleasing dried beans dish, the answer still remains affirmative.
Although the answer to the leading question may bring a smile to every busy mother or student to the face, it is important to freeze the beans accordingly to preserve the given food without risks of making a mess in the freezer or spoiling the rest perfectly delicious pantry.
How To Freeze Baked Beans
The busy schedules often make us reach out to the take-out and food delivery services that keep adding numbers to our monthly expense bill. Besides, their repetitive menus can quickly become dull as they do not awaken the feeling of appreciation as the homemade meals do.
To help you create your own “frozen getaway meals” that come in handy whenever there is a shortage of time or whenever you feel lazy, here are quick freezing tips that don't only apply to the baked beans but for other foods as well.
1. When wanting to freeze baked beans make sure your batch firstly cools to the room temperature. Freezing the beans while they are still hot increases the risks excessive expanding that causes the container to break risking the edibility of other stored goods.
2. Store the beans in the secure and durable airtight container made of plastic or ceramic. When putting the batch in the dish make sure you leave a little bit of space on the top to ensure there is some room for expanding ice crystals.
3. If you have enriched your baked beans with the pieces of meat, make sure you fully cover them with the sauce before the freezing to prevent the protein from drying and developing the crust.
4. Before placing your container in the freezer label it with an accurate current date. Baked beans can last up to 6 months in the freezer before losing the texture and flavor.
- TIP: If you are making a batch of cooked dried beans explicitly for freezing purposes it is best for you to cook the dish until the beans are al dente to make sure they don’t become mushy and soggy when thawed. Tenderness of the beans can be customized later on when reheating the meal.
- You should prepare your baked beans before freezing them. See the video below to learn about how to prepare kidney beans to freeze them.
What Other Foods Can You Freeze?
Baked beans are not the only type of food you can freeze. You can diversify your go-to frozen pantry by adding new delicious meals to your stock. Meals that will keep your nutritional routine rich and vibrant even in times of hurry.
Here is a list of foods of which edibility doesn't get compromised by low temperatures:
- Soups: carrot soup, lentil soup, tomato soup, noodle soup, pumpkin soup etc.
- Stews and casseroles: butternut squash casserole, lentil casserole, slow cooked bean casserole etc.
- Sauces: pesto sauce, marinara sauce, alfredo sauce, pizza sauce, basil cream sauce etc.
- Broth and stock
- Shredded cheese and mashed potatoes
- Pancakes, waffles, and French toast
- Pies, pasta, cookie dough, bread, homemade or store-bought dough
- Banana, berries, grapes
What Food You Shouldn’t Freeze?
via fitnessgalore.net
Likewise there are the foods suitable for freezing there are also other goods that are not. To help you navigate through the options here is the list of nutrients of which edibility becomes compromised when preserved by low temperatures:
- Mayonnaise and ketchup: They separate and curdle after thawing.
- Fruits and vegetables with high water content: cucumbers, watermelon, lettuce leaves, potatoes etc.
- Soft cheeses: ricotta, cream cheese, cottage cheese etc.
- Eggs: They crack open when frozen exposing the interior to the bacteria.
- Some dairy-based products such as sour cream and yogurt.
Helpful Tips And Freezing Ideas
via sparkpeople.com
- When reheating defrosted baked beans make sure you start with low temperature gradually increasing it according to the need.
- When freezing different sauces, such as pizza or marinara sauce, pack them in labeled ziplock bags and store them vertically, so your freezer looks like a book shelve filled with deliciousness.
- Freeze the leftover bunch of herbs before they wither away in your cabinet. For instance, chop up your store-bought parsley, put it in a plastic bag and preserve it with low temperature. This way you can add a dash of brightness to you dishes even in the time of hurry as you don't need to wait for the herb to defrost.
- If you are worrying your bananas will become too ripe before you manage to eat them, simply store them in your freezer and use them for smoothies afterwards.
- If you like iced coffee but truly despise the ice cubes that water down the intensity of your beverage, try making a coffee ice cubes made of brewed and sweetened coffee in advance to preserve the strength of your morning booster.
Conclusion
Can you freeze baked beans? As we have already established, the answer to this particular question remains affirmative thanks to the modern means of technology.
The freezer as one of the necessities of the modern era has opened doors to countless possibilities when it comes to nourishment. The ability to prolong the expiration date of foods with the help of low temperatures not only saves us the money but also gives us an opportunity to create go-to frozen meals that come in handy when the times of business or laziness approach.
Even if you have properly stored pre-cooked baked beans in the freezer, check the taste, texture, and odor before eating them. If they are no longer good, just throw them away.