basic soup questions...

[michael527]

hello board,
i have a couple of basic questions. my roommate and i are both learning to cook, and he already has posted here and said that this was a great place to get some answers, so here are my questions...

i love soup, especially since i'm not crazy about vegetables. soups are a great way to put more vegies in my diet, so i've started to learn to make some. anyway, i was wondering if there's a hard and fast rule about which soups can be frozen for later and which can't, and for how long... does it depend on specific ingredients?

also, when freezing soup, what kind of container should i use? i was using plastic, but it retains the odors of previous foods. i don't think glass is an option in a freezer, so what do you guys use? if there's a specific brand of container you've found useful, please let me know. thanks for any answers you can provide!

mike

[krhm]

Mike,

I'm a big soup fan as well, because I can make a huge vat of it and freeze it in individual containers for lunch. I've found that broth-based soups freeze very well, but milk-based or cheese based soups do not. Something happens to the texture of the dairy products when you reheat the soup. My husband isn't as bothered by it as I am, so it may just be a matter of personal taste.

As for containers, I frequently pour cooled soups into Ziploc freezer bags, labeled with permanent marker. This way I can keep the individual serving sizes for my lunches, and save freezer space, which always seems to be lacking. I haven't noticed any taste differences, but the soups don't stay in the freezer for very long (usually one month max).

Hope this helps!

[Deanna]

Milk- or cream-based soups don't seem to freeze as well as broth-based soups.

Bean soups freeze perfectly!

I like those inexpensive little "Gladware" containers. They stack nicely and you can see through the sides so (hopefully) you can see what's in them. And if they pick up an odor after several usings...well they are so cheap you can just pitch them!

Wish I had a nickel for every dollar of Tupperware I bought in a "previous life"!

d

[lisas3575]

Welcome, Mike!

Glad makes a style of zipper bag that has a gussetted bottom so it stands up as you fill it. I found that helpful for freezing soups. Chili freezes very well too. The current issue of Cooking Light has a feature on several varieties of soup (and salads).

[tammy/MN]

just another tidbit, don't freeze any soup w/ potatoes in it, they don't hold up very well.

[Little Bit]

Just wanted to offer a quick 'Welcome and thanks for asking this question' sort of greeting to michael527, and thanks to everyone else for your replies. This thread is very timely, and just what I needed to know!

[Beth]

You can also soak the smelly containers. Just fill them with water and add a little baking soda. That usually gets rid of the smellies, but it sometimes takes a second soak.

[SusanMac]

Welcome to the BB, Mike! We can always use a few more male perspectives around here. And good luck on your increased veggie consumption. That's also a goal of mine.

[browneye]

Hi Michael,
Welcome....

Ditto all of the above suggestions, in addition, thought I would give you my $.02.

You actually can fill glass jars with soup, leaving about 1" space at the top, and freeze them. The only thing is, you have to let the soup cool first, and it really is easier to use ziplocks. Before the days of ziplocks, my mom used to do the jars all the time!

I agree that potatoes do not freeze well.
As for the amount of time, most do well up to three months or so in the freezer.

Happy vege eating!!!

[michael527]

thanks for the info... i never would have thought potatoes would be a problem. one thing, though: how organized can you keep your freezer uzing ziplock bags filled with liquid??? one of my pet peeves is a messy fridge/freezer (it drives my roommate CRAZY).

mike

ps: what about similar vegies like turnips? do they pose a problem, too? also, any suggestions for soups that stand up well to freezing for a month or so would be appreciated. thanks again!

[Jewel]

Welcome to the board Mike! You may start out freezing liquid, but it won't be liquid for long! I've always laid my bag of soup flat on the bottom of the freezer or on top of another flat bag at least overnight. Once it's hardened enough to move around, stack it anywhere! If you freeze in the gallon-size Ziploc bags they will usually flatten out pretty well, depending on how stuffed you've got them, and they stack very well in the freezer. Mark the top with a permanant marker or use freezer labels, and you'll always know what you've got!

As for turnips, I'm not a fan, so I couldn't tell you...but any 'grainy' type of veggie usually doesn't freeze well for me, they get mealy and even more grainy. I would say if you're going to freeze the meatier veggies, don't freeze them for longer than a month!

[Little Bit]

Have you seen the cardboard boxes designed for freezing things? They're usually with the canning supplies in the grocery store. They come with plastic bags exactly the right size, so you can freeze little squares of soup, should you want to.

I don't use them because I find them hard to fill, but if neatness and stackability are priorities for your freezer goods, they might be a good option.