19 hours ago, Anna N said:For ages and ages I have been trying to remember who it was that was freezing things in square containers and then vacuum sealing them. I seem to remember flat packs that could be stacked. If I am correct can you tell me which containers you are using?
That's me! I use some medium rectangles that are from Smart & Final, their First Street Brand (they do have rounded corners). The majority of the containers are Ziplock brand, they are reasonably priced and the company makes several sizes as squares and rectangles. Amazon has a lot of different sizes. I got mine at a supermarket a few years ago -I lucked out they made some in Christmas colors and I scooped them up on sale in late January. I mostly freeze things in the green lidded Cambro containers, both the 2qt and 4qt size, you do not need to fill it to make this work, just get an amount of 1 inch high or greater. So, if the amount I want in one block is more than a pint, I use the Cambros.
For small amounts I use the large, 2" each cube, silicone ice cube tray, available under several brand names (got mine at TJ Maxx, but have also spotted them at Bed, Bath & Beyond) You can, of course, vacuum seal a bag of multiple ice cubes and just re-seal as they get used up. Some foods can be really useful as small portions, like, I make a red chile and bean stew then freeze leftovers as the 2" cubes. Then later, I thaw the chile out to make chili dogs (with vegetarian Smart Dogs). I would never bother to make red chile from scratch to be the topping on one hot dog.
But, yeah, there's no reason to have your container collection in the freezer, vacuum sealing works MUCH better. Plus, I don't have to own a lot of containers. For refrigerator storage, I tend to use canning jars because they are tall and utilize the space more efficiently. All of my plastic storage containers, well the empty ones used for leftovers and such, fit on half of one shelf in a kitchen cupboard. I don't have a giant crazy stack like a lot of people. (I do store flours, sugars, dry beans, etc. in Cambro containers, and smaller amounts of grains and beans in vacuum sealed canning jars. But, they tend to stay in place in the pantry.)
There are certain foods that freeze well and help get meals made faster. I generally make large batches of: tomato sauce, some soups, cooked rice, and some Indian dishes. Having the soup on hand is very useful, I have been able to 'stretch' a meal when unexpected guests showed up for dinner, by adding a soup course and then serving the main dish in smaller portions.
Hope this helps!
, available under several brand names (got mine at TJ Maxx, but have also spotted them at Bed, Bath & Beyond) You can, of course, vacuum seal a bag of multiple ice cubes and just re-seal as they get used up. Some foods can be really useful as small portions, like, I make a red chile and bean stew then freeze leftovers as the 2" cubes. Then later, I thaw the chile out to make chili dogs (with vegetarian Smart Dogs). I would never bother to make red chile from scratch to be the topping on one hot dog.
and 
size, you do not need to fill it to make this work, just get an amount of 1 inch high or greater. So, if the amount I want in one block is more than a pint, I use the Cambros.
