Freezing Soups 101...

[FORREST]

Hi Everyone,

I'm notorious for cooking too much food at one time, especially with soups. I decided to try taking advantage of this over zealousness and take the advice of an earlier post I read and start freezing the soups, resulting in having an array of soups always on hand.

I've tried to do some research before this post, but I came across so much information about freeze temps, bacteria, don't freeze soups with rice or pasta, etc., that I was hoping some experts could help this home cook.

My question is how to properly freeze and re-heat frozen soups?

Thanks,
Forrest

[cheztom]

Get a bi-metalic, "stab" type thermometer and calibrate per package instructions.

Seperate the soup into small containers i.e. break down a gallon of soup into pints or half quarts. This'll facilitate quicker, safer cool down.

Cool down method:

Chill the soup down either in an ice bath or uncovered in your fridge. Soups should be cooled down from 135 degrees F (57 C) or above to 71 degrees (21 C) in two hours. Then you must cool the soup down from 71 F down to 41 degrees (5C) or lower within four hours. This gives you a cooling down time of 6 hours total. Rule of thumb is to chill down the food as quickly as possible down through the "danger zone " between 135 F to 41 F.

You should stir the soup ocassionally to further facilitate cooling. This is especially true of more viscous, cream based soups.

Re-heating:

Thaw the frozen soup in the fridge or as part of the cooking prcess, keeping in mind that you do not want that soup within the danger zone (41 -135) for any appreciable amount of time. Hence, I recommend NOT re-heating frozen soup in a crock pot.Too slow and too unreliable. I think crock-pots are bacterial incubators, IMO. Which brings me to the next caveat...never thaw at room temp. Never.

Now - heating frozen soup...you want to bring that soup up (quickly-mind you) to a temp of 165 for at least 15 seconds and then be sure you hold that soup at a temp of 135+ to insure that you've kept the soup safe for you and yours to enjoy.

Those are the basics that should keep you fairly safe.

[murphed]

ChezTom gave you great and professional advice. But, for (us) home cooks, maybe I can translate...\

We don't have the type of equipment that a professional kitchen has in our homes, (like special sinks for cooling stockpots with running cool water), so...

The bottom line is to cool the soup as fast as you can BEFORE you put it in the freezer/refrigerator...

In the summer/warmer weather, I will set the (large) stock pot in the sink with Ice water all around, stirring almost constantly, allowing water to escape slowly and adding ice as needed. This will emulate the enviroment used in restaurants. (Make sure most of the liquid is below the level of the outside ice water).

The good news for me is that from about mid Dec to Early March, I can probably stick the Pot (with the lid secured and if you dont have bears) into the snow and go to bed.

Gotta love Mother Nature!

I cant wait for fall- Stews, Soups, Casseroles, ...

[cheztom]

Thanks for the translation, Murph and also for the ingenious, practical home cook advice.

Now go freeze some soup, Forrest.

Go. Quickly. Run! Run, Forrest, run!



Sorry...couldn't resist. Welcome to C2C Forrest.

[bohica]

I put my strained stocks in the ice pack outside my door in winter too. Works great.

[FORREST]

That's ok cheztom, I've heard it for years:-). But thanks to everyone for the advice, I can't wait to test.

[ChefSwag]

for the home cooks you could also use a frozen water bottle to mimic the ice paddle in commercial kitchens.

[cheztom]

Good one, swag, and welcome to C2C.

[CPPCS]

Swag and Forrest both, welcome to C2C. I have a house full of single guys next door who like to raid my patio in the winter. I cool all my soups and stews out there. They call my patio "The Soup Kitchen". It's funny to here them talk about the take-out they enjoyed. Anyway, Forrest just remember to undercook your veggies and pastas as they will continue to cook during the reheating process. Also, freeze your pasta seperate from your liquid. Keeps the pasta from absorbing too much liquid and getting mushy.

[cheztom]

single guys next door = squirrels and raccoons.

[CPPCS]

Well, the guys do get a little squirrely at times.

[Smokin]

I picked up some pretty neon colored drink squeeze bottles on sale at Wallyworld for $0.75 on special. Fill'em with water, keep in freezer and throw them in to cool just about anything. Plastic has not transfered flavor.