Making a big batch of Sunday sauce, curry, or a giant pot of chili for the month is a smart idea, but it can also feel overwhelming. The recipes require gigantic quantities of ingredients, the procedure can last several hours or the whole day – and for what? Oh, that’s right, you get 10 to 20 servings of rich-tasting sauce made with love and patience. It’s worth making sure every drop is used, so make smart use of generation and freeze most of it. Here’s how to freeze giant batches of sauce for easy dinners later.
The biggest impediment to freezing anything – sauce, broth or even meat – in giant blocks is that thawing a small portion is a genuine pain in the ass. You either have to thaw the total thing and refreeze it, which can negatively have an effect on quality, or you have to take it apart, which can be dangerous.
Instead, adjust portion sizes before freezing the sauce for the first time. You may have heard of using ice cube trays to portion out sauce in an adorable way. While it’s vital for everyone to realize what works for them (and could work for you), to me the ice cube tray is a rubbish idea. For one thing, it’s too small. My ice cubes each involve a tablespoon of water. I would like to at least separate the tray for a small plate of pasta. I’m also sure those trays will then get a tomato, garlic or basil smell, which means I’ll never be able to use them to make ice cream again, and I’m not the type of user who needs to stick around. an express sauce. ice cube trays at home. Instead of ice cube trays, use something more realistic for a real serving.
Ice cube trays can work for freezing potent, powerful liquids—like lemon juice, or olive brine—where you’re likely to just use a bit. For large batches of sauce, portion the servings in plastic reusable containers or bags. The size should match the “single” serving you will likely need. If you have a family of five, you’ll freeze larger portions than a two-person household. Use appropriately sized freezer bags or reusable containers accordingly.
Sheet trays are indispensable tools for flat freezing:
Nordic Ware aluminum half iron set
USA Pan Warp Resistant Half Sheet Pan
Organizing my freezer can be a scary headache. I know there’s a way to make it all fit together, but there are so many abnormal shapes. Freezing the liquid flat instead of in a block can make the garage easier.
Most importantly, you can break the sauce into chunks without problems when frozen thinly and flat to adjust the portion sizes later. This is best if you’re not really sure how much you want for dinner on any given night. Not only is freezing the sauce faster this way, but thawing it and cooking it will also be faster.
Pre-carry the sauce or use the total sheet pan method.
Pre-portioning with freezer bags: Simply dump your “single serving” into the freezer bag, around one to four cups. Lay it flat on a sheet tray and put it in the freezer until frozen solid. You can probably fit a couple bags on one tray if you need to. Then neatly stack the frozen sauce bags.
Use chopsticks or pens to divide portions. If you only have gallon freezer bags but you only make single servings, use a freezer-safe implements to divide the sauce while it’s freezing. For a half-inch layer of tomato sauce, I can use a chopstick to create a divot. Helpfully, it’s the same length as the bag. Once it’s frozen, remove the chopstick or other tool. This divot in the sauce allows you to break it here, like a perforation. Slide out one portion and keep the rest in the freezer. You can also use pens, pencils or, for thicker layers of sauce, use a metal spoon.
The sheet tray method. To consolidate even more slabs, you’ll use the sheet tray slightly differently. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper or plastic wrap, with some overhang over the sides. Spread the sauce directly onto the tray, about a half-inch deep. Carefully put the sheet tray in the freezer so it doesn’t spill. Allow the sauce to freeze, probably 2 hours to overnight, depending on the type of sauce and its thickness. Take it out of the freezer and use the liner to lift and help break the sauce into smaller slabs. Slide the slabs into freezer bags or other containers.
Even if you’re an ice cube tray portioner for life, you can still consolidate your cubes into a bag or container if that helps with your freezer Tetris. When you’re ready for a zero-effort, slow-simmered sauce on a time-crunched weeknight, simply drop a slab or two of sauce into a pot along with some frozen rice and two tablespoons of water (to prevent burning). Cover it with a lid and put it on low heat. Let it heat up on its own for 20 minutes while you take some time to yourself to unwind.
Allie has been Lifehacker’s Food Writer since 2021. She earned her bachelor’s degree at Ithaca College in drama and studied at the Institute of Culinary Education to earn her diploma in Pastry and Baking Arts. Allie worked professionally as a private chef for over a decade, honing her craft in New York at places like Balthazar, Bien Cuit, The Chocolate Room, Billy’s Bakery, and Whole Foods. She spent evenings as a chef instructor, and also earned a master’s degree at Hunter College for teaching English. Allie’s YouTube channel, Thainybites, features recipes and baking tricks. She lives in Brooklyn, NY.