OT: looking for pyrex type storage containers! (or Mason jars?)

[mudder17]

Okay, so we're getting our freezer tomorrow (it was supposed to be today but they couldn't get the truck up the hill, doh!) and I want to start freezing some of the food that's in my fridge. For solid type things, I have a foodsaver, so that's not an issue. But for soups and sauces, I thought something like those nifty pyrex bowls with covers would be great because I could stack them and grab them and nuke them if I didn't plan ahead. I already have some bowls, but really do need a lot more. Plus, I was thinking of getting a few casserole dishes with covers for things like lasagna. I went to Target today, but for the small (really small) bowls with covers, it was something like $4.99 each and for the medium casserole dishes (2 qts, so pretty small) it was something like $6.99 each.

Does anyone have any ideas of where I could get these for a good price or maybe get a bulk discount?

TIA!

ETA: I've heard that Mason Jars are great for soups as well, but you don't really want to put those in the microwave so I'd need to plan a little ahead, but if you have a good idea of where I can get a bunch of Mason Jars, I would love that too. Thanks!

Eileen

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[brittone2]

Linens and Things at one time (a few months ago) sold sets of 3 rectangular pyrex (maybe 6x8 in size??) for 9.99, and w/ a 20% off coupon, it was the cheapest I had found.

Target had a similar deal, I think the size was a little smaller and the price a little more.

We have a bunch and LOVE them. However, I just hunted around BB&B, LNT, Target, etc. and it looks like they've changed the design (a "ventable" microwave version, and I don't use the lid in the micro anyway) and now the sizes, prices, etc. are different. Sigh. They do still have them at those stores, although YMMV.

There are freezer-proof canning jars. The regular ones do risk cracking in the freezer, but if you buy the mason jars meant for the freezer, I think they do okay (i've never used them but this is what I've read).

Enjoy your new freezer space!!! :)

[nupe]

I've seen pyrex sets on amazon's friday sale--I'm never sure how much less it is on Friday than other days. Often there is a $25 off 125 purchase code on amazon housewares as well. I bought a pyrex 10 pc set from Amazon a year ago and it has held up pretty well.

Nupe

[Momof3Labs]

Mason jars - try a True Value Hardware store. I also find them at a local grocery store. They are inexpensive, most definitely!

[mudder17]

Oooh! I never thought of True Value. I think there's one relatively nearby, so I'll check it out. Thanks!


Eileen

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[mudder17]

Yeah, the ones I saw today were the ventable ones and I'd prefer just the normal lids since, like you, I don't use the lid in the micro. I'll have to look at BB&B and bring my 20% off coupon with me. :) Maybe I'll get lucky. And good tip on the mason jars meant for the freezer--I didn't realize there were different kinds. How do you figure out if it's the right kind?


Eileen

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[mudder17]

I thought about getting sets, but the sets they had at Target just weren't what I was looking for. But I'll check the next few Fridays and see if anything comes up. By the way, how do you look for Friday specials at Amazon? I've never quite figured that out.


Eileen

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[LD92599]

I think I've seen Mason Jars at AC Moore! Not positive....but 98% sure!

Laura
Will is three...and doesn't sleep :-(

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[corrie23]

Are you specifically trying to avoid plastics? If so, I don't have many suggestions for you, but if not, I would say that I personally have had bad luck with freezing in glass (even when I try to leave sufficient headspace, it seems the soup or whatever expands too much and the thing bursts). I can say though, that I try to make use of the "phantom" freezer method in which you freeze the item in a dish, then pop it out like a block of ice and store in a ziploc, foodsaver, foil, or whatever. I have had success doing this with items in custard cups or muffin pans (e.g., I'll freeze individual servings of stuffing, relishes/chutney, etc this way) and in larger dishes (e.g. entrees). Then you just put the food item BACK in the initial dish as needed to thaw and cook. That way you don't need a million of the same size dish, just 1 or 2. I always freeze soups in the plastic quart size soup containers we get from Chinese take-out.

HTH!

[mudder17]

Well, yes and no. I have foodsaver bags, so obviously, I'm not trying to avoid plastic completely. I'm mostly trying to avoid having to reheat in plastic. The nice thing about casseroles is that I can just pop the entire thing back in the oven and reheat. I'm not sure, with a large dish like a casserole, how you would "pop out" the entire dish (like lasagna, for example). With soups, I was thinking glass containers for sure because I want to be able to reheat in the glass. But, if you have tips for popping soups and such things out of my pyrex containers, that would be very useful. This does sound like a good idea! I do have enough soup bowls to get started with some of my soups.

In general, though, I am trying to avoid plastic containers (so other than plastic foodsaver bags or ziplock bags).

Thanks!


Eileen

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[nupe]

Go to the top of the page.
Click on See all 34 categories/stores.
Click on Outlet.
There will be tab at the top of the page that says Friday Sale.

Nupe

[mudder17]

Wow, I've never been to the Amazon outlet. I never would have thought to look there! Thanks, Nupe!

Eileen

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[sdjeppa]

I know there are easier ways, probably, but I have frozen casseroles, etc. then popped them out and put into foodsaver bags...I line the casserole dish with foil or saranwrap, then put in the food, then freeze - when its frozen, just pull up on the saran wrap and it should pop out - and then peel the saran wrap off. You get a lot more room in the freezer that way too, with not having the dishes in there also.

[mudder17]

Ah that's a good idea! Parchment paper can go into the oven and can bake with the food. So I could line my casseroles with parchment paper, cook them, let them cool and freeze and then pop them out and put them in the foodsaver bags! That's a great idea! Thanks!

I think I may try for a few mason jars for the soups and stews and see how that turns out. I know I need to leave space at the top and that I want the freezer safe ones, so maybe this will work.


Eileen

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[chlobo]

Definitely try hardware stores (Tru Value or whatever local hardware store you have) or maybe a five and dime.

For Pyrex I found that Walmart had better prices than other place and I liked their selection.

[c914]

do you live close to a Corning/Revereware outlet store? I've seen some pretty good deals on pyrex dishes there. Wal*Mart carries canning jars around canning season also.

[mollys_mommy]

most glass spaghetti jars are mason jars. then you'd just need to buy lids.

:-)

[zoestargrove]

Since you aren't avoiding ziplocs. I store my soups, stews, sauces in ziploc bags. I lay them flat in the freezer. Once frozen, I can store upright like files in a file cabinet. Since they are frozen flat, they can easily be broken apart and emptied into a pan to heat without having to defrost first. (if its too thick to break apart...a minute or two under hot water will soften it enough to break apart)

Kelly

[corrie23]

I've had success spraying my dish down really well with canola oil spray and then assembling the food (e.g. manacotti) in the dish, freezing, and "popping" it out (with the aid of a butter knife to pry it loose at an edge. Then I freeze in bags. (To clarify, I do not cook the entire dish first. I just assemble pasta, sauce, cheese, freeze, pop out. THEN when I want to eat it, I return to baking dish to thaw and cook). I've also done this in larger "Ziploc" type containers because it makes for an easy "pop-out" then I thaw and cook in a simalarly sized casserole dish.

Soups, I still do in plastic containers, but I thaw them just a bit in the microwave or running under/submerging in hot water. Once the very outside "layer" is liquid, I slide the whole soup block out into a pot and reheat in a covered pot over low heat.

Dishes that I cook first (like pot roast), I dole out into ziploc gallon freezer bags, freeze, then I cut the bag away, thaw and reheat in a casserole dish.

Stuffing I freeze in silicone muffin "tins" (makes the pop-out super easy). Then I put in freezer bags. To thaw, I take several "muffins", thaw in a baking dish, moosh into one big dish of stuffing, and bake.

Pesto, I freeze in ice cube trays and pop out the individual cubes into freezer bags.

[mudder17]

Wow, these are great ideas. Okay, so here's a question--for something like lasagna or other noodly (I know it's not a real word, but I love the sound of it anyway) casseroles, is it better to cook and freeze or to freeze assembled, but then cook afterwards? I guess I'm thinking of texture and nutrition mostly. Thanks!

Eileen

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[nehamamtani]

I am glad you are getting so many helpful responses...these are great! We have such a great crowd here.
First, for soups, sauces, and even pestos, I freeze them in ice cube trays. Now, I have Tupperware ones with lids that I recently acquired overseas...don't know if they make them here, and the other ones I saw here were 13 bucks a set. Otherwise, use clear wrap over regular trays (or not). Then, pop out the cubes into ziplocs, which you should label first. This worked great for me when I was making purees and other baby foods for my son when he was smaller. It works now when I make our Indian sauces, which take so long to prepare that it is worth making big batches.
Second, we love homemade lasagna, so I bought a bunch of the foil pans from Costco, and make a couple at a time. I fully assemble and bake it before freezing. Then, I use a plastic knife to cut it in the pan. I can freeze it like that easily. Also, I can bake it in anything, then cut the pieces and freeze them in the pyrex rectangular containers sprayed lightly with olive oil. My husband loves being able to get out just one piece from the freezer, boil some pasta, sautee some veggies, and eat!
**Another neat tip: baby bottles and glass containers, whether you will refrigerate them or freeze them, label so easily with China Markers (basically, wax pencils, used for labelling china). A pack of two is available at Michael's, and with a coupon, it is even cheaper. After two years, I am no way near finishing one pencil. I never had to remember which milk was expressed when in the fridge (yes, I had TOO much milk back then).
Good luck, and hope this helps.

[mudder17]

Wow, I think I'm copying and pasting some of these tips into a file and printing it and posting it on my freezer! These are GREAT tips! Thanks for sharing your experiences and ideas!

Eileen

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[JenfromWI]

Hi Eileen,
I hope you don't mind if I hijack... I was just wondering how you like your freezer and what type/brand you got. I have been thinking about getting one for awhile since every time I open my top-freezer things fall on me! Thanks!

[mudder17]

We got one from Lowe's. It is a self-defrosting freezer, so not the most energy efficient thing around, but I really do love it. It's downstairs right now and we're about to leave for a lunch, but I'll run down and check the brand later this afternoon.

ETA: Okay, it's a Frigidaire 14+ cubic feet upright freezer. They also had manual defrost versions that used far less energy, but we opted for this one. Oh and for whatever reason, Lowe's upright freezers were cheaper than both Best Buy, Sam's, and Home Depot, when we checked.

Eileen

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[nupe]

The item that I purchased is back in stock:
search on
Pyrex Storage 10-Piece Set with Lids
Today it is 15.99, and there is a code for 25 off $125.
Nupe

[JenfromWI]

I'm a little late checking back for your response. Thanks so much for the info!

[mudder17]

Dang, I missed it. Oh well, I'll have to check next week. I did get a 7 qt cast-iron Dutch oven, though with free shipping! :)


Eileen

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[starrynight]

http://www4.jcpenney.com/jcp/ProductsHOM.aspx?DeptID=25439&CatID=26997&CatTyp=DEP&ItemTyp=G&GrpTyp=PRD&ItemID=0ed4a5c&ProdSeq=1&ProdCount=1&Dep=Housewares&RefPage=SearchDepartment&ShowMenu=T&ShopBy=0&SearchString=pyrex&S4DeptID=25439&CmCatId=SearchResults

That's a big set from jcpenny, it's $39.99 for the set. It comes with bowls in 3 sizes with lids and various rectangle sets with lids, plus a pie plate and loaf pan. If that link is too long and it doesn't work just go to www.jcpenny.com and search pyrex, it's the only set they have.

[hellokitty]

Ikea! Ikea sells a lot of these type of containers for a great price. Also crate and barrel carry these types of containers too, I think they are not quite as cheap as ikea's, but if you do not have an ikea nearby, it will save you the $ on shipping, since it's heavy to ship this sort of thing. Also, if you want to freeze in mason jars, I have been told the trick to this is to freeze with the container lid OFF, let it freeze, and THEN add the lid. This will decrease your chances of cracking glass while trying to freeze foods. GL! :)