It’s cold outside, and beef stew is the perfect meal for this time of year. But what if you don’t have enough time to cook beef stew? No problem! You can freeze beef stew in order to enjoy it later on. In this blog post, we will discuss how to freeze beef stews so that you can get just as much flavor out of them now or later on when it’s freezing outside.
Before you freeze beef stew
Be careful when you freeze your beef stew. I recommend splitting the sauce and meat because doing so it decreases freezer burn and makes it easier to use later on!
Here’s how to do it:
- Place a colander over a bowl.
- Pour beef stew into a colander and let the liquid pour out.
Freezing in a ziplock bag
Freezing beef stew in a ziplock bag is a great way to store beef stew for later use. There are many benefits of freezing beef stew in ziplock bags, including preventing freezer burn and the need to thaw beef before cooking it.
Now you separated the meat and sauce it’s time to freeze it:
- Allow the beef stew to cool down for about 45-60 minutes on the stovetop.
- Place the cooked beef in a ziplock bag and seal with an impulse sealer or by taping the bag shut all along its edges.
- Do the same with the sauce.
- Label the beef and sauce with cooking date, name of beef, the date you froze the beef and sauce, and how much beef and sauce is in the bag.
Freezing in an airtight container
beef stew is a delicious, hearty meal that can be enjoyed all year round. It’s also very easy to make beef stew for an army of people in just one day. But how should you freeze beef stew in an airtight container?
Here’s how you do it:
- Start by filling your container with the beef and sauce separately.
- Allow the beef and sauce to cool completely.
- Seal the containers with their lids.
- Put the beef stew in the freezer.
The beef stew can be frozen in an airtight container for up to three months.
My favorite way to store beef stew in the freezer
Now you have my both methods on how to store beef stew in the freezer. I like to freeze the meat in a ziplock bag and place it on top of an airtight container filled with delicious sauce. This technique is one way I save time when thawing and reheating my stew for use later!
How to thaw and reheat the beef stew
If beef stew is frozen, thawing it before reheating is an important step in the process. Freezing beef stew slows down bacterial growth and prevents the meat from spoiling too quickly. But it also means that when you’re ready to eat beef stew, you’ll have to wait for a while until it thaws out enough.
How to thaw beef stew
The meat should be thawed in your fridge for at least 24 hours, ensuring that it will sit properly and make cooking easier.
How to reheat the beef stew
Make sure that the meat and sauce are combined in a cooking pot. Slowly reheat it on medium-high heat. Be sure to let the beef stew simmer for 5-10 minutes before taking it off of the stove and serving your delicious dinner.
Kitchen tools
In order to cook beef stew, you need a few specific tools. These kitchen tools are necessary for cooking beef stew and come in handy when making beef stews for different occasions.
- ExcelSteel Heavy Duty Handles and Self-draining Solid Ring Base Stainless Steel Colander
- Ziploc 347 Variety Total Bags, 347 Pack
- 24 Pack Airtight Food Storage Container Set
- Utopia Kitchen 2 Quart Nonstick Saucepan with Glass Lid
Conclusion
Now that you know how to freeze beef stews, there’s nothing stopping you from making beef stew for your family and friends. And if you need any help with this process or want more information about beef stew in general, don’t hesitate to contact us by writing a comment below or getting in touch! We’re always happy to provide a helping hand when it comes to beef stews.
