How to freeze soup

Ready-made broth is a real lifesaver for every housewife. You can quickly prepare dinner based on it, be it soup or gravy for main courses. Therefore, having tried this method of preparing a semi-finished product, most housewives keep it as a note: it really saves time. It remains to find out how to freeze the broth so that this method can be adopted.

Rules for storing broth

In reality, you don't have many options. This rich product is loved by all kinds of bacteria. In fact, it spoils no less quickly than fresh meat. Therefore, choose one of the methods listed below:

• If you need to keep vegetable or meat broth warm, you can use a thermos. You need to pour the broth into a clean thermos and keep it boiling. Then it will stay warm and not spoil for up to 6 hours.
• The finished product is stored well in the refrigerator. Therefore, if you want to cook something from it in the coming days, you can safely put the saucepan on a free shelf. He can easily withstand three days. After this, you can boil it and use it again without fear for another three days.
• But what if you need to save it for longer than a week? To do this, you just need to cool the fresh broth, pour it into molds and put it in the freezer.

Is it possible to freeze the broth?

Can the broth be frozen?

You can freeze the broth; it saves a lot of time on cooking. I make a rich broth and freeze it in small silicone cookie molds, then (after it freezes) I transfer it to a bag. The broth with the addition of vegetables turns out tastier; I use carrots, onions, and sometimes celery root.

Of course you can, and it’s very convenient. Especially if there is little time left for cooking. It seems to me that after defrosting it does not change in any way. I used to do this often. You cook a whole pot of broth, divide it and it’s beautiful.

Freezing the finished broth is quite simple. To do this, simply pour the cooled broth into appropriate containers, such as plastic containers of different sizes. Large portions will be used for soup, small portions can be used for sauces. And put it in the freezer. This broth can be stored for up to 6 months. But I think it won’t last that long in your freezer; there will definitely be somewhere to use it.

And my mother freezes it for me and not very fatty broth, any kind at all. And he brings it to me, I store it in the freezer for future use. Sometimes I have no time (two children), so I took it out in advance and quickly cooked noodles or some other soup. Very convenient and can be stored for a long time.

You can, if you wish, and then it will become jellied meat! That's for sure.. After all, jellied meat is a concentrated broth, which, if desired, can become an indispensable dish at any holiday.. I hope I answered your question.

The broth can be frozen and will keep for up to 6 months. It must first be cooled and then frozen. The broth cannot be re-frozen; it is better to cool it immediately after cooking and then freeze it.

Yes, the broth can be frozen, I do this sometimes. The main thing is what to freeze. You can do this: take a thick plastic bag, put it in some container (plastic container) and put it in the freezer, then when it freezes, separate the bag of broth from the container and store it like that in the refrigerator, the frozen bag of broth will take little time in the freezer places.

But if you are serious, then of course you can, freezing will not harm the broth at all. It will not lose its taste.

You can even confirm this this way, for example, take the soup out onto the balcony in the cold - nothing bad will happen to it.

Yes, it’s easily possible. Pour it into a plastic container, put it in the freezer, and when needed, in the microwave for a few minutes, then pour it into the pan in which you will cook, and cook what you want. In Siberia, cabbage soup was frozen in Soviet times, maybe it’s frozen now, I don’t know. I still remember how I was visiting relatives in Siberia during a time of general shortage. In their cold entryway there was a kitchen cabinet, and in it in bags were layers of frozen cabbage soup, milk, cottage cheese, a bowl of dumplings and even such a shortage as sausage. So freeze it, it won’t do anything to the broth, just don’t keep it in the freezer for several months, in this case the taste may change, and the smell of old lard may appear.

You can, proof of this is jellied meat. Jelly. Sometimes I make jelly from meat broth and vegetables. It still freezes. And suitable for any dish. Beautiful. But the broth must be thicker, otherwise it will simply turn into ice.

Technological subtleties

Every housewife becomes a culinary specialist. But there is always something to learn. So let's look at some tricks that will help you make great entree bases and gravies.

• Before we talk about how to freeze broth, you need to learn how to cook it properly. To maximize shelf life, cookware is very important. The one that tends to oxidize is not suitable. The best option is glass. You can also use ceramics with a tight lid.
• Sometimes housewives complain that not even a few days have passed since preparation, but the broth has already turned sour. To prevent this from happening, you need to cool it as quickly as possible. To do this, you can use a larger diameter pan with cold water.
• If you know how to freeze broth correctly, you can safely count on its preservation for 6 months. It is most convenient to freeze it in portioned containers with a flat lid.

By following these recommendations, you can be sure that you will get excellent results.

Is it possible to freeze

• quickly cool the broth;
• degrease, remove the film that appears in the cooled broth;
• strain;
• pour into bags;
• label;
• freeze from - 18.

Boiled meat can be cut into cubes and sent to freezing broth, or placed separately.

It is not customary to freeze first courses. After defrosting, pieces of vegetables will turn into a soft substance that has an unattractive appearance and an unpleasant taste. Unlike ready-made fish soup or solyanka, the broth can be frozen and stored for 6 months. This method allows you to always have a ready-made base for the stew on hand.

To ensure that the product does not spoil prematurely and retains its nutritional value, it is necessary:

• Before pouring, strain the cooked broth through gauze folded in 2-3 layers. Pieces of meat, vegetables, herbs, herbs and spices should not get into the preparation.
• Cool the hot soup base in a bowl of cold water.
• Skim off excess fat that floats to the surface.
• Pour the clear broth into trays, cover with airtight lids or cover with cling film.
• Place a sticker on each container indicating the bottling date.
• Place containers in the freezer.
• Maintain temperature -15…-18°C.
• Over the next 6 months, the frozen preparation should be used for its intended purpose: defrost and boil, and add fresh herbs and spices to add flavor.

Having prepared the soup for future use, you should then follow simple rules:

1. Monitor the temperature in the refrigerator. Optimal – 1-5˚С.
2. Pay attention to the quality of storage containers. If it is a plastic container, there will be a number on the bottom in a triangle indicating the type of material. Plastic marked 1.2 is considered “food grade”. "Single" means the material is suitable for single use. “Two” means that the container is made of polyethylene, which is resistant to temperatures from -80 to 110˚C. You can freeze broth (soup) in it or heat it in the microwave.
3. You cannot cook soup in containers made of oxidizing materials. Chowder can be stored well only in enamel, glass, plastic or ceramic containers.
4. Place food in the refrigerator closer to the freezer.
5. Close the lid of the food container tightly. The ladle must be removed each time before placing the soup in the cold. Use only a clean ladle for pouring food.
6. The finished soup with dressing is not frozen. Only broths are suitable for long-term storage.

Determining whether food has become unusable is very simple. The soup will change:

• color - it will become darker;
• surface - it will become covered with bubbles when souring;
• the smell will become sour or simply unpleasant.

If the soup has not been standing for very long, the taste has not changed, and the appearance indicates spoilage, it is better to boil it.

Knowing when to consume soup will help you plan time for work and rest, cook for future use and delight your loved ones with fresh, tasty and healthy food.

We invite you to familiarize yourself with Storing pots and pans in the kitchen, how to store pots and pans, ideas for retractable and vertical storage systems in cabinets and drawers

Basic moments

The best broth comes from beef. To save money, many people prefer chicken, but this product is most often used for noodles. Can you freeze broth made from bones? Yes, they are best used this way. The base for the soup turns out rich, and the pulp can be added directly during the preparation of the dish. But it’s best to take the bone with the meat and freeze the broth along with the pulp. Then you get a ready-made semi-finished product that is very convenient to use.

• Meat on the bone.
• Water.
• Salt, black pepper, bay leaf.
• A slow cooker or a convenient saucepan.

Cooking steps

The first step is to wash the meat under running water. There is no need to cut it, so your preparation will come out tastier and more aromatic.

• Place the piece in a saucepan and cover with cold water.
• Place over medium heat and wait until it boils.
• After this, reduce the heat and do not forget to skim off the foam.
• After about an hour and a half you need to add salt.
• The cooking time depends on the type of meat and the selected piece. Try to cook until the meat begins to fall off the bone.
• After cooking is complete, you need to remove the meat and place the pan with the broth in a bowl of cold water.

That's basically it. Now you have a finished product, you can move directly to the question of how to freeze the broth in the refrigerator.

Why boiled juicy chicken did not please the crystal clear broth

In general, this is “BUT!”
- some digression from the topic, because the article is devoted to broths, and not to the process of cooking meat, and still I would like to say a few words about this. If your goal is not a transparent, crystal clear broth, but juicy boiled young chicken or boiled beef, then the meat should be dipped not in cold, but in hot! Boiling water. This will help to “seal” the meat cells, and the juice, as well as all other substances, will predominantly remain in the product rather than being transferred to the broth. In particular, this is why classic broths are made from bones, as well as old, long-cooking, tough meat. At the same time, after you have lowered the meat into boiling water, cooked for several minutes, removed the foam, you need to reduce the heat. Meat does not like vigorous boiling.

Freezing containers

Here you have several options. You can use disposable or reusable tableware. The first option is more convenient, since freezing bags are cheap and sold in any store.

• Containers with high sides are most often used for freezing. This will come in handy if you plan to put the broth in the pan without defrosting it. On the other hand, if the container is wide, the frozen block of broth can be placed sideways in the pan. It will gradually melt.
• If there is no time to defrost, you can pour boiling water over the container, then the frozen broth will fall out on its own.
• It is very convenient to use empty plastic mayonnaise buckets.
• To save space, you can use plastic bags. This saves space in the freezer.

Is it possible to freeze broth in the freezer if its volume leaves much to be desired? Yes, but for this you need to slightly change the cooking technology. Pour enough water into the pan to just cover the meat. During the cooking process, it will boil away, leaving a concentrated broth. It can be poured into plastic cups. Then simply dilute the concentrate to the desired volume.

How to prepare borscht dressing recipe

To freeze vegetables for the winter, you definitely need tomatoes, because what would borscht be without them? There is no need to add tomato paste in winter; fresh tomatoes are much healthier. For the dressing to be tasty, you need to find large and ripe tomatoes, so that there is a lot of juice. I added sweet and bitter bell peppers, you see for yourself, if you don’t like it spicy, just add one bell pepper.

All vegetables need to be washed, maybe in one bowl. Trim the stems of the tomatoes, remove the seeds from the peppers, and also peel the celery root and garlic. You will need to grind the vegetables to make it more convenient, cut the tomatoes into four parts, peppers and celery root, just into large pieces.

You can grind everything through a meat grinder or using a blender. First, chop the celery root, garlic, pepper and dill, which takes longer to grind. From the greens, you can add whatever you like - basil, parsley, young garlic.

All the solids have been ground, now pour the contents of the bowl into a large bowl and add the tomatoes. In a couple of seconds they will become a tomato mass.

Pour it into a bowl, mix everything until smooth. You can add salt right away, but it stores better without salt.

Molds for such a workpiece may be different. Simple disposable cups, ice molds, cupcake molds. It’s convenient for me to place the vegetable stock in round muffin tins. Just one form is about a tablespoon of tomato dressing for borscht. Spread the vegetable mixture evenly among all the molds.

I put it in all first courses, side dishes, meat, fish, and many other things. The color of the soup becomes colorful and the smell is summery. Everything is done very simply, you get a lot of dressing - one serving makes a 4-liter saucepan.

Ingredients:

• Onion – 1kg
• Carrots – 1kg
• Bell pepper (preferably different colors) - 1 kg
• Tomatoes – 1 kg
• Lots of greens, I usually add parsley and dill. I freeze the rest of the greens separately.

Don’t be confused by the presence of tomatoes; they become a little different when frozen, but they give a wonderful taste.

Everything needs to be cut into strips and cubes. I pass the carrots through a food processor on a medium grater (almost like a Korean grater, but you can grate it as you wish), and I cut the pepper into strips. I cut tomatoes and onions into medium and small cubes. I just chop the greens finely. I mix everything.

I put them in regular plastic bags and roll them into “sausages” (it’s more convenient to then break off as many as you need). This year I froze it in lunch bags, they are small - 15X20, just enough to fill the dish for 1 or 2 times

You can also freeze in plastic containers, but then it’s not very convenient to remove portions from them and, importantly, they take up much more space in the freezer

IMPORTANT! I start this freezing when everything is ready. If this is the first dish, then I freeze it, wait for it to boil and immediately turn it off.

And if it’s the latter, then I put it in the freezer, mix it and after a couple of minutes turn off the gas.

Chicken bouillon

It sours much faster than all other types of meat broths, so it requires more attention. How to freeze chicken broth? First of all, it needs to be boiled, cooled quickly and be sure to strain through sterile gauze folded in half. Before storing, it should be poured into a glass container and covered with a glass lid. This will avoid the oxidation process.

You can freeze chicken broth in large quantities. It's great for making soups or homemade noodles. Moreover, it makes delicious sauces. A big plus is the quick preparation. If beef needs to be cooked for 2-3 hours, then the chicken will be ready in 40 minutes.

How to store meat broth

The difference is not too big. The beef takes longer to cook, and the broth itself is richer. The storage temperature when not frozen is the same as for chicken broth, that is, from 4 to 8 degrees. This is easily achieved on the middle shelf of the refrigerator. But the time period is a little longer - it will “live” up to 7 days without freezing. But if you plan on long-term storage in the freezer, then it is best to freeze it fresh, immediately after cooking.

How to determine freshness

We have already talked about how long frozen broth can be stored. Culinary experts and technologists call the period 6 months, but if there have been no temperature changes, then it will stay in the freezer much longer. But even broth stored according to all the rules can spoil. Therefore, after defrosting, you must smell it. If the broth is spoiled, you will easily notice a smell that is reminiscent of a spoiled egg.

If there is even the slightest suspicion that the soup base is spoiled, it should be thrown out without any regret. It is especially easy to observe such changes if you have defrosted the broth and temporarily placed it in the refrigerator. In addition to the unpleasant smell, the appearance of the product can warn of spoilage. If the broth becomes cloudy, flakes and sediment appear in it, this should also alert you. If the smell has not changed, you can try boiling the broth.

What determines the shelf life of soups?

Government services have established a shelf life of 24 hours for first courses.
It is allowed to place the remaining food in the cooling chamber of the refrigerator if the temperature there is not higher than 6 degrees Celsius. At home, food is stored longer.

State services have established the shelf life of first courses - 24 hours

The shelf life of the product is affected by:

• Cleanliness of dishes with stored soup, spoons - tasting the dish with a spoon that has already been in the mouth introduces bacteria that accelerates the spoilage of the product.
• Cooking technology - various first courses are cooked for a certain time, the deadline should be strictly observed. Undercooked soup doesn't last long.
• Ingredients - depending on the composition, the soup remains usable longer or shorter.
• Volume of salt – the substance is a preservative, so a product containing more salt stays chilled longer, maintaining quality. Of course, you should not over-salt your food: this will completely ruin the taste of the dish.

Different liquid dishes have their own shelf life.

Mushroom soup

Mushroom soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Mushroom soup is popular in the fall, when it is easy to collect the fruits of the forest. The store sells fresh, canned, frozen and dried mushrooms constantly. This dish doesn’t last long: the mushroom spoils quickly.

Mushroom soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. It is optimal to prepare soup for the day. The remaining excess mushrooms are frozen.

Borscht is good for a long time. The shelf life increases if vinegar and sauerkraut are added to the dish. On average, borscht remains good in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.

Chicken

Chicken broth and soups based on it retain good taste for a long time - for 3 days. If you use chilled chicken that has already been sitting for 2-3 days, the broth will only last 2 days.

Chicken broth and soups based on it retain good taste for a long time

The products included in the composition should be taken into account. Dishes with eggs and herbs remain good for a day, with potatoes - 2-3 days.

Advice! It is not advisable to store soup seasoned with pasta and grains: the fillers will swell. Food is usually prepared for one meal.

Pea

The shelf life of the dish depends on the meat used. The product prepared without smoked meats should be consumed within 2 days. Pea soup with smoked ribs will last for 3-4 days.

Fish

Fish is a perishable product. The first fish is prepared quickly. It is done for one or two days. Ukha cooked over a fire loses its quality after just a few hours, so it should be eaten right away.

Solyanka

The solyanka recipe includes pickled cucumbers, smoked meats, and spices - ingredients that significantly prolong the life of the meat broth.

Solyanka

Preserving the taste and remaining high quality, the hodgepodge will last 4-5 days on the coldest shelf of the refrigerator.

Cheesy

Cheese soup is readily eaten by children who do not like liquid foods. It is seasoned with mushrooms, cereals, pasta or vegetables. A dish with vegetables will last for 3 days; with pasta, cereals are best eaten a day before.

Cream soup

Puree soup is a common dish for children and diet food. The duration of storage of the first is determined by the main ingredient of the composition.

Cream soup is a common dish for children and diet food.

Milk soup is stored for 12 hours, and vegetable and meat soup – for a day.

Vegetable

Vegetable broth (without meat) does not last long. The maximum shelf life is one day.

Lactic

Milk soup is perishable and can be consumed for only 12 hours. The ingredients will not affect the shelf life, since the milk spoils first.

In order for the product to remain in the refrigerator longer without losing quality, a number of storage rules must be observed:

1. A stable temperature regime must be maintained inside the refrigerator compartment. Temperature fluctuations spoil the quality of food.
2. Liquid dishes should be stored in an enamel or glass container. It is allowed to use a food-grade plastic container suitable for the refrigerator.
3. The dishes are placed in the coolest zone of the refrigerator. Which shelf is the coldest is indicated in the instructions for household appliances.
4. Only completely cooled food should be placed in the refrigerator. Food will cool quickly if you place pans in a bowl of cold water.
5. The lid of the pan should close tightly.

If the first one is poured into another pan, it must be boiled, then put in the refrigerator.

It is permissible to freeze soups or borscht: defrosted food remains edible for several months. It is better to freeze the broth and season the dish after defrosting.

It is permissible to freeze soups or borscht

This technique will preserve more flavor. You cannot keep broth in the freezer for more than six months.

The quality of storage is determined by several main factors. Taking them into account will help you avoid premature spoilage of the product.

The temperature inside the refrigerator should be between 2 and 6 degrees Celsius. Temperature fluctuations cause a rapid deterioration in the taste of food.

You cannot leave food to cool in the refrigerator: a jump in temperature reduces the quality of the product.

Utensil material

It is optimal to keep the first in a glass or enamel container

The material from which the container is made is of great importance. Incorrectly selected utensils cause faster food spoilage and increase the risk of poisoning.

It is optimal to keep the first one in a glass or enamel container. A plastic container is allowed, but only made from food grade material and suitable for cold storage.

Do not store soup in aluminum containers. The material gradually releases toxic substances that will cause poisoning within a day. When storing food for more than 2 days in a stainless steel pan, there is a risk of zinc poisoning.

Place the container in the refrigerator, tightly closing the lid. Insufficient sealing of dishes causes accelerated spoilage of food. You cannot leave a spoon or ladle in the container, even if the first one is supposed to be heated soon.

It is not recommended to heat the whole soup. The required volume is poured into a separate container using a clean, dry ladle.

Before putting the remaining food into the refrigerator, wipe the edge of the container with a clean paper towel, then close the lid. If before this the product is poured into a smaller pan, it is boiled in it for 10 minutes.

We suggest you read How to disassemble a hookah - kurenie.me

If food is stored properly, it can still spoil earlier than expected. To avoid poisoning, you need to know exactly when food becomes unfit for consumption.

When storing food according to all the rules, they can still spoil earlier

There are signs that indicate food has spoiled:

1. The appearance of a whitish film on the surface. It is not thick, but is immediately noticeable. Bubbles of varying sizes are often present and form foam. The product may not have a bad smell, but it is no longer suitable for food.
2. Darkening of color. Broth always turns dark when spoiled.
3. Change in consistency. When a dish spoils, it becomes slimy when cold. If you eat it, poisoning is guaranteed.
4. Unpleasant smell. The sense of smell allows you to immediately identify a spoiled product. The smell of a dish changes when it spoils. He becomes unpleasant.

If even one sign is detected, you cannot eat the first one.

Conclusion

If the soup is not prepared for one-time consumption, you need to know well how much and how food of different compositions is stored. This will help avoid poisoning.

You must be attentive to the quality of food and not eat dishes whose storage conditions have been violated.

Without refrigeration, cooked food will spoil in a matter of hours. The more degrees the room thermometer shows, the faster the “stew” will be unfit for consumption. Therefore, all first courses at home should be kept in the refrigerator, having previously set the desired temperature.

Several other factors influence storage duration:

• Sterility. Pathogenic bacteria can be found on almost any surface. Preventing premature food spoilage is as simple as keeping your kitchen clean. This means that you need to wash food and hands, change sponges and rags at least once a week, scald dishes with boiling water, regularly wash kitchen towels, clean countertops and cabinets with detergents.
• Cooking technology. Any recipe indicates not only the step-by-step actions of the cook, but also the time allotted for each heat treatment process: frying and boiling the ingredients.
• Quality of components. Using fresh ingredients, you can extend the shelf life of the finished dish by 1-2 days. Stale and spoiled ingredients, even after frying and boiling, can lead to premature souring of food. In addition, you cannot reduce the amount of salt indicated in the recipe. This traditional ingredient is used not only as a flavor regulator. It plays the role of a natural preservative and extends the life of the prepared dish. However, you should not increase the dosage either - a high concentration of salt will spoil the taste and negatively affect the functioning of internal organs.

How to properly freeze chicken broth

Ingredients

• Chicken broth - several liters + -

Proper freezing of homemade poultry broth step by step

There are no special tricks here. You simply make any chicken broth recipe you like and then follow our step-by-step instructions.

1. After we have prepared the chicken broth for future use, let it cool, then strain it through several layers of gauze or a fine sieve.
2. If we want meat to be present in the frozen broth, we simply separate it from the bones (if we cooked a whole chicken, legs or wings), disassemble it with our hands or cut it into small pieces, and then put it in a pan with broth. This preparation is suitable for hearty soups.
3. If we added vegetables during cooking, we can leave them in the broth, after cutting them into cubes. Many people prefer to prepare clear chicken broth for freezing without adding additional ingredients. What exactly to do with poultry and vegetables is up to you.
4. Now let's take containers in which we will freeze our chicken broth. Typically, plastic cups, jars or ordinary food containers are used for this purpose. We recommend using half-liter or liter containers so that the broth can be frozen in portions. It is very convenient to defrost one portion and use it immediately.
5. Pour our broth into suitable containers, not adding a little to the edge of the container.
6. We cover them with cling film or a lid (if we took containers), and then put them in the freezer.

If you were wondering whether you can freeze chicken broth at home, now you know the answer to this question. Cook in advance and freeze - this is what many busy housewives do.

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For those who spend a lot of time at work and do not have the opportunity to prepare a new lunch every day, tips on how to freeze broth at home will be useful. The shelf life of soups in the refrigerator is no more than five days, fish - no more than three days.

How to freeze soup and defrost without a microwave

If you don't already know that freezing food is a tool that significantly saves your time in the kitchen, then you should know. As it turned out during our classes at the Academy of Home Economics, not all housewives use the freezer to the maximum. Moreover, many simply have not even thought about storing anything other than meat in it, or they do not know how to properly freeze this or that product. Here's what one of my students Maria says:

I'm going to be blogging about this topic from time to time, sharing my experiences and answering questions from comments and private messages. Today there will be step-by-step instructions for freezing soup. Thanks to my reader Olga for the idea of ​​this article.

So why bother freezing soup?

Each housewife determines the degree of need for freezing soups for herself based on her family’s preferences. Perhaps your husband requires first courses to be included in his diet every day. Or you yourself want to take soup with you to work, but the same one two days in a row gets boring. Therefore, the idea of ​​​​cooking several varieties of first courses at the same time once a month and freezing them in portions is not so bad. I’m not advocating that you do this without fail just because someone else is doing it, but I believe that you can make a decision about the benefits of a particular tool only after you evaluate it in practice and understand for yourself what this approach simplifies your life or, conversely, complicates it.

What is important to know about freezing soup

1. You can freeze the soup in a large container, but dividing it into portions will allow you to reheat only as much as you need.
2. Soups with pasta should not be frozen; if desired, they can be added after defrosting during the heating process.
3. Frozen soup will keep in the freezer for one month.

How to freeze soup

Follow the procedure below to freeze and defrost soup correctly:

1. Refrigerate soup before freezing. To speed up the process, place the pan in a sink filled with ice water.

2. Pour the soup into molds (I had glasses for making yogurt in a slow cooker, you can use muffin molds or a plastic bucket). If you don't have ramekins, carefully pour the soup into a freezer bag, seal, and place in the freezer until firm. Regardless of freezing method, leave some space at the top of the pan or bag, as frozen liquid tends to expand.

3. After a few hours, remove the molds from the freezer and dip their bottom and sides in hot water.

4. Run a knife around the outside of each soup cube, remove the contents from the mold and place in a freezer bag.

5. Take a cocktail straw and suck out any excess air from the bag before closing it.

6. Don't forget to mark the date on the package when the product was frozen.

7. To defrost, transfer the bag or several “cubes” to the refrigerator overnight. Once the soup has thawed, reheat in the microwave or on the stove. Bon appetit!

PS If you are depressed by home life, come to my course “Academy of Home Economics”. There you will not only replenish your collection of household lifehacks, but also gain an understanding of what your own household management system should look like. Learn at a pace that is comfortable for you, gradually implementing the acquired knowledge day by day. You will find all the course details and application form on this page.

Freezing broth in containers

It is very convenient and practical to freeze broth. If the soup base is always in the refrigerator, the process of preparing first courses will not cause unnecessary trouble. Freeze in portions depending on the number of family members.

The most common storage method is plastic containers. In them, the broth will be tightly closed with a lid, which will prevent the entry of foreign odors.

In order to prepare frozen broth, you need to proceed as follows:

1. You can prepare the base for the soup from beef bones, chicken, fish, and mushrooms. The richest ones are made from meat on the bone. It is placed in cold water and simmered over low heat for several hours.
2. After cooking, strain and cool.
3. The product must be frozen on the day of preparation.
4. The finished cooled liquid is poured into containers. Before this, it is filtered through a sieve again. The soup base can be frozen either in its pure form or with the addition of meat. The sizes of containers are selected individually depending on what the broth is needed for. To prepare the soup, choose a large container; a small container is suitable if you need to freeze the base for the sauce.

A little secret of experienced housewives: before pouring the broth into a container, place cling film on the bottom of the container so that its ends are at the top of the dish. If necessary, you can use it to remove the briquette from the container and store it in the freezer in a bag. This will help save space.

How to freeze soups - tricks and secrets

You made a huge pot of soup on Sunday, and the family has to eat it for 5 days in a row. Common situation? But you can be smarter by freezing some of the soup and making your weekday lunches more varied.

1. How long can soup be stored?

On average, soups and broths are stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days (fish - no more than 3 days). But in the freezer, soups will last up to 3 months, and broths – up to six months.

2. How much soup should I freeze?

This is what frozen broth looks like

Boil a large pot of soup. Eat half and freeze the other half. Next week, make another pot of soup and freeze half of it. Now you already have two delicious soups stored in your freezer, which you can get at any time. This can go on ad infinitum, but 3-4 different frozen soups, in our opinion, are quite enough.

Always freeze soup in convenient portions (1 liter for four people or 200 ml for one).

The key to success is the right broth. If you always have it in your freezer, the process of preparing first meals will become much faster. The broth also needs to be frozen in portions - 200, 400, 600 ml.

It’s also convenient to freeze the broth in ice cube trays. But this is no longer an option for soup, but for other dishes where broth is needed in small quantities.

When freezing soup or broth, be sure to leave some room in the container with the expectation that the liquid will expand in volume when frozen.

3. Is it necessary to sign soups?

Yes, this will make it easier for you to find soup that will soon expire. Simply put a small label on the container with the name of the soup or broth and the date it was prepared.

4. What is the best way to store soups?

Tempered glass jars for storing soup in the freezer

Tempered glass jars, special plastic bags for freezing, and food containers made of high-quality plastic are suitable for storage. You can take defrosted and reheated soup with you to work or for a walk in a thermos.

5. How to defrost soups correctly?

If you have time, the best way is to transfer the container of frozen soup or broth to the refrigerator. In 1-2 days (depending on the shape and size of the container) everything will be completely defrosted.

If you are in a hurry, place the container in warm water until completely defrosted.

The third option is to slightly defrost the soup in warm water and then cook it over medium heat, without letting it boil.

Do not defrost soup in the microwave. Most plastic containers are not designed to be heated. Be careful with glass jars - they should be tempered glass to withstand sudden changes in temperature.

6. How to preserve flavor in defrosted soup?

When soups are stored for a long time, most of them, when defrosted, become like a paste or cream in consistency. If you simply dilute them with water, you may end up with a bland stew. Add half a cup of water or broth, a little lemon juice, salt and fresh herbs to deepen the flavor of the soup.

7. Which soups should not be frozen?

Do not freeze soups containing starchy foods (rice, quinoa, pasta). It’s better to defrost the broth and add cereals and grains there. Otherwise, when defrosting, the soup will turn into a viscous substance.

You should not freeze thick soups that contain a lot of potatoes. This does not apply to borscht and other soups with few potatoes.

When frozen, creamy and milky soups separate and become grainy. But coconut milk will be fine.

It's always best to add fresh herbs after defrosting rather than before.

How to make bouillon cubes at home

At home, the broth can be frozen in cubes. You will get a natural base for soup. To make the dish rich, you need to make a highly concentrated decoction. To do this, you need to boil about 300 ml of broth from two liters of water.

It is cooled, in the process a layer of fat is formed on top, like in jellied meat. The fat is removed, and the resulting jelly is cut into cubes and placed in the freezer.

There are many recipes for making cubes. For example, from chicken wings and vegetables. To do this you will need:

• 2 kg chicken wings;
• bay leaf – 2-3 pcs.;
• one onion;
• greenery;
• 2 carrots;
• celery;
• salt, pepper to taste.

Vegetables are coarsely chopped and cooked along with the wings over low heat for two hours. You will need 4.5 liters of water. At the end, the liquid is filtered, you get about 9 glasses. Place it on low heat again and cook for 2 hours. As a result, only 1.5 cups of concentrated liquid remains.

The resulting broth is poured into ice molds and placed in the freezer. The frozen cubes are removed from the molds and wrapped in foil or film. They can be stored for five months.

Main types of broths

To ensure that the meat boils quickly, it is placed in boiling water and simmered over low heat.

Boiled chicken will last for about 3 days in the refrigerator. Without refrigeration, after it cools down - 2 hours.

There will be no foam left in the broth if it is removed after it starts to boil. At temperatures of 2-4 degrees, this soup can be eaten for about 2 days.

Conclusion

By adhering to certain rules, you can prepare soup more than once. Depending on what broths the soups are cooked in, and on the cooking recipes, their shelf life will depend.

Freshly cooked first courses are cooled and only then placed in the refrigerator.

Ready-made soups are not frozen. You can freeze broths. Prepared soup ingredients are frozen in a separate container.

The basis of the soup is the broth. Its shelf life depends on the set of ingredients.

Vegetable

Broth prepared with vegetables can be stored for no more than 24 hours, so it is not recommended to prepare a large volume of broth for future use. Main ingredients for classic vegetable broth:

• carrot;
• onion;
• celery;
• fennel;
• parsley root;
• Bay leaf.

An abundance of vegetables is also present in sorrel soup and spinach puree soup. They are also recommended to be eaten freshly prepared.

Chicken

The recipe for the final dish depends on the method of preparing its base - chicken broth. The fatty, rich “first” broth remains good for up to 48 hours, the leaner “second” broth (prepared after draining the “first” broth) is stored for up to 24 hours. Since chicken broth is the base for many soups and sauces, it can be frozen and significantly extend its shelf life. Freezing must be correct. It consists of sequential actions:

• quick cooling;
• degreasing (the film that appears after cooling is removed);
• straining to separate suspensions of meat and vegetables;
• distribution into pre-prepared packages;
• indication of packing date on the packages;
• freezing at a temperature of about -18 ˚С.

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When freezing the broth, the cooked meat can either be cut into cubes and placed in the stew, or stored in the freezer in a separate container. Boiled chicken without broth can be stored without refrigeration for a short time - until completely cooled, plus another 2 hours. Once placed in the refrigerator, it can be eaten within 72 hours, but no more.

To determine the final date for the sale of soups and broths, workers at catering establishments are guided by sanitary and hygienic rules and regulations (SanPiN), and not GOST. According to accepted requirements, liquid dishes can be kept warm for no longer than 1-3 hours from the moment the stove is turned off.

Mushroom

Soup made from champignons or dried wild mushrooms is nutritious, high in protein, and has a pleasant and rich aroma.

It is advisable to cook mushroom soup in an enamel, heat-resistant glass or ceramic container. Tin, galvanized, aluminum or cast iron are not suitable, as the oxidizing metal will spoil the taste of the product and shorten its shelf life.

In the recipe for both Siberian, Moscow and Ukrainian borscht, in addition to pork, beef and beets, a dressing based on tomato paste or sauce, vinegar, various spices and seasonings are used. These additives act as preservatives, so borscht is a kind of leader in terms of storage time.

Meat

Beef, pork, chicken, turkey, horse meat, rabbit will be edible for 7 days from the moment of preparation. However, it will have to be boiled every 2 days.

From fish

2 days is the maximum shelf life of the product. Unlike meat stock, fish stock cannot be boiled again, so any leftovers that are not used within 48 hours will have to be thrown away.

Vegetable

The shelf life is not inferior to meat. Can be used for such lean soups as pumpkin, bean, lentil, sorrel, and onion.