Back to school freezer tips
Freezing expert Justine Pattison says save time on busy mornings by freezing sandwiches, wraps and snacks at the weekend, ready for the week ahead.
Use a well-made, well insulated cool bag with at least one ice block to help keep foods cold.
Freezing sandwiches
For the best results, use fresh bread, rolls or wraps, not bits and pieces that have been lurking in the bread bin for days. They’ll taste so much better once thawed.
Choose fillings that freeze well, such as cheese, ham, cooked meats and tuna. Jam, marmite and chocolate spread can be used too but they can soak into the bread a little. Don’t use cream cheese as it will harden and hardboiled eggs go rubbery.
Spread bread lightly with softened butter to make a barrier and help prevent the filling making it soggy.
Traditional mayonnaise doesn’t freeze well, but reduced fat mayonnaise, with added stablisers, freezes better. Mix sparingly with tuna and canned sweetcorn or spread onto your bread instead of butter.
Don’t add salad ingredients such as lettuce, cucumber or tomatoes as they will go soggy on thawing. Fresh vegetables can be added to the lunch box in the morning instead.
Put cut sandwiches, rolls and wraps in individual freezer bags, pressing out as much air as possible. You can also wrap them in foil. Place in a larger, labelled freezer bag. Freeze for up to a week for the best results.
Frozen sandwiches can be added to lunchboxes in the morning and should be thawed by lunchtime. Alternatively, thaw overnight in the fridge.
Freezing drinks
Freeze drinks in freezer-proof containers and they will help keep everything cold until lunchtime. Fill containers half full, tighten the lids and freeze on their sides. That way the liquid should thaw by lunchtime and act as an extra ice block.
Freezing lunchbox snacks
Individually wrapped cheeses make a useful addition to packed lunches. You can save money by making your own. Simply cut a large block of cheddar cheese into small rectangles and then wrap each one tightly in foil. Freeze in a sealed bag and use within 1 month.
You can freeze home-made or bought cakes and flapjack in portions, wrapped tightly in foil and placed in a freezer bag. Add to the lunchbox before they set off to school.
Keep prepared vegetable sticks in small plastic bags or containers in the fridge for up to 2 days. Divide tubs of houmous into small, lidded containers.
Individual boxes of raisins are expensive, so buy a large bag of raisins and separate into handy portions yourself. Simply place spoonfuls of raisins on squares of cling film and twist the ends to make little parcels. Stir in an airtight jar in the cupboard for up to 2 weeks.
Packing fruit
The trouble with slicing up an apple in the morning, is that by the time it gets to lunchtime it has started to turn brown. Try slicing your apple into wedges and then place it back together using tightly wrapped cling film or a clean elastic band to keep it in place. This will slow down the oxidisation process and help keep the apple looking and tasting great. It’s also a great way of preparing oranges for packed lunches.
With thanks to Spotty N Stripy for the lunchbox