Postpartum Prep: Pack the Freezer to Nourish the Family Part 3: The Details that Can Make or Break your Freezer Stash
By Ariel Voorhees, Owner of Gather Round Family Chef Service
This post is Part 3 of a three-part series! If you missed Part 1: “The Absolute Best Baby Gift Isn’t on Your Registry,” you can check it out HERE. And here’s Part 2: “Menu-Planning for a Delicious Freezer Stash” HERE.
When most first-time parents prepare for postpartum life, they think of the things they’ll need. This is no accident: there’s a billion-dollar industry focused on marketing and selling baby gear to expectant parents.
But the wisest parents – perhaps those who are preparing to welcome their second, third, or fourth baby – those parents know that it’s not the things that will help them through the intense postpartum period. What’s most helpful is the support that they can enlist from their community.
This blog series focuses on one aspect of support: a freezer full of meals to keep the postpartum family nourished, healthy, and strong.
So you’re ready to pack your freezer full of postpartum meals, and you’ve chosen a great menu of favorite dishes that will freeze and thaw well, promote healing, and give you a warm hug when you eat them. But if you’re going to spend your energy, time, and money to make meals for the freezer, you want to be able to use them effectively during the postpartum period. So… what else should you consider when planning a freezer stash?
The Best Containers & Serving Sizes for Freezing Food
Have you ever tried to thaw out an entire pan of lasagna? It takes forever!
When I’m meal-prepping for the freezer, I portion food into smaller containers of approximately 2 servings each. Not only does a smaller container make thawing easier, but it’s also the perfect size to feed two postpartum grownups – or two meals for one postpartum grownup!
I’m often asked which containers are best to use when meal-prepping for the freezer. My go-to answer? The best containers are the ones that you’ve already got. I use sturdy black takeout containers, round deli-style pints and quarts, mason jars, and any other ones on hand. There’s no need to match as long as each container is properly labeled (see below)!
But if you’re interested in buying new containers, there are many options available. You can choose plastic, glass, silicone freezing cubes, and so on.
I tend to choose plastic containers because they’re less brittle under extreme cold conditions, the stakes are lower for throwing or giving them away, and I won’t have to worry about shards of glass contaminating the contents inside in the event of a crack or a chip.
On the other hand, if you’re using glass, you’ll have the advantage of being able to bake directly in your container! Just be sure to cool the dish well before stowing in the freezer.
Labeling Your Freezer Meals
Before your batch of food goes into the freezer, you might think that it’s so universally recognizable that you’ll be able to identify the contents of each frozen container. But listen carefully: you’re wrong.
Give Future You an advantage by labeling each and every container that you stow in the freezer. And it’s not just about Future You – labeling gives a leg up to your partner and other postpartum helpers such as doulas, family members, and friends!
And what’s the best labeling system? It’s also the simplest and most elegant: painter's tape and a black Sharpie marker. No need to fix what ain’t broken, am I right?
The Right Thawing Lead-Time & Methods
While it’s possible to heat and serve food directly from frozen, I prefer to thaw the food first before heating and serving.
I recommend two ways to thaw containers:
Slow and steady: thaw containers for 24-36 hours in the refrigerator
(This is the easiest but requires a bit of lead time)
2. Faster: seal each container in a plastic bag to avoid leaking, then submerge in a sink filled with moving lukewarm water until thawed.
(This requires less lead time but more management and water)
If you’re microwaving directly from frozen, just remember that you’ll need about double the cooking time, and you should stir the food halfway through to ensure even heating.
So when you’re at home caring for a new baby, it’s best to have 2-3 containers thawing at any given moment. I prefer the ‘slow and steady’ method so that when I’m famished and sleep-deprived, I can open up the fridge and survey my options, microwave the dish that sounds best to me, and get started nourishing myself as quickly as possible!
Use Up What Frozen Meals You Have!
The biggest challenge for Type-A planners (like myself) is to use what you’ve stockpiled. Think of the fourth trimester as a No-Rationing Zone.
This is the moment that you’ve been planning for: now it’s time to use the assistance that Past You so astutely put into place! So don’t let those containers of pure gold go to waste.
Use them up so that they can keep you nourished, strong, and happy during this intense postpartum period.
And once you’ve exhausted your freezer stash, reach out to Gather Round for a refill. The Pack the Freezer Plan is available on a monthly, bimonthly, or one-time basis and provides chef-made meals customized to your family’s preferences and dietary needs.
And did you know that you can put a Freezer Stash on your baby registry so that even non-local members of your support system can chip in to fund this vital postpartum service?
As the chef of Gather Round Chef Service, I’ll pack your freezer full of customized meals that will comfort and sustain your family, promote postpartum healing, foster parent-baby bonding, and allow you to focus on what’s really important: raising a relaxed and healthy family.
Bon appetit!