Can you freeze food in glass jars?
I get this question so often, I wanted to put the answer in its own post.
In short:
Yes! You can freeze food in glass jars!
I have done it somewhere around 8935 times, and it's been just fine unless I've dropped the glass jar. Which is a me problem, not a freezing-food-in-glass-jars problem.
I know we are all rather terrified of causing glass breakage...that's a messy problem, and it also results in food waste because WHO is going to try to eat food that might have glass shards in it?
(Not me! I might hate food waste, but I hate chewing on glass even more.)
But you really do not need to be terrified. It is not as if glass magically explodes once it hits the cold air.
What makes jars break in the freezer? A lack of headspace
Freezer breakage typically happens when you do not leave sufficient space for the food to expand.
If you're freezing something like nuts, seeds, or flour, then of course this is not a problem; those things don't expand much at all when they're frozen.
But if your jar contents are water-based, then they're definitely going to expand.
And if you have a tight lid on a full jar, when the contents expand too far, they will indeed push right through the glass.
If the water-based contents can't go up, they will go out.
Isn't that kind of crazy to think about? That these tiny water molecules become so strong when they freeze, that they can actually break glass?
It kind of reminds me of how weeds can push through asphalt or concrete.
Anyway!
To fix this....
Leave sufficient headspace!
(Headspace = the amount of room between the food and the lid of the jar.)
I err on the side of caution when it comes to this, and if you are new to freezing food, you probably should too! It's always better to leave a little extra room while you're learning how much food expands during the freezer process.
If you are really nervous, you can always freeze the jars without the lids and then screw the lids on later. That will ensure the food has plenty of room to expand upward.
Do you need to use wide-mouth jars?
Ball does make wide-mouth jars that are labeled specifically for freezing. I think the shape of them is a little better because there's no neck and the food can seamlessly expand upward and slightly outward.
BUT.
I have frozen food plenty of times in standard Ball jars, and it's been fine.
Do you need specific lids for freezing in glass jars?
Nope! You can use (and reuse) the usual metal lids and metal bands.
Since those are prone to rust, I've also used Ball's plastic screw-on lids (mine are the older white style, but this is their current style.)
A lot of off-brand lids are available as well, but since I haven't tried them, I can't vouch for how long-lasting they are. I can tell you my plastic Ball lids have lasted for years.
Also, you know how the grated Parmesan lids work on standard-mouth jars? I've frozen those plenty of times too and they've been fine.
Can you freeze glass tomato sauce jars from the store?
This is probably the most common food-freezing question I get and my answer is yes.
These jars are not quite as heavy-duty as actual canning jars, so you might want to be slightly more careful with them.
But I've frozen food in them plenty of times and it's been fine as long as I leave sufficient headspace.
This is super duper handy if you have only used half a jar of tomato sauce and you know you won't use the rest in time. Just throw the whole thing in the freezer!
As an added benefit, you will never wonder, "Hmm, what is this mysterious container of red frozen stuff?" because the jar's original label will tell you!
Once you've used the tomato sauce, you can save the jar and the lid for future use; I use mine to freeze food and I also sometimes use them when I make yogurt.
Also, some tomato sauce jar lids screw right onto standard Mason jars so those are super handy to keep around!
How do you thaw food in glass jars?
I just take the jars out of the freezer and let them thaw on my countertop or in the fridge.
I do know that glass does not like sudden temperature changes, so you wouldn't want to put a frozen jar into a hot oven or something!
And I wouldn't be brave enough to run a frozen jar under hot water.
But going from the freezer to room temperature has never posed a problem for me.
What kind of foods do you freeze in glass jars?
I typically freeze:
- homemade broth
- homemade applesauce
- homemade freezer jam
- soups
- extra spaghetti sauce
Relatedly, my "try it and see how it goes" philosophy is helpful for freezing foods. If you wonder whether a food item can be frozen, or how it will be when it thaws, try it with a small test sample!
Then you'll know for the future.
________________
I do freeze half jars of spaghetti sauce. We typically do not use jarred sauce, but on the occasion that we do, we end up putting the rest right into the freezer. Does make for a quick "I don't feel like cooking tonight" dinner.
Thermal shock is a fascinating subject.
And remember, frozen water can not only break glass, it can rip solid copper pipes. I'm looking at you, kitchen pipes, the last time you froze.
Wait, no Chiquita pics in todays post!?!
Haha, well, she tends not to hang around my jars of frozen food. 😉
@Julie,
I, too, am disappointed not to see Chiquita 🙂
Thanks for the info. I've never tried this before, but a lot of times my jars of spaghetti sauce go bad in the fridge before I'm ready for another pasta meal. Will definitely be using this tip!
@Fru-gal Lisa, another pasta sauce trick I like is to freeze individual portions (usually 1/4 cup) in cupcake tins or silicone molds. When frozen, I pop them out and store them in a ziplock bag in the freezer. When we are ready to use it, I thaw it briefly in the microwave and toss it into freshly cooked pasta to finish melting. Also works for presto.
@LeslieMichael, great tip!
Thank you for posting this! I’m just about to start freezing pesto for future use, and glass storage jars are the only kind I have left. Thanks to my history nerd self*, I’ve been wary of thermal shock, so this was reassuring.
*Thermal shock was a common tomb robber’s trick for breaking into stone sarcophagi in ancient (and not so ancient) Egypt. Set a fire directly on or against the sarcophagus, wait a bit, then throw water against the heated stone, and CRACK! Instant access point to the coffin(s) and jewelry inside the otherwise unwieldy sarcophagus.
**And yes, this vey fact has kept me from freezing glass! My logic went that, if tons of stone will break, what chance does a wee glass jar have? 😛
@N, One of my favorite words! When I used to give tours of the historic house I was a director of, I preferred the family cemetery. School groups loved the word "sarcophagus" since I explained the roots are Greek. Sarko for "flesh" and "phagus" for "eat." Back in the day, people thought the stone ate the flesh.
Then I explained a lot more of the symbols in the graveyard and I must say, the kids really seemed into it. I hope now that they're older some of them remember the difference between a draped urn and a broken column, or that oak leaves symbolize strength.
Yes, I am a giant nerd.
@N, This definitely has to win for most interesting blog comment, maybe ever! I love it.
@Rose, u r the best. i read fg for your comments. i think you are as great as kristen. and i love all the other commenters too.
@Anita Isaac, Oh thank you! I love the community here. With our maitre d', Kristen. Tip your waiter! Try the veal!
@Rose, and other Roses, or other frequently used names- how about a last initial or nickname? It’s nice to sort of connect the name with the comments!
I think we only have one Rose here! She's just prolific. 🙂
I argue this with my husband all the time. He doesn't think I should freeze anything in glass. I have never had a problem though. I have bought the expensive plastic ball jars for the freezer and then thought that is silly. We go through many a plastic mayo and peanut butter jars and they work perfectly to freeze foods in. I just have to cool hot food down before filling. I think I got this idea from you in the first place:)
@Jackie, how do you get the peanut butter out of the peanut butter jar? That’s been my problem.
Walmart sells their own brand of plastic lids for mason jars. Much less expensive than the name brand.
@Julie F,
Thank you for the tip about the Walmart plastic lids. I've been wanting to get some more and it's nice to know there's a less pricey option available.
I regularly freeze 1/2 jars of pasta sauce. I think its something my mother always did. I also save those parm shaker tops. They fit well and can go into the dishwasher without rusting. And I have had great success in thawing glass jars of stock in the microwave on the thaw setting, no lid. But usually I sent them on the countertop for the day when I am looking at whats on the menu for dinner that day.
I use jars all the time, but I will add one caveat to this...
I can't say this is for SURE what happened, but I'm making a guess here. Some contents in glass jars on the freezer door thawed a bit, but not all the way, during my power outage. When they re-froze after power returned, I assume the contents were still solid in the center and not liquid enough to push up past the shoulders of the jar, so it pushed out instead. Whatever it was that caused it, a jar with an inch and a half of head-space broke down the side when the broth re-froze completely. So far, that is all I've found broken in my freezer, but it's something to be aware of. The freezer itself stayed very cold, since it was solidly packed with frozen foods and ice packs, but the door, which mostly held things like bulk spices in bags with just a few jars, obviously got a little warmer.
I lost three quart mason jars partially filled with water that I had put on the door of my refrigerator's freezer a few years ago before a power outage due to a hurricane - the water re-froze but the glass shattered. These are the only times I've had breakage happen.
Maybe jars without shoulders would solve this? I don't really know.
I don't know what it is about my freezers, but I can't do this. I have had so many jars crack with things in them. I did use things like stock when this happened, because I could strain it though a fine sieve. Although I never saw any little pieces of glass. They just crack into really big pieces.
Anyway. It's happened in three different freezers--uprights and chest freezers--in three different houses. I have no idea why, and I have given up on glass jars in the freezer now. I save plastic jars of various sizes for freezing things now.
@kristin @ going country,
I started freezing my broth in silicone baking items.
I have a couple of loaf pans and when I want smaller amounts I use some muffin pans. I put them flat on a baking sheet and pour the broth in. It works better in my chest freezer when it’s not as full. I open the freezer pop the cookie sheets in and pour into the silicon pans.
I also make a large crockpot full of broth and usually do a batch of rice or other side dish from the broth to eat/freeze immediately .
You know for those days of when you need something already cooked to serve.
Sometimes it seems like so much broth I’ve created I try and repurpose some right away.
@kristin @ going country,
Same for me in 2 upright and 1 chest freezer! Definitely enough headspace...this post might convince me to try one more time if I feel the need. I'd much rather freeze things in glass, but have resorted to plastic freezer bags for a while now...
I used all my excess cherry tomatoes from my garden and made spaghetti sauce and froze them in mason jars, worked great!!! And no stains from using plastic. And I will say that even the best glass (like pyrex) will break sometimes for no apparent reason. My 20 year old pyrex baking dish shattered in my cabinet last week. I went to pick it up and it just exploded. It was crazy!
I had a bad experience once with trying to freeze chicken stock in two half-gallon wide-mouth Ball jars. Even though I did not put the jars immediately into the freezer (I let them get plenty cool first), and I was very careful about head space, both jars shattered anyway. Talk about a mess...
So I admire Kristen's expertise with using glass jars in the freezer, but I think I'll continue to stick to plastic containers for freezing.
I've done it for years now. I put on a strip of painters tape as it will not leave marks when you remove that. On the tape I write date and contents. Pencil works best as will not stain when the jars defrost.
I asked for a pressure cooker for my birthday a few years ago when I realized the freezer was so overloaded with soup broth that I had no room for anything else. I highly recommend canning as an alternative to freezing.
@Daisy, I agree. For me, somehow, it's easier to see/understand/take STOCK* of my broth etc in glass jars on a shelf than it is in the freezer. Or just leftover homemade soup. But since it's low acid, you need a pressure cooker to can em.
*groan
It creates more dishes but for the last few years I’ve requested Pyrex containers for my birthday and Christmas. They stack snd I love them. Some have bamboo lids. I probably have 20 now- different sizes and no plastic.
The straight side jars are good because you can thaw it a bit and then slide out the contents into a pan and get cooking.
I always refrigerate my stock overnight before freezing in quart jars. It keeps the warmer center contents from “ volcano-ing” up and putting pressure on the lid, if it’s filled a little too much. I cracked a plastic lid once. I also cracked a jar when trying to thaw in the microwave.
I had no idea! That's good to know!
I'm so sorry, everyone, for going way off topic, but I have to buy my son a phone (I broke his...a couple months ago!) And for some reason I'm having such a hard time finding something! Anyone know where I can get an unlocked phone, he doesn't need anything special (he's 12) but a good camera is ideal. I don't want to spend a ton of money but would like something that maybe isn't a scam of some sort. And a phone plan (he was just using the internet on the last one, we didn't have a plan but I need to monitor things better and also would like to be able to call him if I need to, etc. I'm thinking Mint or MetroPCS or something, but I've read some bad reviews about everything...
And any advice on parental controls for phones??
For some reason this is the most anxiety-inducing project I've undergone in a long time! Why is it so hard to buy an unlocked phone then get a cheap phone plan and put parental controls on it?
I hope everyone is doing well!
@M.S., We've used Ting for years, and have both brought our own phone and also bought phones from them and it all was pretty easy. We do the Flex plan - $10/month for unlimited talk and text + $5 per GB of data (works well if you're usually on wifi and don't need a lot of data; not cost effective otherwise). They currently have phones from $49-199 that could work for your son if you want to check into them...
@Suz, Thank you so much for the info! I'll check it out!
@M.S., my daughter gets pretty inexpensive phones from Amazon. Often brands I've never heard of, but she's never had a problem. They have been passed down to her kids as they've gotten older and still work well.
Ebay often has unlocked phones for very good prices. Just check the feedback score and you'll know it's not a scam. Regarding plans, we've been very happy with Cricket. If your boy is like my kids, they stream music all the freaking time, so a plan with unlimited data is ideal (and cheap on Cricket).
Breathe. It's OK. You will figure it out. FWIW I never put parental controls on my kids' phones, and they've turned out OK.
@M.S., We usually buy used phones on Swappa (the eBay of electronics) and we're pretty happy with Mint Mobile. I think they currently have a promo for $15/mo for unlimited data, but the regular price is still good too ($15 for unlimited talk/text + 5gb if I remember correctly).
@M.S.,
I'm going through the same thing right now. I just bought my 12yo his first phone through Tracfone. Phone and unlimited data for a year was $300. I have activated it but haven't given it to him until I can figure out parental controls. Sigh.
I don't want to be that person (although I guess I am), but just remember that your children have a plethora of screens available to them without parental controls. Usually when I say this I get a bunch of denials, but to be honest, parents who think their kids can't access whatever they want are living in a dream world.
That's not to say don't put controls on your child's devices, but they're only somewhat effective. A clever kid can get around them and/or use their friends' phones/computers etc. Instead of controls, I think it's better to teach them about keeping themselves safe online, not to believe strangers etc.
@Dawn in WA, Thank you for the info, I'll check it out!
@Rose, Thanks! I'll look into it!
@A, Thanks! I've heard of Swappa but wasn't too sure about it. I'll look into it, sounds like it works out for you!
@Steph LG, Thanks, I'll have to look into Tracfone. And I've been researching parental controls, it's crazy how much these kids know...I may have found a couple that he wouldn't be able to get around though! I guess time will tell
@Rose, I do agree with you, kids have access to everything! It's mainly a matter of teaching them the right things.
However, I didn't have any way to monitor his old phone and ended up finding some pretty grown up (and a little disturbing) things on it. That's when we realized it was time for "the talk", along with a lot more monitoring.
One of my issues is with cyber bullying. I was bullied in middle school and did my best to try to hide it. Boy does that cause a lot of damage...and that was before the days of the internet. My main goal, besides trying my best to keep the hardcore stuff somewhat out of reach for a few more years if possible, is to keep an eye on who he's talking to, what kind of things he has to deal with while loosening the rope a little bit so he can enjoy a little more freedom. When his one friend invites him over and starts talking about the alcohol he's been drinking (at 12!!!), I'd like those parental controls in place so I get notified immediately, you know?
But absolutely, as far as some other things go, kids these days are way more technologically advanced and can get around anything we throw at them. I'm not looking forward to the next few years!!
I have been freezing in glass for years and have only had 1 breakage! I have a "matched" set of glass jars...peanut butter jars! I freeze everything in them. Milk, veggies/fruits, sauces, beans, whatever. When going out of town for more than a couple of days, I chop all the onions and other veggies and fruits and freeze. Also, put milk up in 1 cup amounts to use for pancakes and muffins.
P.S. I've been a reader for over 10 years, but this is my first comment!! 🙂
@Mary, hi! Several good ideas, and I’ll add this- older commercial grocery store glsss jars and lids seem much stronger than newer ones- like peanut butter, jelly, fruits/vegs, olives. I inherited some and noticed this. Then got to help re-organize for estate sales- jackpot! Garage sales, too!
I use half(ish) a jar of salsa Verde in my chicken enchiladas and always toss the rest of the jar into the freezer for the next time.
I make homemade marinara sauce once a month, and I ALWAYS freeze my sauce, but I use the tupperware" kind of containers (since I find them easier to work with, pop the lid, ladle the sauce out)--I make VATS full, and then freeze them for weekly use. I use these containers for chili and soups also. Saving the glass jars for jams and broth.
@Millicent, secret family recipe, or ???
When I first started freezing in glass jars, I made both the mistakes of overfilling the jar and heating up the frozen jar of sauce too quickly. Oops! Thankfully, I’ve now surpassed a decade of successful jar freezing. My favorite jars are the Weck brand. I get the ones that are perfectly sized for a 1-2 portions of soup, beans, whatever. It makes it extra easy to freeze and later use smaller portions. They also make the perfect bowl to eat from, have a wider top to make them easy to fill/dump out, plus they last forever!
Still freaks me out.
I like to take a piece of plastic wrap, crumple it, and put on top of the contents in the jar. Helps with all that ice forming. Also do the same with ice cream, without crumpling, to prevent ice crystals.
I've been freezing in glass & plastic for decades but have gotten away from plastic in last 5 years because of concern of so much micro plastics in food because most food in some kind of plastic. I do use mostly wide mouth glass jars because it is easier to put food in without mess because of wider opening. I also use various sized jars. & never stack more than 2 jars high---no need to temp anything.
I have broken plastic jars/containers & glass jars both. I have been at fault which I try very hard not to do, but it happens.
I got to the point of putting leftovers in freezer for future meals in glass jars. In my experience I let the found that you need to let jars cool for a while before attempting to put into freezer. I do leave frozen jars on counter/stove top for few hours to defrost or at least 1 hour before partially defrosting in microwave.
I have been freezing food in glass jars for ages. One way to thaw it more quickly is to put it in a bowl with cold water. I know it sounds funny, but it works.
Hilde in Germany
I have had no problems freezing pint/half pint mason jars that have been purchased in the last 20 years.
I have had loads of problems freezing Ball/Kerr quart mason jars passed down to me by my MIL, who got them from her mother. I have no idea how old those jars are (they are clear glass, not the blue vintage ones). I suspect those older jars were not made of tempered glass. Because despite respecting head space and cooling in the fridge first, they have consistently cracked down the sides.
I have found that standard plastic mayonnaise jar lids fit my standard jars well. Free lids!
yes, I know I'm commenting 2 months in the future, but I just found your blog and am reading backlogs!
silly question when freezing apple sauce do you have to "can" it first? or can you just slap it in there and freeze?
I just freeze it! As long as you leave enough headspace, you can even use glass jars.
When my frozen jars have broken, the glass comes off in large pieces. I have lift them off, rinse off the block of broth or soup or whatever it is, and then refreeze it in a ziplock. I sure do live on the edge at times. . .
I have canned tomatoes in glass jars that i want to leave in my lake cabin in northern Michigan over the winter. The temps may get below freezing. Is that safe?
Boy, I really don't know! I suppose it would depend how much headspace is in the jars, if I had to guess.