In my humble opinion, zippered freezer bags are one of the most useful items you can keep in your kitchen. They’re not overly expensive, and there are so many different ways you can use them! I’ve included tips and tricks about them in several of my past blog posts, but it recently occurred to me that I’d never written a post specifically about freezer bags!
But before we begin, you might be wondering why I would choose to focus on freezer bags specifically, rather than standard ziplock bags. Freezer bags are thicker than standard ziplock bags and are usually better at sealing out air and moisture. They’re better suited for the super-cold environment of your freezer, and they’re also quite useful in other applications as well! So without further ado, here are 11 great ways to use freezer bags. :-)
11 Brilliant Uses For Freezer Bags
1. Softer Ice Cream
Put your cartons of ice cream into freezer bags before storing them. The freezer bag shields the ice cream from oxygen, preventing the ice cream from getting too hard or forming crystals on the surface. When you pull your ice cream out of the bag, it’ll be creamy and scoopable every time!
2. Minimize Messes
When you need to crush candy, cookies, or crackers for a favorite recipe, do it inside a freezer bag. The thick-walled bags will stand up to the abuse, and the mess will stay inside the bag and off your countertops.
3. Breakfast In Minutes
Use freezer bags to store a quick and delicious homemade breakfast! The next time you make pancakes, be sure to make some extras. Put the extra pancakes in a freezer bag, then toss them in your freezer. When you’re ready to eat your pancakes, just toss them in your toaster or microwave to warm them through!
4. Kitchen Glove
If you find yourself in need of a kitchen glove for a messy task, use a freezer bag. It works great if you’re in a bind!
5. Homemade “Canned” Soup
For perfectly portioned soups, pour your favorite homemade soup into paper/plastic cups and place them in the freezer. Once the soup is frozen, peel away the cup and store the soup in a freezer bag. You’ll have a delicious homemade soup that’ll be ready to heat and eat anytime!
Related: “Why Didn’t I Think Of That?” – Part Four
6. Mixing Bowl
Use a freezer bag as a “mixing bowl.” Just put your ingredients inside, seal it up tightly, and smush the ingredients around with your hands. (This is especially useful when you’re camping because a freezer bag is much easier to pack along than a big bowl.)
7. Freeze Food Flat
Yes, you can use freezer bags to freeze food. :-) But you can make things even more convenient by freezing your foods flat! Once the contents in the bag are frozen solid, you can stand them upright and maximize the storage space in your freezer.
Related: 20 Ways To Use Your Freezer To Save Time And Money
8. Ready-To-Cook Recipes
One of my favorite ways to use freezer bags is to store assembled and ready-to-cook meals, like Dump Chicken! I keep a few of them stocked in my freezer so I can pull one out in case of dinner-related emergencies (such as when I forget to plan something for dinner.) ;-)
Related: Lemon-Garlic Dump Chicken – The Ultimate Make-Ahead Meal
9. Marinate Meat
Use a freezer bag to marinate your favorite cuts of meat! Freezer bags are great for marinating because you can squeeze out a lot of the extra air. This ensures that your meat and marinade are making as much contact as possible, resulting in more flavorful meat!
More Ideas You'll Love
Related: Everything You Need To Make 5 Easy Freezer Meals In An Hour
10. Piping Bag
A freezer bag makes a great piping bag for frosting your favorite desserts! Just fill a corner of the bag with frosting, snip off the corner with scissors, and pipe away! We also like to use it for sour cream to put on our tacos too!
11. Easy Omelets
You can make a delicious and healthy omelet right inside a freezer bag! Just toss your favorite omelet ingredients into a freezer bag and seal it tightly. (Be sure to beat the eggs before adding them!) Drop the sealed bag into a pot of boiling water, and allow it to cook for 6-7 minutes per egg.
Special Bonus Tip! – Wash & Reuse
Since freezer bags are thicker than normal ziplock bags, they are usually more expensive too. But you can get the most for your money by reusing your freezer bags! Just turn the bag inside out, and hand wash it with warm soapy water. Let it air dry over a wooden spoon in a drinking cup. (However, if your freezer bag held raw meat or something oily, I would not recommend attempting to wash and reuse it!)
How do you use freezer bags?
We love corned beef! Hubby makes his own!, in a baggie. Less expensive than buying a corned beef brisket and tastes much better. No need for the sulpher that is added to commercial briskets. It will not be red! Google how to make a corned beef in a baggie. So easy!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.The omelet in a bag is great for camping! Just precut all the ingredients into separate Ziploc bags. That’s way everyone get a customized omelet.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’ve used most of these ideas and they are all awesome! I also use the gallon freezer bags to organize my linen closet. I put a twin sheet set in and roll out all the air. Not only does it save space, but it also keeps them clean and smelling fresh. I also put a shower curtain and matching hooks together. You can’t squeeze out the air but you can keep them together and organized.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Amazing Ideas! I would like to recommend food & freezer bags. BioBag Ireland & UK launched our unique compostable Food & Freezer bags earlier this year
Please log in or create a free account to comment.if you read the sizing and thickness of freezer bags and regular bags on the box, you will find they are exactly the same but by labeling them freezer bags, lowering the number in the box and raising the price the company makes more money.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I use the jumbo freezer bags to store the yarn in my knitting stash. Keeps away dust and moths and makes it super easy to organize. Plus, you can knit right out of the bag as the yarn ball spins nicely in the slippery plastic!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Love the soup and omelet ideas!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I also use freezer bags for storing my set of frosting tips and cookie press discs.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I find ziplock and zipper top bags very helpful for organizing and storing sewing projects. Quilting pieces stay sorted, patterns don’t get separated from patterns & trims. All my supplies stay clean and dust-free.
Freezer bags are also useful for storing game pieces/toys.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I use freezer bags in my luggage as an alternative to the space bags. Helps keep outfits separated and makes things easier to find.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.We travel a lot as well and I use the giant bags to keep clothing folded nicely. Occasionally the security inspectors open and check luggage and this keeps everything tidy and makes their job easier too.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.We camp out during the summer and we use zip lock bags to store our shampoo, soaps and anything else that is a toiletry that could leak. It works great too for holding hair brushes, combs and other hair essentials. Kind of like grouping like items together instead of having to look all over for certain items. Then I can store them in the camper in the bathroom and they are readily available when needed. I do like the food ideas as well as that would be handy for camping also.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Baggies are also useful for keeping paint brushes from drying out should you need to stop in the middle of a paint project. I have also frozen the paint brush overnight then let it thaw out and it’s a lazy way not to have to clean brushes.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.As I read all of your posts and suggestions I was very impressed with some of the uses with the plastic bags. I use them for a lot of the ideas mentioned here, but, never thought about using them to make frozen drinks in, lol!! One thing that I ALWAYS make sure if is that these plastic bags are BPA-FREE!! BPA is a chemical most companies have used in plastic items we use for cooking, plastic bags, plastic wraps, canned foods, plastic water bottles, baby bottles and a lot of other products. BPA is an endocrine hormone disrupting chemical a real concern regarding cancer!!! If you are using plastic bags for storing food in, reheating food in and that has direct contact with foods you really should reconsider using plastic bags that DO NOT contain BPA!!! I have included an article which contains more information. Even though this article is dated 2013 and companies know about the cancer risks a lot of them still use this chemical! I have found a lot of plastic storage containers and plastic bags and wraps that do not contain BPA, which I was very excited about. Please take the time to read the contents/material list on non-food items along with food items. Most of all please read the ingredient list on all of your food products as there are many dangerous chemicals which are approved by the FDA and the USDA that are allowed to go into our foods which are just as dangerous if not more so then BPA!! Just an FYI for those who might be interested!! Merry Christmas and a very Happy and Healthy New Year to all!!
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/11/13/worst-endocrine-disruptors.aspx
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I use freezer bags for meat in the freezer I shape so that I can slide it out still frozen and immediately return the bag to the freezer and I mark them chicken, pork chops , etc, then next grocery trip set all meat in the fridge to stay cold and portion them out and place back into the bags in the freezer has worked very well for several years now
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I know no one likes to think about or talk about “throwing up”. When my kids were little and we traveled, I started keeping freezer bags in my car. I still do to this day. If a child was feeling sick, I would pass back a bag and they had a confined place for that awful smelly mess. Zip it up and throw it away!! I would keep wet washcloths in one for clean up also. Another would be used for trash, i.e. orange peels, banana peels, apple cores etc. I collect sand from around the world and always have one handy to transport it back home without a mess. It was great in Israel, Egypt, Jordon and Peru!! I love freezer ziplock bags!! My list could go on and on and on…..
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I do some of those, but learning a few more tricks today
Please log in or create a free account to comment.When I was little, I would always get car sick on long rides. Always! My mom always had a bucket with about 1/2 inch Lysol in the bottom ready to go, just in case LOL Didn’t have freezer bags back then and I think this is an awesome idea!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I always love to read your blog – so many good ideas.
What is the picture that looks like maybe eggs? and next to it maybe cookie dough balls?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Frozen eggs is what it is
Please log in or create a free account to comment.What is the purpose of freezing the eggs? I too was mystified over #8
#8 is all about being prepared! Instead of letting something go bad, I freeze it. Then, when I’m in a pinch looking for dinner, I just look through the freezer. My neighbors have chickens and often give me baskets of fresh eggs. This way, they never go to waste!
It’s eggs!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I really enjoy your blog. It’s great! Thanks.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Just when I think I finally have a useful comment/question you answer it in the next paragraph!
My concern was about the plastics in our landfills. You are absolutely right about the sturdy bags reuse. In my community the Walmart store has a container specifically for ziplock and freezer bags recycling. You just have to make sure they’re clean.
Love, love, love all your useful posts. So many it’s a challenge to keep up. Every suggestion appeals to my love of organization, natural products, and money saving.
Thank you!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Great ideas! I chop up nuts in freezer bags. Just seal nuts inside the bag and run a rolling pin over the nuts until you achieve the results you want. It works great!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Great ideas. Freezer bags are also great for non food stuff. The bags are great to use when traveling,so our toiletry items don’t leak all,over clothing etc.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I use freezer bags for margaritas. Because of the alcohol, the mixture will not freeze solid. I put a serving size of in each bag and then squeeze the bag a few times before serving.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.What an amazing idea!!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love this idea. Thanks for sharing!!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Brilliant ideas! Some of them I knew already but I also learned something new. I also saw some great posts included that I’ve not yet seen, like ways to use oickle juice. I like to drink bread & butter pickle juice (yeah I know I’m a bit…different) but other juices I need to know how to use. Long story short, another brilliant post. Thank you!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.