Freeze Flat in Bags — They Stack Better and Thaw Faster

Round containers waste freezer space and take forever to thaw. Switch to freezer bags and freeze everything flat. Pour soups, sauces, cooked grains, or pureed vegetables into a bag, press out as much air as possible, seal it, and lay it flat on a baking sheet until frozen. Then stack the flat bags like books on a shelf.

Flat bags have two massive advantages: they use freezer space far more efficiently, and they thaw in roughly half the time because the food is spread thin. A flat bag of soup can be defrosted in warm water in 15 minutes. A round container of the same soup takes an hour or more. Label every bag with contents and date.