The Right Way To Freeze Beef Stew For Later

Beef stew is like a warm hug in food form, but you may not always have hours at your disposal to let it simmer on the stove or cook up in the crockpot. That's why freezing an extra batch or your leftovers can be a good move. Here's the right way to freeze beef stew for later.

First, you'll need a freezer-safe airtight container large enough to accommodate the amount of stew you're freezing. There are a few options, including gallon-size zip-top plastic bags, aluminum tray pans, or a Tupperware-like container. You can save yourself time later by using something that is microwave-safe and by portioning into reasonable servings.

Once you have your vessel, make sure your cooked beef stew is totally cooled down to room temperature before you pour it in. You can do this quickly by transferring it to a more shallow dish or by placing the pot it was cooked in in an ice bath. When pouring the cooled stew into your freezer-safe container, make sure to leave a bit of room inside since things tend to expand a bit during freezing. As a last step, label the container clearly with the date and the contents. Beef stew is generally good in the freezer for two to three months.

Beef stew actually freezes quite well because the stock or sauce freezes around the chunks of meat and vegetables, which helps prevent freezer burn. When it comes time to give your beef stew a second life, though, there are some mistakes you want to avoid and some best practices to follow.

Reheating beef stew from frozen is best done in two steps, with defrosting coming first. Pull a portion of beef stew from the freezer and defrost it in the refrigerator overnight or in the microwave on the defrost setting (that is where freezing in a microwave-safe container comes in handy). Once thawed, you can reheat the beef stew in a cast iron French oven over low heat on the stove. Stir the stew to break apart frozen chunks, and add a bit of beef stock or water if needed to re-emulsify.