What kind of "sauce"....Cheese, tomato, chocolate, hollendaise, bechamel...or all of the above?
Linda C

Whoops :) A basic tomato sauce would be all

Portion it and put it in Ziplocks. Press all the air out and you have nice flat bags that can be stacked easily and don't take up much space. Alternate the zipper part when you stack so they don't topple over. Use a permanent marker to write the name & date.

Not a silly question at all, when I'm making tomato sauce for pasta it might as well be a big batch as a small!!

I do what weed does but I freeze them flat on a cookie sheet and then stack them....otherwise mine seem to stick together!

And I freeze apple sauce that way too....and turkey and gravy and chili....
Linda C

If you have trouble stacking the bags or want to organize your freezer better, look for shallow baskets the same width as the ziplocs and stand them up after they are frozen. Spaghetti sauce in one, applesauce in another, etc...
Lisa

We make and freeze our own tomato sauce every year. We aim for one container per week for the year (so around 52) and a few extras for when I need a larger amount. I used to do the ziploc thing, but now I prefer the stackability of plastic containers.

We went to the dollar store and bought 60 containers that hold about three cups. It is a one time expense, because we reuse the containers every year. By the time we get to freezing (which we do in batches over the season as things ripen) we have more than enough empty containers to start on! I have a standing freezer and it is true, these containers take about an entire shelf. But the bins with ziplocs was not working for the volume we were doing.

I do the flat freeze in ziplocs and place in bins for smaller batch items like soups. Veggies I blanch and freeze separate on cookie sheets then pack into baggies or containers.

{{gwi:336191}}

I love the small baggies for freezing.I put a coupole sheets of newspaper in between the baggies if needed. After the stuff is frozen remove the paper.

I use jelly jars to freeze tomato sauces and tomato paste. If I leave them in the freezer too long and they get a bit burnt on top I run hot water over the top to thaw that layer and scrape it off.

Here is what I do: Get muffin tins, regular and mini. Fill and freeze, pop them out and bag them. Take out what you need and microwave. This way you use only what you need.

I also freeze tomato sauce in plastic containers...I cook for two most of the time so 2 to 3 cups will do for 1/2 lb of pasta. I freeze both meat and marinara the same way. You should use it within about 6 months. -maria

I use plastic or paper cups to freeze a lot of things; soup, sauce, pesto, etc. Freeze them, pop them in a ziplock baggie and pile in a freezer. Since I'm usually cooking (defrosting?) for one, this has worked pretty well.

I like the idea of using the ziplock baggies and freezing flat, for better "stack-ability" and the fact that they would defrost some much more quickly. But I don't like to reuse the baggies too often, and that could get expensive.

Still, it's a good idea!

Does anyone have a really good recipe for making tomato sauce with fresh tomatoes? I have a lot of tomatoes that are going to be ripe soon and I would like to make a good sauce and freeze it. I am also interested in how to do diced tomatoes. Thanks for the input.

I've linked a basic tomato sauce below.
To prep a big batch, bring a saucepan, big enough to hold 4-5 tomatoes, 3/4 full of water to a boil. Give your tomatoes a quick slit with a serrated knife, just an inch will do, and drop in the water 4-5 at a time for aprox 1 min. Remove with a slotted spoon to a cookie sheet or platter to cool a bit, add the next 4-5 tomatoes. This goes pretty quickly and can do a full crate/basket in no time.
Some just go directly into quart zip-locks right away, and could be quartered but i usually just smoosh them down, get all the air out and seal. Chill in the fridge before freezing.
The rest i make the basic sauce. I don't cook mine down as rich as the link as i like a fresher taste. Let the sauce cool down a bit. Half i put in serving sizes qrt zip-locks, the rest i puree with a stick blender or reg blender. A meat sauce could be made at this time as well. I end up with tomatoes 3-4 ways and can be pulled out of the freezer and thawed for various recipes. I like the smoother sauce for a fish or shrimp dish. I add any of them to winter stews or soup.
Taste your sauce for salt&pepper and if needed, a bit of honey brightens the flavor, just a tiny bit. Add fresh basil when it comes off the heat before freezing. Or any fresh herbs. Just label your bags clearly.
So many ways to use this basic sauce all winter. If you want a thicker sauce, just cook it down when using it at the later time.
To dice? Just chop them up.

Here is a link that might be useful: basic tomato sauce

I don;t do any of this but have to ask: why not jar the sauce and place in pantry instead of freezer? I use jars for everything.

Hello, finally something I can add too. I do a lot of preparation of meals and freeze them. I freeze sauce, soups, chilli etc... I just bought one of those food saver sealers that suck the air out of bags and seal them. I bought this because I do so much of it. But before that I used ziplock bags. In my opinion tomato based sauces, soups and chilli taste better after being frozen or refrigerated. It gives the herbs and spices time to really blend and come out. I live in a home with just me and my youngest daughter who is 22, full time college student and works weekends. She flies in and out. I myself am medically retired. So I have a bit more time now. I love to cook but there are some days when I just physically can't so on the good days I tend to make up a lot of foods and bag them and freeze them. Because there are only 2 of us here now I usually only put 2 cups worth of sauce in each bag, seal it and pop it in the freezer. Depending on the size of your family and their appetites you will know how much sauce or soups etc you would need. There is not much I don't freeze now a days.

I make both tomato sauce and pizza sauce and freeze in quart baggies. I try to eliminate all the air if possible. Label and date the bags first and measure how much for the two of you based on your likes. Then put all these quart baggies inside a gallon freezer bag and lay flat to freeze. These baggies will thaw very quickly when placed in warm water and heat in only a minute or two. Reduce the amount of spices when freezing tomato sauce and they tend to get stronger.
I also use this method for meat broth when I have extra.
Another method I am going to try is freezing my sauce in silicone ice trays. When frozen hard they can be put in a freezer bag. Also great for leftover gravy.
The silicone trays are also a good way to use coffee that is left over. Pour into the trays, freeze, bag and pull out one or two to make frozen mocha drinks or pop one in your coffee if you like your coffee a bit cooler and don't have tine to wait. Also good for leftover tea because the cubes won't dilute you tea. You can use your imagination to freeze any fruit or beverage you like for use in frozen drinks or smoothies or that last bit of ice cream when you don't want a large carton in the fridge. Turns milk into a milkshake in your blender.

I also freeze in zip lock bags with the air pressed out. HINT: Place a piece of cardboard over the shelf grates and then stack away! Makes the bags flatter.