I want to cook soups and freeze them in canning jars and have ordered a product online that will vacuum seal these jars for me. I have never canned, but I found online that there are canning jars that I can freeze. I know to leave room in the jar for expansion. Do I wait until the soup is cool before putting it in the jars? Should I buy these jars online only? Do the canning jars they sell at Ace, etc. Wouldn’t it be advisable to freeze?
All standard canning jars (Ball and Kerr) can be safely placed in the freezer. Jars take up a lot of space in the freezer and are somewhat dangerous because they can break easily. Cleaning a freezer glass would be last on my to-do list.
A better method of freezing soup (and many other foods) is to quick freeze it in easy-to-use quantities first. I use 1-cup plastic containers for soup, so I can use 1 for a serving (good for lunch for one), or I can take out more if I need more servings. After freezing, I take them out of the plastic containers, stack them up, and seal them with my FoodSaver in a bag. They fit better in the freezer. You can do the same in inexpensive 1-quart plastic freezer containers if you need quantities larger than 1-serving sizes.
You should probably check the manufacturer’s instructions on how to vacuum-seal your soup before or after freezing it; and if that can/should be done in a jar. Call the toll free number for more information. I always use regular mason jars to put my jam in the freezer. In the freezer, and I’ve never had a break in me.
The package says not to reuse the stamps. Do you reuse them or throw them away after each use? Lids should not be reused when used for home canning. They can be used over and over again for vacuum sealing. I have stored my dry goods like beans, seeds, grains, pasta, etc. on wide mouth canning jars of all sizes and have used the lids time and time again. Eventually, the sealing compound can become old and brittle and not hold a seal, in which case it is thrown away and replaced. I also soften the sealing compound on the lids in warm water before using them for the first time in a vacuum sealed jar.
Have you ever used the plastic lids? Do you know if they can be vacuum sealed and reused as needed? I just wish the plastic lids could be vacuum sealed, that would be really wonderful! I use those plastic lids all the time, but only for items that aren’t vacuum sealed.
I freeze all extra homemade soup in regular mason jars, but make sure to only fill them 2/3 full so the contents don’t expand and break the glass. If you’re careful, you shouldn’t have any problems. Make sure if you are placing hot food in the jars that you submerge the jars in hot water first so they don’t break while filling. I let my soups chill or refrigerate overnight before putting them in the freezer.