[Explanation with photos] How to freeze meat sauce, storage period, and 5 recipes!

Have you ever made homemade meat sauce but couldn't eat it all?

A little known fact is that meat sauce can actually be frozen. What's more, if you follow a few tips and freeze it, you can save it as a homemade retort pack.

In addition to freezing preservation methods, this article also introduces approximate storage periods, optimal thawing methods, and recipes using sauces. If you are having trouble figuring out how to use the large amount of sauce in front of you, please refer to this article.

Meat sauce nutrition

Nutritional value and calories of meat sauce

The calorie content of meat sauce is approximately 101kcal per 100g, and the composition of the three major nutrients is as follows.

☑たんぱく質　3.8g
☑脂質　5.0g
☑炭水化物　10.1g
参考：日本食品標準成分表2010

In addition, meat sauce contains the following nutrients:

☑【ミネラル】
ナトリウム、カリウム、カルシウム、リン、鉄
☑【ビタミン】
ビタミンA、B1、B2、ナイアシン、C

Due to its nutritional composition, it tends to be deficient in protein and dietary fiber. When cooking at home, it is a good idea to add protein by increasing the amount of ground meat, and supplement dietary fiber by making a separate salad.

Effects of meat sauce

Meat sauce is rich in fat and carbohydrates.
These two are converted into energy in the body, so they are essential for people who are physically active at work and for growing children.
The combination of meat sauce and pasta dramatically increases the amount of fat and carbohydrates, making it an excellent source of energy.

However, since they are rich in energy, they require vitamins and minerals to be digested. In order to maintain a nutritional balance, I recommend making one or two more dishes, mainly vegetables.

In addition, tomatoes, an ingredient, contain lycopene.
Lycopene has antioxidant effects and is expected to be effective against various diseases due to its ability to remove active oxygen.
It has been found that the absorption rate of lycopene increases when it is ``cooked'' or ``ingested with oil,'' making meat sauce the perfect dish.
Reference: http://www.kagome.co.jp/company/news/2011/09/000032.html

Another ingredient, onions, also contains an attractive nutrient called allyl sulfide.
Allyl sulfide is the source of the spiciness of onions, but it also has various effects such as blood thinning, fat burning, and bactericidal effects.
Allyl sulfide is sensitive to cooking, but if you leave it for a while after cutting it, it will become more resistant to heat. Therefore, when cooking onions, it is recommended to leave them for several minutes after cutting them.

Advantages of freezing meat sauce

Allows long-term storage

The first advantage is that it can be stored for a long time.

I think there are many families who make a large amount of homemade meat sauce at once because they are going to the trouble of making it.

However, it can be refrigerated for up to a week. No matter how delicious the food is, if you eat the same dish for a week, your family will get tired of it.

In such cases, if you know freezing techniques, you can prepare food with plenty of time to spare.

Unlike store-bought ones, with homemade meat sauce, you can change the flavor to suit your family's tastes, such as ``loaded with vegetables'' or ``loaded with bacon.'' By freezing food, you can enjoy the familiar taste of home whenever you want.

Reduces cooking time and effort

The second advantage is that it reduces cooking time and effort.

If you make a large amount of sauce and package it in bags and freeze them, you can create homemade retort packs. If you divide it into small portions and freeze it, it will be even more convenient to use.

The great thing about homemade retort packs is that you can simply defrost them a little when you want to use them and enjoy the taste of home-made food made with great care.
This is the perfect method for people who are concerned about additives or want to make a slightly more luxurious lunch, and for whom commercially available retorts are not enough.

How to freeze meat sauce

Place in freezer bag and freeze

1. Place meat sauce in a freezer bag.

2. Flatten it thinly and freeze it.

★By flattening and freezing it, you can fold and take out the amount you want to use.
★Color transfers when stored in Tupperware, so we use freezer bags.

How to defrost meat sauce and storage period

How to thaw meat sauce

​It is generally best to thaw frozen sauces in the refrigerator. It takes time to defrost food in the refrigerator, so if you plan to use it for dinner, it's best to move it to the refrigerator that morning.

If you want to defrost food a little faster, we recommend defrosting it in ice water. The method is to fill a bowl with ice water and submerge the freezer bag in it. Defrosts food faster than in the refrigerator and saves water compared to running water.

You can also defrost it in the microwave, but you run the risk of making the sauce too hot if you overheat it. If you use the microwave, be careful and keep an eye on your time.

Shelf life of meat sauce

​The approximate storage period after freezing is 3 to 4 weeks. This is the same whether you freeze homemade food or frozen store-bought food.

Freezing preservation is not a panacea, and the quality at the time of freezing has a big impact.
Therefore, if it is homemade, it should be freshly made, or if it is commercially available, it should be freshly opened and frozen immediately.

>> [What is the expiry date of frozen foods? ] What is the best way to use frozen side dishes that are delicious and waste-free?

5 easy recipes using meat sauce

Taco rice style

Source: https://cookpad.com/recipe/3721053

☑材料（2人分）
・ミートソース　200g
・トマト　1個
・レタス　半玉
・カレー粉　小さじ1
・卵黄　2個
・ピザ用チーズ　適量
・マヨネーズ　適量

<How to make>
1) Thaw the frozen meat sauce in the refrigerator or in ice water.
2) Add curry powder to (1), mix and warm in the microwave.
3) Dice the tomatoes and shred the lettuce.
4) Place rice in a bowl, then add lettuce, tomato, and meat sauce, then add egg yolk.
5) Sprinkle with mayonnaise and pizza cheese if you like.

meat stuffed peppers

Source: https://cookpad.com/recipe/3699846

☑材料（3人分）
・ミートソース　200g
・パン粉　40g
・牛乳　30cc
・ピザ用チーズ　適量
・ピーマン　4個
・薄力粉　適量

<How to make>
1) Thaw the frozen meat sauce in the refrigerator or in ice water.
2) Add milk to the bread crumbs and let them soften.
3) Cut the peppers in half lengthwise, remove the seeds and stems, and sprinkle them all with flour.
4) Mix (1) and (2) well (if the mixture is too loose, adjust by increasing the amount of bread crumbs).
5) Pack (4) tightly into the green peppers.
6) Top with pizza cheese and bake in a toaster until the cheese melts.

★When baking in the toaster, place aluminum foil on the surface to prevent it from getting dirty.

Meat sauce mini gratin for lunch box

Source: https://cookpad.com/recipe/3445758

☑材料（3.5㎝のカップ4個分）
・ミートソース　大さじ4
・じゃがいも　1個
・牛乳　小さじ1
・マヨネーズ　小さじ1
・塩こしょう　少々
・ピザ用チーズ　適量

<How to make>
1) Thaw frozen meat sauce in the refrigerator or in ice water.
2) Boil the potatoes, mash them with a masher, add milk, mayonnaise, salt and pepper, and mix.
3) Pour (2) evenly into 4 cups and top with meat sauce and cheese.
4) Bake in a toaster oven until golden brown (about 10 minutes at 200℃).

Meat sauce hot sandwich

Source: https://cookpad.com/recipe/3906408

☑材料（1人分）
・ミートソース　お好みの量
・とろけるチーズ　1枚
・10枚切食パン　2枚

<How to make>
1) Thaw frozen meat sauce in the refrigerator or in ice water.
2) Place bread, meat sauce, and cheese in the hot sandwich bowl, turn it on, and it's done.

Omelet for lunch box

Source: https://cookpad.com/recipe/4488448

☑材料（2~3人分）
・卵　2個
・砂糖　小さじ2
・塩　少々
・牛乳　大さじ1
・ピザ用チーズ　大さじ2
・ミートソース　100g程度

<How to make>
1) Thaw the frozen meat sauce in the refrigerator or in ice water, then warm it up in the microwave.
2) Mix eggs, sugar, salt, and milk in a bowl.
3) Heat oil in a frying pan, pour (2) into it and stir until fluffy.
4) Put cheese in the center, put (1) on top, roll it up to make an omelet, and it's done.

★Adjust the doneness of the eggs to your liking.

Conclusion

How do you freeze meat sauce?

The key is to put it in a freezer bag and freeze it. Unlike Tupperware, it doesn't transfer color easily, and even if the color does transfer, you can throw it away.

If you divide the food into small portions and save them in portions that can be used one time at a time, cooking will go smoothly.

If you know this freezing method, you can use homemade sauce as conveniently as a commercially available retort pack, so please give it a try.

>> Click here for how to freeze meat

>> Click here for how to freeze fish

>> 3 points to keep in mind when preserving vegetables