Does any one know if

[scooby8themall]

Is it okay to use a 4 lb plastic sugar container to keep frozen peas in .I have some empty ones and wanted to use them for some thing.

[baxjul]

I don't see why not.

[Ceashels]

I figured if it was designed for food storage than most foods should be safely stored in it. But I am careful at storing fats and acids in plastics.

[Sassyclass]

I would line it with plastic wrap first, I'd be skeptical about it not sealing tight enough and letting air in to cause freezer burn. Especially if the lids just snaps on. I guess the only way to know for sure is to put something in one and try it. Hopefully someone here has used one for freezer use.

Cat

[Debbie-cat]

As long as the lid is tight it should be fine.

[Karen1]

sure seems fine. I use all kinds of plastic containers in the freezer.

BUT----4 lbs of peas in a frozen block is alot of peas....LOL

If you need to portion out a serving size, how could you do that? Just chip away a bunch with a sharp object? LOL

[MaryCarney]

I guess you should IQF them first.

Another good idea for them if you live where it's cold in the winter is this. Your freezer tends to gradually empty out over the winter, and a full freezer runs more efficiently.

So fill those 3/4 way at night, set out on the porch to freeze overnight, and place in freezer in the morning to take up space. Then in summer, as you're filiing up your freezer, those big blocks of ice are great for blanching vegetables, and cooling off drinks and stuff for your backyard BBQ.

[frugalfranny]

I would guess it is okay.

I use marg. containers and yogurt containers for jam all the time.

I agree with other poster.....4 lbs of peas sounds like a lot. Think I would freeze them on a cookie sheet first then put them in there so they aren't one large 'block of peas'....

[mauimagic]

What about freezing them IQF, then putting then in small ziplock storage bags before putting them in the 4 lb container - easier retrieval. Let us know.

[Grainlady]

If you wonder if the container is food-grade, you can always check the bottom. There should be a goblet and fork icon that indicates it's food-grade plastic, and/or a triangle with the #2 in it and HDPE under it. You also don't want anything other than white or off-white plastic. Colored plastic has a dye in it and it's NOT food-grade, even if it's #2 plastic.

I'd also suggest vacuum sealing the peas in Food-Saver bags. They'll keep much longer when there's NO oxygen in the package. Using a method similar to what Mauimagic suggested, quick freeze the peas on a cookie sheet (freeze just until frozen), then vacuum seal in a FoodSaver bag in a single layer (while the bag is laying flat on it's side). I repackage ALL frozen fruit/veggies into FoodSaver bags.

I vacuum seal foods FLAT in FoodSaver bags so I can "file" them in small plastic baskets in the freezer. I can quickly flip through the basket of veggies/fruit and pull out what I want, or to check for what I need. Open the bag, give it a tap on the counter, and you'll have individual pieces, rather than one "brick" of frozen food. You can now remove as little or as much as needed and reseal the bag. If you vacuum seal them, no other container is necessary, and you'll never get freezer burn or frost developing in the package from moisture in the food migrating to the air in a typical (zip-lock type) plastic bag.