Hello Fresh started as a startup that wanted to make it easy for individuals to cook from scratch using fresh ingredients. There are some cases where you can’t finish all the recipes. So, can you freeze Hello Fresh meals for the next use?
The answer depends on the ingredients you want to freeze. Not all of them are freezer-friendly. Yet, any cooked meat can be frozen, as long as you do it right.
You can store proteins and specific ingredients for up to three or five days.
This article will discuss the freezing process of Hello Fresh meals.
Let’s find out more in the next sections!
What Are There In A Hello Fresh Meal?
Sauces, spices, and garnishes are all pre-portioned in the packages for you to prepare your meals.
You may select a food plan and let HelloFresh decide the meals you’ll get. You can even create your own menu by choosing from over 20 changing dishes.
HelloFresh aims to obtain high-quality products, according to its official website. Most of the provided recipes involve fresh vegetables, and many of the components are organic.
The ingredients vary in diet plans:
- Meat + Veggie: This plan offers pork, beef, chicken, and vegetables as the main ingredients. The pack also gives some sauce for you to mix with your dish.
- Veggie: Choose this option if you are a veggie lover. The ingredients in this menu are mainly vegetables.
- Family Friendly: This menu serves the whole family, so the components are diverse.
- Calorie Smart: You may see low-carb recipes in this menu since it offers healthy cuisines.
- Quick + Easy: Three dishes in this pack are beef tacos, za’atar chicken, and meatball.
- Pescatarian: The recipes in this option entail fish and some kinds of vegetables.
Can You Freeze Hello Fresh Meals?
You can freeze certain ingredients instead of a whole pack of HelloFresh.
The most outstanding characteristic of Hello Fresh is that it allows clients to make their favorite food. So, the ingredients that come with the menu will be different.
Food To Freeze
Some ingredients in your pack may be suitable for freezing, such as:
- Dairy: raw egg whites, cheese, and butter.
- Meat: bacon, beef, chicken, pork, sausage, and turkey.
- Seafood: crab, fish, lobster, and shrimp.
- Vegetables: avocado, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, cabbage, citrus fruits, carrots, pumpkin, and sweet potatoes.
Food Not To Freeze
Unfortunately, you may pick recipes that contain freezer-unfriendly ingredients, like:
- Cucumbers
- Lettuce
- Mayonnaise
- Cooked pasta
- Cream-based sauces
- Raw potatoes
If you buy these foods, make sure you can cook them after unpacking the Hello Fresh box.
Freezing can spoil them. For example, if you freeze and thaw mayonnaise, its texture will change dramatically.
On the other hand, cucumbers are an excellent example of a vegetable with such a high water content. Freezing it makes it nearly worthless.
How Long Can You Freeze Hello Fresh Meals?
Hello Fresh offers chef-prepared dishes. They usually have a 3 to 5-day frozen lifespan. The manufacturers have placed a badge on the packaging to inform the expiration date.
It would be best to eat these dishes as soon as possible after getting your order. Alternatively, you can always read the nutritional labels on the package for the exact use-by dates.
If you don’t complete your meals before the expiration date, you may put them in the freezer. Simply microwave your food directly from the freezer, allowing some minutes to reach the recommended internal temperature of 165° F.
How To Heat Your HelloFresh Meals?
After leaving your food in the freezer for a few days, it’s time to serve them. Here are step-by-step instructions about heating the cuisine:
- Preheat your oven to 350° F.
- Put your meal on the oven-safe plate, make sure to clear the sauce off the tray.
- Use tin foil to cover your food.
- Heat for about 25 to 25 minutes. Remember that heating durations are approximations. You need to check the interior temperature of the food until it reaches 165° F.
- Take the foil out and set your food aside for 3 to 5 minutes to cool.
- Enjoy!
The Bottom Line
You can freeze Hello Fresh meals as long as the ingredients are freezer-friendly. Some of the ingredients will change their texture and turn out to be awful to eat.
The process of freezing and heating Hello Fresh meals is straightforward. You can utilize the microwave or oven to do the task. Remember to check the expiration date on the package before cooking. Hopefully, you will find this article helpful. If you need any further information, please feel free to ask.
