Freezing foods in plastic containers isn't as worrisome as heating them, but if you're leery of plastic, glass containers designed to withstand large temperature extremes, such as Ball Jars (aka Mason jars), like the one pictured here, or anything made by Pyrex, can be a sensible alternative. Just be sure not to load them to the brim as some foods expand when frozen. (Media credit/Wikipedia)

Reusing leftover plastic food containers to store items in the freezer may be noble environmentally, but it might not be wise from the perspective of keeping food safely frozen and tasting its best when later heated up and served. Many such containers are designed for one-time use and then recycling, so it’s not worth risking using them over and over. Likewise, wax paper, bread wrappers and cardboard cartons should not be used to store frozen foods; these types of containers don’t provide enough of a barrier to moisture and odors and also may not keep food fresh when frozen.

Luckily though, many other materials are suitable for use as freezer-safe storage containers, at least according to the National Center for Home Food Preparation. To qualify as “freezer-safe,” the Georgia-based non-profit maintains, food storage containers must resist moisture-vapor, oil, grease and water as well as brittleness and cracking at low temperatures, while being durable, leak-proof and easy-to seal. They must also protect foods from absorption of off-flavors or odors. “Good freezing materials include rigid containers made of aluminum, glass, plastic, tin or heavily waxed cardboard; bags and sheets of moisture-vapor resistant wraps; and laminated papers made specially for freezing,” reports the group.

As to the leaking of unsafe constituent chemicals (BPA, phthalates, etc.) from certain plastics into foods, freezing is generally less of a threat than heating, but it is better to avoid plastics known to be problematic anyway just to be safe.  Polycarbonate plastic, marked with #7, contains BPA while polyvinyl chloride, marked with #3, contains potentially harmful phthalates. If a plastic item does not bear a recycling number on its bottom, steer clear as it may well be a mix, which classifies it as a #7 polycarbonate.

Of course, the majority of plastic containers designed for freezer use are safe and, since they can be washed and reused, are a better choice than disposable freezer bags and wraps. For those still leery of using plastic at all, glass containers designed to withstand large temperature extremes, such as Ball Freezing Jars (Mason jars) or anything made by Pyrex—regular glass containers could break when frozen or if thawed too quickly—can be a sensible alternative. Also, beware of loading up glass containers to the brim before freezing; some foods expand when frozen so leaving a little extra room between the top of the food and the bottom of the (airtight) lid is always a good idea.

However you store your frozen delicacies, keep in mind that freezing food may inactivate microbes like bacteria and mold but may not destroy them. According to dietician and author Elaine Magee on the MedicineNet website, just thawing out frozen foods doesn’t necessarily mean they are automatically safe to eat. Foods that require cooking still require cooking for health’s sake after thawing. Also, Magee recommends quickly labeling and dating any foods you are freezing to facilitate purging of potentially spoiled or tasteless food down the line.

CONTACTS: National Center for Home Food Preparation, www.uga.edu/nchfp/; Pyrex, www.pyrex.com; Ball, www.freshpreserving.com; MedicineNet, www.medicinenet.com.

We did more than just drink at 11 o’clock in the morning at the 2010 Boston Wine Expo. We pigged out on free food and cheese too.

Barber Foods calls their products, including an assortment of frozen stuffed chicken entrees “dinner rescued.”

For once, there’s truth in advertising.

Now, it’s hard NOT to like food, any food, after you’ve been sampling some three or four dozen types of wine, including several delectable Portos. So we can’t just jump in and say “Barber frozen stuffed chicken entrees are awesome.”

Cause, like, they were. Awesome. They were really, really good.

The sad thing about lots of the foods and wines we tried at the 2010 Boston Wine Expo was the fact that many of them just aren’t available in New England yet — that’s why they’re at the expo in the first place.

Barber, a Maine-based company, is lucky. You can buy their food at any local Stop & Shop or Star Market/Shaws here in the Boston area.

So I bought a few packages of broccoli and cheese and chicken parm entrees.

And therefore, after sampling Barber Foods both tipsyly and soberly, I can now unequivocally say with a degree of certainly that Barber frozen stuffed chicken entrees are awesome.

They don’t taste like you might expect a frozen dinner entree to taste. They don’t taste processed and cheap. The breading is crunchy, the chicken is white and fresh, not mealy as many frozen dinners tend to be. The stuffing is fresh and fragrant. I was honestly impressed, because frozen dinner has such a horrible reputation for cheapness and low quality. I guess they’ve saved both dinner and their genre.

Barber also makes an assortment of chicken tenders and nuggets. Barber’s stuffed chicken sells for $4.99 for a 2-pack, or $9.99 for a 4-pack.

We have a $1 off coupon for the first Blast registered user who shares either their Boston Wine Expo story or their favorite chicken dinner story in the comments section.

Erica J. Marcus, of the Blast staff, contributed to this report by eating.

So, you’re too tired to cook a full meal and the kids are left with chicken nuggets for the third time this week? Save your money, and your self-conscious mind, and invest in a new meal that is not only tasty but also organic and nutritional.

Founded in 2005 by mom and entrepreneur Gigi Lee Chang, Plum Organics is now the leading frozen organic baby food brand. Building on the core values of “healthy eating for life” Plum Organics has created a line of culinary inspired fresh-frozen baby foods in three stages and fortified with DHA for optimal nutrition.

From ingredient sourcing to packaging choices, the company also strives to reduce their carbon footprint and ensure that their product line is pure and clean from the inside out. Using recyclable packaging products for the baby food items.

“The idea really came from my own experience with my son when he was just starting with solid foods,” said Lee Chang. “I made homemade food for him and realized how his interest with food was different from other babies who ate already made baby products. I discussed it with my friends and later found research that the food children have at that age affects the habits they adapt to as they get older.”

With the craze about healthier school lunch reforms just starting four years ago, as the founder remembers, Lee Chang noticed there was no focus on baby food. Noticing her son’s development with homemade meals she decided to provide better, nutritious options for this demographic. Her idea was well received and further developed into another line of toddler food products, Plum Organics Kids.

“The kids line was an extension to reinforce their eating habits the children develop as babies. To have a love for different tastes and foods is necessary so that as they get older they can appreciate other foods,” she said.

The meals are available in four varieties, Bowtie Pasta with Creamy Sweet Potato Sauce, Rainbow Pasta Shells with Creamy Parmesan Sauce, Cheese filled Spinach Tortellini with Marina Sauce and Italian Sausage Marinara over Multigrain Pasta. Each meal includes a healthy portion of organic vegetables in a kid approved 2-compartment tray so the veggies do not touch. The USDA-certified organic ingredients are flash frozen to retain the most nutrients, enzymes, flavor and texture with no artificial sweeteners, colors or flavors added.

In continuing the company’s mission of helping the environment too, Plum Organics Kids uses a newly developed biodegradable and compostable serving tray, a first of its kind. The trays are made from annually renewable resources and are both oven-able and microwavable. The outer carton is a unique paperboard that is not only recycled, but made using clean energy and anything left over is given back in carbon credits. As a result, this board is 100 percent carbon neutral. Not bad for your kids meals, right?

But apparently it all sounded too good. I decided to put the product to the test by grabbing my godson and letting him try one. The meals, available at SuperTarget and Whole Foods stores nationwide, have simple yet appealing designs for little ones. The back of each meal comes with “farm-to finger fun facts” that educate parents and their children on green living. These facts include food puzzles, health tips and eco-tips.

This offers a satisfying way to entertain children rather than sitting them in front of a television to watch more cartoons. The meal itself was also satisfying. The veggies were colorful, the sauce in the pasta thick but not filled with flour, and the portions were right so that everything could be eaten by a 3 year-old. The verdict, these kids meals are good, and adults may enjoy them too.

“The meals in particular have been extremely well received an consumer feedback has been very positive, I know within my own parent community there’s this big lack of options and its one of these things that people want an alternative to pizza and Mac and Cheese for. A lot of consumers are looking for meals and so generally the line has been received very well because of that,” Lee Chang, who tastes every product and asks neighborhood children for their opinion, said.

The mom turned businesswoman is looking into new ways to offer snack foods with the same qualities her foods have. There are a lot of supposedly organic products that are still highly processed, Lee Chang said, so she is hoping to bring more toddler snacks that are minimally processed and high in nutrients but also fun for kids.

“I would reemphasize that our message and what we’re trying to do is provide better options for parents that they can feel good about and be reflective of the lifestyle they lead. I hope our attitude reflects that more than the product and I understand as a parent that we are busy, so if we can help get them closer to their preferred solution to feeding their children we have achieved what we set out to do,” said Lee Chang.