Can You Put Liquids in Ziploc Bags? (Solved & Explained)
You might be tempted to experiment creatively with your Ziploc bag to find out if it could hold liquids as well as it holds solid. But before you do that, you might be wondering if it is even possible or safe to do so.
Well, you can put liquids in Ziploc bags under certain conditions. The liquid you put in a Ziploc bag must already be within a container so that the Ziploc bags offer protection from accidental leaks. If you put the liquid directly in the bag, then it must be intended for freezing in order to solidify the contents so that they do not leak out of the bag.
In this article, we will look at the kinds of liquids generally stored in Ziploc bags and the process of doing so. I’ll also take into account some alternatives to mitigate the downsides of Ziploc bags.
Liquids to be Directly Stored in a Ziploc Bag
Liquid may be stored in Ziploc bags. It isn’t always the case, but it is possible if you do it right. Many popular edible liquids, such as barbecue sauces, soups, and stews, may be stored in freezer bags. Another interesting item to store in Ziploc bags is batter, such as pancake batter. For this, you can simply freeze the pancake batter and remove the tip for easier pouring.
Using a freezer Ziploc is an excellent technique to keep your freezer cool without causing holes. Just fill the Ziploc bag with water and freeze it. After cooling, it serves as a big pack of ice. This is great for traveling and keeping items constantly cool. Flat things typically stack better in a cooler than a spherical object, and freezing them flat allows for faster thawing.
A standard sandwich Ziploc bag has around 12 ounces of capacity, which is somewhat less than a water bottle. This, along with its vast surface area, implies that a Ziploc bag filled with water may be frozen in roughly 3 hours, depending on the temperature of your freezer. If you have a larger bag, you will certainly require more time.
As far as indirect storage goes, you can put any bottled liquid in a Ziploc bag. Usually, this technique helps during air travel.
Read more about storing liquids for travel.
How to Store Liquids in a Ziploc Bag
A freezer bag can be used to store liquids such as water, stock, soup, sauce, etc. Most liquids have the highest quality after being stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, and they are best if used within 6 months of being frozen. Ziploc bags can help you with the freezing process as most liquids in Ziploc bags can be kept in the freezer for 3 months or longer.
Freezing hot food in Ziploc necessitates cooling it in the refrigerator or with ice before placing it in the freezer. Hot liquids such as soups should be chilled for no more than two hours before keeping in the refrigerator.
Watch This Interesting Video !
Important detail: Ziploc is an official brand. In this video, Glad bags are used for the demonstration.
Now, what would be the process to store a savory liquid such as soup? Here’s how you do it:
- Seal a gallon-sized plastic freezer bag or a quart-sized Ziploc freezer bag with an acid-free coating of grease.
- Set it in the bowl.
- Fill each bag halfway with soup and set it aside for at least thirty minutes.
Here are some extra tips to ensure that the storing process is seamless for you:
- Fill the bag halfway with the liquid, seal it, and place it against the wall.
- Keep the bag from fracturing once it has frozen enough to form a shape.
- Label it with that date so you know when to use the liquid in the house or elsewhere.
- Always use a flat bag to freeze liquids.
- Remember to fill a transparent, quart-size plastic-top bag such as Ziploc with at least 4 ounces of liquid.
- Both the gel container and the liquid container must hold three quarts or five gallons.
The method of freezing huge volumes of liquid into individual portions will make preparing individual meals for a quick dinner easier. Using quart-size Ziplock bags allows the liquid to expand as it freezes, and they are easy to stack when used flat.
To manage space, frozen bags should be stored flat in your freezer while being worked into. Placing liquids flat allows for them to be frozen in rectangular shapes, making it easier to stack multiple bags at a time. It is an amazing way of optimizing the limited storage capacity of the freezer. After all, stacking or storing the liquids upright will have no effect on body mass.
Alternative Storage Options for Liquids
While Ziploc bags are great, they have downsides and may not be the best option when you want to store liquids at room temperature. Since Ziploc bags aren’t entirely airtight nor do they have a massive storage capacity, here is a list of high-capacity alternatives that come in airtight versions to avoid leakage.
| Container Type | Properties |
|---|---|
| Plastic Bottles | – Can be airtight and leak proof unlike Ziploc bags – Shouldn’t be frozen |
| Stainless Steel Bottles | – Are healthier and more sustainable than plastic – Shouldn’t be frozen |
| Glass Bottles | – Are healthy and chemical-free – Can be frozen when the thermal shock is taken care of – Brittle |
The Bottom Line
Ziploc bags are a unique way of storing liquids and can definitely be used in case of low storage space and travel concerns. However, the kind of liquid to be stored must be frozen. So, if you’re hoping to store something at a higher temperature, you might want to opt for an alternative container.
However, I prefer Ziploc bags as they are reusable after a quick wash. Hence, they are great for the environment. However, even the greatest grade ziplock bag has to disappear after after several uses (3 times max).
So, using it for freezing liquids and batter is a terrific way to put it to good use and bid it farewell in a memorable fashion.
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