Pastry crusts frozen unbaked are more tender and flaky and have a fresher flavor than those baked and then frozen.
Cooling
Quick cooling of the food immediately after it is cooked stops the cooking and so helps keep the natural flavor, color, and texture of the food. It also retards or prevents the growth of bacteria that may cause spoilage.
To cool, set uncovered pan of food in iced or very cold water; change the water to keep it cold. Or set pan on ice. Or put the uncovered pan of food in a cold place.
Packaging
As soon as the food is cool, put it promptly into freezer containers of moisture-vapor-proof or moisture-vapor-resistant packaging material. Pack the food tightly into the container to reduce the amount of air in the package.
In quart containers, the food may be separated into two or three layers by a double thickness of water-resistant material such as cellophane between the layers. This makes it possible to separate the frozen block of food easily to shorten the reheating time.
Choose a size of container that holds only enough for one meal for your family. Quart containers hold 4 to 6 servings; pints, 2 to 3. Use only containers with wide top openings so the food does not have to be thawed completely to remove it from the container.
Containers and materials. Many combination main dishes are semiliquid in consistency and are best packaged in rigid containers made of moisture-vapor-proof materials such as aluminum, glass, pottery, plastic, plain or enameled tin, or moisture-vapor-resistant material such as heavily waxed cardboard.
Some prepared foods, like meat pies and casserole dishes, may be frozen in the containers in which they were baked, ready for reheating at time of using.