What's the difference between freezing meat (mainly, but vegs not excluded) in a Tupperware instead in freezer bags? Does the space and air between the meat and the recipient imply any change in texture, taste?
I'm conscious about the environment, but I also think it can be more convenient storing boxes in the freezer than bags.
"Water and foods freeze differently", according to the Penn State Extension. First, you want to freeze items as quickly as possible. The faster the freezing, the smaller the ice crystals in your food. The smaller the ice crystals, the less damage to the cell structure of the food. Remember, your freezer will go through freeze-thaw cycles. This is where the potential damage occurs. Evaporation occurs during these cycles. This is known as freezer burn. One way to protect against freezer burn is to package your food with as much of the air removed as possible. So, a freezer bag will be better than Tupperware, and a vacuum sealed bag will be even better. At the very least, with a zip-style freezer bag you can use a straw to suck out much of the air...or, even better use Archiemedes principle. In terms of convenience, bags are much more effective, not only do they take up less space, but items can be spread out in the bag, as flat as possible, making thawing faster.
The "big" problem when freezing meat is the cold, dry air in the freezer interacting with the water-permeable surface of the meat, sucking out the water before it actually freezes. This is prevented in both cases - freezer bag or Tupperware. You will have more ice crystals on top of the meat in the Tupperware, as there is more humid air inside when it freezes, but this does not affect the meat itself.
In regards to environmental impact, there exists reusable bags usually made of silicone. These bags are fairly efficient at keep meat safe. As long as they are washed properly between uses. There are times when Tupperware freezes that the plastic will crack see https://blog.tupperware4sale.com/tupperware-freezer-safe/.
