I am extraordinarily selective about kitchen dwelling gear and doodads. If it’s going to take up space in my kitchen, it greater work onerous. And there’s one gear that outworks all the others yr after yr – my freezer.
Not solely does it save me money by allowing me to refill when staples go on sale, nevertheless it’s moreover made an infinite distinction in our family’s meals waste.
All people is conscious of it’s possible you’ll protect meat and most greens inside the freezer, nevertheless it’d shock you what variety of completely different meals will likely be frozen. Study on and put your freezer space to good use.
1. Buttermilk
Why does every single recipe identify for just a few tablespoons or, at most, one cup of buttermilk, and however every single container of buttermilk you uncover inside the retailer is a pint or greater? It’s infuriating, correct? This enforced meals waste is ridiculous. That is, until you be taught that you’d be capable to freeze buttermilk. (Have you learnt it’s possible you’ll merely make your private cultured buttermilk?)
You don’t even need to repackage it. Use what you need in your recipe, after which pop the container inside the freezer. In case you want to make it less complicated to utilize in the end, freeze it in ice cube trays, so that you might need pre-measured elements capable of thaw and use.
2. Corn on the Cob
Storing frozen corn on the cob is good once you get a bunch of native sweetcorn and want to benefit from all of it yr. Husk and blanch it first sooner than storing it in an airtight container.
That’s moreover an efficient strategy to reduce meals waste. You most likely have the spare cob of sweetcorn left over after a barbecue or summertime dinner, toss it in a freezer bag. You probably can add to the bag all by way of the season.
Frozen corn on the cob is good as is, or it’s possible you’ll slice the kernels off to be roasted or tossed in collectively together with your black bean tacos or corn chowder.
3. Diced or Minced Onions
After mincing or dicing up what you need for dinner from that onion, why not finish it off after which pack the excess in ice cube trays? As quickly because the onion cubes are completely frozen, retailer them in double-bagged freezer baggage, and in addition you’ll have them ready for cooking.
Frozen onions are super useful for quick weeknight dinners and I share my step-by-step tutorial for freezing onions proper right here.
4. Minced Garlic
Considered one of many handiest points I’ve in my freezer is frozen cubes of minced garlic and olive oil. Toss the cloves proper right into a meals processor and mince them finely. Then press the garlic into ice cube trays and drizzle olive oil over them. After the cubes are frozen, retailer the cubes in a freezer bag for easy and quick minced garlic whereas cooking.
You’ll be able to even retailer full bulbs, although that requires a bit additional cautious alternative. You want the freshest garlic you might discover, with no brown spots or inexperienced shoots beginning to develop. And pure garlic will offer you the simplest style after it has thawed. The garlic bulb have to be company, dry and papery; in another case, it gained’t freeze correctly. Place in an airtight container and take away the air sooner than freezing.
5. Overripe Bananas
It seems to be like my kids will eat nothing nevertheless bananas for days, then abruptly, bananas are out, and apples are in. Inevitably I get left with three or our bananas that are overripe. In its place of dashing to make one factor with them, I peel them and toss them full into the “banana” freezer bag inside the freezer.
I’ve a great deal of overripe bananas capable of go as soon as I want to make smoothies, banana pancakes, banana bread, or banana muffins. Not solely is it helpful, nevertheless it’s just one additional strategy my freezer cuts down on our family’s meals waste.
6. Nuts
Nuts shouldn’t be saved in your cupboard or pantry. The oil in nuts goes rancid fairly quickly, leading to funky flavors. Protect them inside the fridge for the best-tasting peanuts, cashews, almonds, and completely different nuts. While you buy in bulk, retailer greater parts inside the freezer.
7. Flour
Most people do not understand how correctly flour freezes. And once you buy flour in bulk or catch a wonderful sale (these trip baking product sales are good for stocking up on flour), it might go harmful quickly sitting in your pantry. Heat and light-weight destroy the delicate oils in wheat, leading to off flavors.
Retailer unopened flour inside the freezer. Put it in a freezer bag to keep up out moisture or weird flavors. You most likely have the realm in a giant chest freezer, take into consideration storing your flour in a 5-gallon food-grade bucket. It’s the best strategy to preserve flour modern, and it’s possible you’ll measure it out as you need it.
8. Potatoes
This one on a regular basis seems to shock of us. Certain, it’s possible you’ll freeze potatoes. I wrote up a complete article on how one can freeze potatoes the right strategy. I moreover make clear why you end up with black (gross) potatoes once you do it incorrect.
9. Minced Herbs
I don’t discover out about you, nevertheless I’m not too eager on these bunches of herbs on the grocery retailer. You on a regular basis end up with way over what you need. Then they inevitably sit inside the crisper drawer drying out or getting moldy. Eradicate the waste and decrease down on what variety of bunches of herbs you buy yearly by chopping up and freezing the excess.
After you’ve snipped what you need for the recipe you bought the herbs for, take plenty of moments to rough-chop the rest of the bunch. Pack the chopped herb into ice cube trays after which excessive up with olive oil. Pop the ice cube tray into the freezer. As quickly as absolutely frozen, retailer the cubes in an airtight container. Now you might need one or two tablespoon elements capable of go everytime you need them.
Related Learning: How To Protect Grocery retailer Herbs Alive Endlessly
10. Frozen Eggs
Yup, it’s possible you’ll freeze raw eggs. And it’s pretty easy to do. You’ll need to take them out of the shell, though; in another case, the egg white will develop as a result of it freezes and crack the shell. Whereas that could be okay inside the freezer, it’ll get pretty messy after they thaw.
Silicone or non-stick muffin tins are good for freezing explicit particular person eggs in. Then as quickly as they’re frozen, it’s possible you’ll pop them out and retailer them in a freezer bag.
Don’t overlook to put these leftover eggshells to good use – they are often utilized in some wise strategies.
11. Grapes
Some meals are a ache to buy for smaller households, and grapes are one among them. No matter how quickly you eat them, they start going harmful sooner than it’s possible you’ll finish the bundle. I started popping the grapes inside the freezer as shortly as I noticed a pair attempting wrinkly.
Let me inform you, frozen grapes are literally a favorite household snack. My kids have even requested that we freeze your complete bundle as shortly as we get them residence from the store.
You don’t have to do one thing explicit to retailer them; I toss them in as is.
Moreover they make unbelievable edible ice cubes for punches, lemonade, cocktails and sangria.
12. Cooked Rice
Think about it or not, rice that’s been cooked and frozen has greater style and texture than consuming it immediately after cooking. That’s good data because of pulling a bag of rice out of the freezer to associate with a meal is so much additional helpful than prepared for it to prepare dinner dinner.
Make up plenty of large batches of rice and freeze them in batches in freezer baggage. Seal up the bag whereas it’s nonetheless warmth and toss it inside the fridge. You’ll have tender and moist rice in minutes for those who thaw it and reheat it.
13. Avocados
Oh, avocados; I’m ashamed to admit to the number of them I’ve wanted to pitch over time. You buy a bag, and it’s on a regular basis the similar. Not ripe. Not ripe. Not ripe. Sorry, you missed it; we’re all brown and gross inside.
In case you want to avoid the shame of pitching half a bag of avocados, decrease them in half, take away the pit and the pores and pores and skin and smoosh them proper right into a freezer bag. Whereas they gained’t be good for topping salads or one thing the place you want them to look good, frozen avocado is good for avocado toast and guacamole.
14. Cheese
Oh positive, it’s possible you’ll freeze cheese. Nevertheless not all cheeses freeze correctly; softer cheese, for instance, doesn’t freeze correctly. Nevertheless have no fear; Cheryl walks you through your complete course of in her good piece – Learn how to Appropriately Retailer Cheese For Longer.
15. Frosting
Am I the one one who begins with a recipe for buttercream frosting that supposedly yields 4 cups of icing and ends up with fifteen? Yeah, I didn’t suppose so.
Freeze your additional frosting and make spontaneous cupcake day an element. Bundle the frosting in an airtight freezer bag, eradicating all the air. Put it inside the fridge for plenty of hours sooner than popping it inside the freezer. Thaw it inside the fridge for the simplest texture, too.
16. Milk
Milk is one different staple that freezes surprisingly correctly. While you’re freezing a full container, take away just a few half cup of milk to go away room for enlargement. Whilst you thaw it, the milkfats will separate a bit. Give it shake, and can most likely be practically nearly as good as modern milk.
17. Chocolate
Did you buy an extreme quantity of chocolate for a trip or score some good post-holiday product sales? Think about it or not, it’s possible you’ll freeze chocolate with out the texture and magnificence struggling. To freeze chocolate appropriately, vacuum seal it in an airtight container first after which put it inside the fridge for 24 hours. After the chocolate is well-chilled, it’s possible you’ll put it inside the freezer.
To thaw it, put it inside the fridge for 24 hours. Then take away it and let it come to room temperature absolutely sooner than opening the sealed bag.
18. Ginger
I don’t even problem sustaining my ginger inside the fridge anymore. It goes straight proper right into a jar inside the freezer. Frozen ginger is very easy to grate. I rarely fiddle with peeling it each, nevertheless once you select peeled ginger, peel it with a spoon sooner than freezing it.
19. Pancakes and Waffles
We on a regular basis do the large, satisfying breakfasts on the weekend as soon as we’ve obtained additional time. So, I started making additional pancakes and waffles on lately to freeze. As quickly as they’re absolutely cooled, they get saved in a freezer bag. Then, if the youngsters want pancakes or waffles by way of the week, all they should do is toss them inside the toaster. And mom’s waffles are on a regular basis greater than these cardboard ones inside the freezer half on the retailer.
20. Tomato Paste
Similar to buttermilk, tomato paste usually is a precise ache inside the can. In my three-plus a very long time of cooking, I’ve however to make a recipe that makes use of a complete can of tomato paste. Inevitably, I would put the rest of the can inside the fridge solely to find a dried-up, moldy can of tomato paste plenty of weeks later.
Now when a recipe requires tomato paste, I open my freezer. Inside is a jar with frozen, pre-measured one-tablespoon elements of tomato paste. Every time I open a can of tomato paste, I scoop out tablespoonfuls onto a piece of wax paper after which freeze them. As quickly as they’re sturdy, they go inside the jar. No additional moldy cans of tomato paste.
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