I am terribly selective about kitchen dwelling gear and doodads. If it’s going to take up space in my kitchen, it bigger work onerous. And there’s one gear that outworks the entire others yr after yr – my freezer.
Not solely does it save me money by allowing me to refill when staples go on sale, nonetheless it’s moreover made an infinite distinction in our family’s meals waste.
All of us is aware of it’s potential you’ll defend meat and most greens contained within the freezer, nonetheless it’d shock you what variety of absolutely utterly totally different meals will doable be frozen. Look at on and put your freezer space to good use.
1. Buttermilk
Why does every single recipe set up for just a few tablespoons or, at most, one cup of buttermilk, and nonetheless every single container of buttermilk you uncover contained within the retailer is a pint or bigger? It’s infuriating, proper? This enforced meals waste is ridiculous. That is, until you be taught that you just simply’d be succesful to freeze buttermilk. (Have you ever ever learnt it’s potential you’ll merely make your personal cultured buttermilk?)
You don’t even should repackage it. Use what you need in your recipe, after which pop the container contained within the freezer. In case that you must make it less complicated to take advantage of in the end, freeze it in ice cube trays, so that you just simply might want pre-measured elements in a position to thaw and use.
2. Corn on the Cob
Storing frozen corn on the cob is nice whenever you get a bunch of native sweetcorn and have to revenue from all of it yr. Husk and blanch it first sooner than storing it in an airtight container.
That’s moreover an atmosphere pleasant method to reduce meals waste. You in all probability have the spare cob of sweetcorn left over after a barbecue or summertime dinner, toss it in a freezer bag. You almost certainly can add to the bag all via the season.
Frozen corn on the cob is nice as is, or it’s potential you’ll slice the kernels off to be roasted or tossed in collectively collectively 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 on account of the onion cubes are absolutely frozen, retailer them in double-bagged freezer baggage, and in addition to you’ll have them ready for cooking.
Frozen onions are large useful for quick weeknight dinners and I share my step-by-step tutorial for freezing onions appropriate correct proper right here.
4. Minced Garlic
Considered actually one among many handiest elements I’ve in my freezer is frozen cubes of minced garlic and olive oil. Toss the cloves appropriate correct 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 possibly can even retailer full bulbs, although that requires a bit further cautious totally different. You want the freshest garlic you could uncover, with no brown spots or inexperienced shoots beginning to develop. And pure garlic will provide you with the perfect sort after it has thawed. The garlic bulb should be agency, dry and papery; in a single different case, it gained’t freeze appropriately. Place in an airtight container and take away the air sooner than freezing.
5. Overripe Bananas
It seems to be like my youngsters will eat nothing nonetheless bananas for days, then abruptly, bananas are out, and apples are in. Inevitably I get left with three or our bananas which is likely to be overripe. In its place of dashing to make one subject with them, I peel them and toss them full into the “banana” freezer bag contained within the freezer.
I’ve a considerable quantity of overripe bananas in a position to go as shortly as I have to make smoothies, banana pancakes, banana bread, or banana muffins. Not solely is it helpful, nonetheless it’s just one further method 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. Defend them contained within the fridge for the best-tasting peanuts, cashews, almonds, and absolutely utterly totally different nuts. Once you buy in bulk, retailer bigger components contained within the freezer.
7. Flour
Most people do not understand how appropriately flour freezes. And as quickly as you buy flour in bulk or catch a good looking sale (these journey baking product product sales are good for stocking up on flour), it could go harmful quickly sitting in your pantry. Heat and light-weight destroy the delicate oils in wheat, leading to off flavors.
Retailer unopened flour contained within the freezer. Put it in a freezer bag to take care of up out moisture or weird flavors. You in all probability have the realm in an unlimited chest freezer, take into accounts storing your flour in a 5-gallon food-grade bucket. It’s the best method to guard flour stylish, and it’s potential you’ll measure it out as you need it.
8. Potatoes
This one continuously seems to shock of us. Certain, it’s potential you’ll freeze potatoes. I wrote up a whole article on how one can freeze potatoes the exact method. I moreover make clear why you end up with black (gross) potatoes whenever you do it incorrect.
9. Minced Herbs
I don’t uncover out about you, nonetheless I’m not too eager on these bunches of herbs on the grocery retailer. You continuously end up with methodology over what you need. Then they inevitably sit contained within the crisper drawer drying out or getting moldy. Eradicate the waste and scale back 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 a great deal 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 utterly frozen, retailer the cubes in an airtight container. Now you might have considered trying one or two tablespoon elements in a position to go everytime you need them.
Related Learning: How To Defend Grocery retailer Herbs Alive Endlessly
10. Frozen Eggs
Yup, it’s potential you’ll freeze raw eggs. And it’s pretty easy to do. You’ll should take them out of the shell, though; in a single different case, the egg white will develop due to it freezes and crack the shell. Whereas that is likely to be okay contained within the freezer, it’s going to get pretty messy after they thaw.
Silicone or non-stick muffin tins are good for freezing particular express particular person eggs in. Then as quickly as they’re frozen, it’s potential you’ll pop them out and retailer them in a freezer bag.
Don’t overlook to position these leftover eggshells to good use – they’re often utilized in some smart 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 potential you’ll finish the bundle. I started popping the grapes contained within the freezer as shortly as I noticed a pair attempting wrinkly.
Let me inform you, frozen grapes are literally a favorite household snack. My youngsters have even requested that we freeze your full bundle as shortly as we get them residence from the store.
You don’t should do one issue particular 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
Give it some thought or not, rice that’s been cooked and frozen has bigger sort and texture than consuming it immediately after cooking. That’s good data resulting from pulling a bag of rice out of the freezer to affiliate with a meal is rather a lot further helpful than prepared for it to prepare dinner dinner.
Make up a great deal of huge batches of rice and freeze them in batches in freezer baggage. Seal up the bag whereas it’s nonetheless warmth and toss it contained within the fridge. You’ll have tender and moist rice in minutes for a lot of 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 continuously the identical. Not ripe. Not ripe. Not ripe. Sorry, you missed it; we’re all brown and gross inside.
In case that you must avoid the shame of pitching half a bag of avocados, decrease them in half, take away the pit and the pores and pores and pores and pores and skin and smoosh them appropriate correct proper right into a freezer bag. Whereas they gained’t be good for topping salads or one issue the place you want them to look good, frozen avocado is nice for avocado toast and guacamole.
14. Cheese
Oh optimistic, it’s potential you’ll freeze cheese. Nonetheless not all cheeses freeze appropriately; softer cheese, for instance, doesn’t freeze appropriately. Nonetheless have no fear; Cheryl walks you through your full course of in her good piece – Be taught 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 further frosting and make spontaneous cupcake day a element. Bundle the frosting in an airtight freezer bag, eradicating the entire air. Put it contained within the fridge for a great deal of hours sooner than popping it contained within the freezer. Thaw it contained within the fridge for the perfect texture, too.
16. Milk
Milk is one utterly totally different staple that freezes surprisingly appropriately. Once you’re freezing a full container, take away just a few half cup of milk to go away room for enlargement. When you thaw it, the milkfats will separate a bit. Give it shake, and may in all probability be just about virtually just about nearly as good as stylish milk.
17. Chocolate
Did you buy an extreme quantity of chocolate for a go to or score some good post-holiday product product sales? Give it some thought or not, it’s potential 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 contained within the fridge for 24 hours. After the chocolate is well-chilled, it’s potential you’ll put it contained within the freezer.
To thaw it, put it contained within the fridge for 24 hours. Then take away it and let it come to room temperature utterly sooner than opening the sealed bag.
18. Ginger
I don’t even draw back sustaining my ginger contained within the fridge anymore. It goes straight appropriate correct proper right into a jar contained within the freezer. Frozen ginger could also be quite simple to grate. I not typically fiddle with peeling it each, nonetheless as quickly as you select peeled ginger, peel it with a spoon sooner than freezing it.
19. Pancakes and Waffles
We continuously do the large, satisfying breakfasts on the weekend as shortly as we’ve obtained further time. So, I started making further pancakes and waffles on lately to freeze. As quickly as they’re utterly cooled, they get saved in a freezer bag. Then, if the children want pancakes or waffles via the week, all they should do is toss them contained within the toaster. And mom’s waffles are continuously bigger than these cardboard ones contained within the freezer half on the retailer.
20. Tomato Paste
Similar to buttermilk, tomato paste usually is a actual ache contained within the can. In my three-plus a very very very long time of cooking, I’ve nonetheless to make a recipe that makes use of a whole can of tomato paste. Inevitably, I might put the rest of the can contained within the fridge solely to find a dried-up, moldy can of tomato paste a great deal 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 contained within the jar. No further moldy cans of tomato paste.
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