I am terribly selective about kitchen dwelling gear and doodads. If it’s going to take up space in my kitchen, it larger 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, nonetheless it’s moreover made an infinite distinction in our family’s meals waste.
All people is conscious about it’s attainable you’ll protect meat and most greens contained within the freezer, nonetheless it’d shock you what variety of totally utterly totally different meals will most likely be frozen. Study 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 larger? It’s infuriating, proper? This enforced meals waste is ridiculous. That is, until you be taught that you just’d be succesful to freeze buttermilk. (Have you ever ever learnt it’s attainable you’ll merely make your private 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 you should make it simpler to benefit from in the end, freeze it in ice cube trays, so that you just might want pre-measured parts capable of thaw and use.
2. Corn on the Cob
Storing frozen corn on the cob is sweet once you get a bunch of native sweetcorn and must revenue from all of it yr. Husk and blanch it first previous to storing it in an airtight container.
That’s moreover an atmosphere pleasant approach to chop again meals waste. You nearly actually have the spare cob of sweetcorn left over after a barbecue or summertime dinner, toss it in a freezer bag. You possibly can add to the bag all by the use of the season.
Frozen corn on the cob is sweet as is, or it’s attainable 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 because of the onion cubes are totally 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 one amongst many handiest components 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 will even retailer full bulbs, although that requires a bit further cautious varied. You want the freshest garlic it’s possible you’ll uncover, with no brown spots or inexperienced shoots beginning to develop. And pure garlic gives you the one kind after it has thawed. The garlic bulb ought to 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 previous to freezing.
5. Overripe Bananas
It seems to be like my kids 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 will be overripe. As a substitute of dashing to make one concern with them, I peel them and toss them full into the “banana” freezer bag contained within the freezer.
I’ve an extreme quantity of overripe bananas capable of go as shortly as I must make smoothies, banana pancakes, banana bread, or banana muffins. Not solely is it helpful, nonetheless it’s just one further approach 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 totally utterly totally different nuts. While you buy in bulk, retailer larger parts 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 an beautiful sale (these journey baking product product sales are good for stocking up on flour), it’d 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 keep up up out moisture or weird flavors. You nearly actually have the realm in a big chest freezer, take into accounts storing your flour in a 5-gallon food-grade bucket. It’s the right approach to guard flour stylish, and it’s attainable you’ll measure it out as you need it.
8. Potatoes
This one incessantly seems to shock of us. Positive, it’s attainable you’ll freeze potatoes. I wrote up a complete article on how one can freeze potatoes the right approach. I moreover make clear why you end up with black (gross) potatoes once 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 incessantly end up with strategy 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 receive 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 parts capable of go everytime you need them.
Related Learning: How To Defend Grocery retailer Herbs Alive Endlessly
10. Frozen Eggs
Yup, it’s attainable 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 on account of it freezes and crack the shell. Whereas that is likely to be okay contained within the freezer, it’ll get pretty messy after they thaw.
Silicone or non-stick muffin tins are good for freezing specific particular particular person eggs in. Then as quickly as they’re frozen, it’s attainable 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 usually utilized in some good 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 previous to it’s attainable you’ll finish the bundle. I started popping the grapes contained within the freezer as shortly as I noticed a pair making an attempt wrinkly.
Let me inform you, frozen grapes are literally a favorite household snack. My kids have even requested that we freeze your full bundle as shortly as we get them residence from the store.
You don’t ought to do one issue specific 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 larger kind and texture than consuming it immediately after cooking. That’s good information attributable to pulling a bag of rice out of the freezer to affiliate with a meal is quite a bit further helpful than prepared for it to rearrange 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 people who thaw it and reheat it.
13. Avocados
Oh, avocados; I’m ashamed to admit to the number of them I’ve wished to pitch over time. You buy a bag, and it’s incessantly the identical. Not ripe. Not ripe. Not ripe. Sorry, you missed it; we’re all brown and gross inside.
In case you should stay away from 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 sweet for avocado toast and guacamole.
14. Cheese
Oh optimistic, it’s attainable you’ll freeze cheese. Nonetheless not all cheeses freeze appropriately; softer cheese, as an illustration, doesn’t freeze appropriately. Nonetheless don’t have any fear; Cheryl walks you via your full course of in her good piece – Uncover methods 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 all the air. Put it contained within the fridge for a great deal of hours previous to popping it contained within the freezer. Thaw it contained within the fridge for the one texture, too.
16. Milk
Milk is one utterly totally different staple that freezes surprisingly appropriately. While 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 most likely be just about virtually almost pretty much as good as stylish milk.
17. Chocolate
Did you buy an extreme quantity of chocolate for a go to or ranking some good post-holiday product product sales? Give it some thought or not, it’s attainable 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 attainable 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 previous to 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 possibly be very easy to grate. I not usually fiddle with peeling it each, nonetheless as quickly as you select peeled ginger, peel it with a spoon previous to freezing it.
19. Pancakes and Waffles
We incessantly do the massive, satisfying breakfasts on the weekend as shortly as we’ve obtained further time. So, I started making further pancakes and waffles on nowadays to freeze. As quickly as they’re utterly cooled, they get saved in a freezer bag. Then, if the kids want pancakes or waffles by the use of the week, all they should do is toss them contained within the toaster. And mom’s waffles are incessantly larger than these cardboard ones contained within the freezer half on the retailer.
20. Tomato Paste
Very like buttermilk, tomato paste usually is a precise ache contained within the can. In my three-plus a extremely very very long time of cooking, I’ve nonetheless to make a recipe that makes use of a complete 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 parts 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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