I’m terribly selective about kitchen dwelling gear and doodads. If it’s going to take up house in my kitchen, it larger work onerous. And there’s one gear that outworks all of the others yr after yr – my freezer.
Not solely does it save me cash by permitting me to refill when staples go on sale, nonetheless it’s furthermore made an infinite distinction in our household’s meals waste.
All folks is aware of it is doable you may shield meat and most greens contained in the freezer, nonetheless it’d shock you what number of fully totally different meals will seemingly be frozen. Research on and put your freezer house to good use.
1. Buttermilk
Why does each single recipe establish for only a few tablespoons or, at most, one cup of buttermilk, and nonetheless each single container of buttermilk you uncover contained in the retailer is a pint or larger? It’s infuriating, right? This enforced meals waste is ridiculous. That’s, till you be taught that you just’d be succesful to freeze buttermilk. (Have you ever learnt it is doable you may merely make your personal cultured buttermilk?)
You don’t even must repackage it. Use what you want in your recipe, after which pop the container contained in the freezer. In case you wish to make it easier to make the most of in the long run, freeze it in ice dice trays, so that you just may want pre-measured parts able to thaw and use.
2. Corn on the Cob
Storing frozen corn on the cob is sweet when you get a bunch of native sweetcorn and wish to profit from all of it yr. Husk and blanch it first earlier than storing it in an hermetic container.
That is furthermore an environment friendly technique to scale back meals waste. You probably have the spare cob of sweetcorn left over after a barbecue or summertime dinner, toss it in a freezer bag. You in all probability can add to the bag all by means of the season.
Frozen corn on the cob is sweet as is, or it is doable you may slice the kernels off to be roasted or tossed in collectively collectively along with your black bean tacos or corn chowder.
3. Diced or Minced Onions
After mincing or dicing up what you want for dinner from that onion, why not end it off after which pack the surplus in ice dice trays? As shortly as a result of the onion cubes are fully frozen, retailer them in double-bagged freezer baggage, and as well as you’ll have them prepared for cooking.
Frozen onions are tremendous helpful for fast weeknight dinners and I share my step-by-step tutorial for freezing onions correct proper right here.
4. Minced Garlic
Thought-about certainly one of many handiest factors I’ve in my freezer is frozen cubes of minced garlic and olive oil. Toss the cloves correct proper right into a meals processor and mince them finely. Then press the garlic into ice dice trays and drizzle olive oil over them. After the cubes are frozen, retailer the cubes in a freezer bag for simple and fast minced garlic whereas cooking.
You can even retailer full bulbs, though that requires a bit further cautious various. You need the freshest garlic you may uncover, with no brown spots or inexperienced shoots starting to develop. And pure garlic will give you the only type after it has thawed. The garlic bulb should be firm, dry and papery; in one other case, it gained’t freeze appropriately. Place in an hermetic container and take away the air earlier than freezing.
5. Overripe Bananas
It appears to be like my children 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 are overripe. As a substitute of dashing to make one issue with them, I peel them and toss them full into the “banana” freezer bag contained in the freezer.
I’ve a substantial amount of overripe bananas able to go as quickly as I wish to make smoothies, banana pancakes, banana bread, or banana muffins. Not solely is it useful, nonetheless it’s only one further technique my freezer cuts down on our household’s meals waste.
6. Nuts
Nuts shouldn’t be saved in your cabinet or pantry. The oil in nuts goes rancid pretty shortly, resulting in funky flavors. Shield them contained in the fridge for the best-tasting peanuts, cashews, almonds, and fully totally different nuts. When you purchase in bulk, retailer larger elements contained in the freezer.
7. Flour
Most individuals don’t perceive how appropriately flour freezes. And as soon as you purchase flour in bulk or catch an exquisite sale (these journey baking product gross sales are good for stocking up on flour), it’d go dangerous shortly sitting in your pantry. Warmth and lightweight destroy the fragile oils in wheat, resulting in off flavors.
Retailer unopened flour contained in the freezer. Put it in a freezer bag to maintain up out moisture or bizarre flavors. You probably have the realm in a large chest freezer, consider storing your flour in a 5-gallon food-grade bucket. It’s the perfect technique to protect flour trendy, and it is doable you may measure it out as you want it.
8. Potatoes
This one frequently appears to shock of us. Sure, it is doable you may freeze potatoes. I wrote up an entire article on how one can freeze potatoes the fitting technique. I furthermore clarify why you find yourself with black (gross) potatoes when you do it incorrect.
9. Minced Herbs
I don’t uncover out about you, nonetheless I’m not too keen on these bunches of herbs on the grocery retailer. You frequently find yourself with method over what you want. Then they inevitably sit contained in the crisper drawer drying out or getting moldy. Eradicate the waste and reduce down on what number of bunches of herbs you purchase yearly by chopping up and freezing the surplus.
After you’ve snipped what you want for the recipe you obtain the herbs for, take loads of moments to rough-chop the remainder of the bunch. Pack the chopped herb into ice dice trays after which extreme up with olive oil. Pop the ice dice tray into the freezer. As shortly as completely frozen, retailer the cubes in an hermetic container. Now you may want one or two tablespoon parts able to go everytime you want them.
Associated Studying: How To Shield Grocery retailer Herbs Alive Endlessly
10. Frozen Eggs
Yup, it is doable you may freeze uncooked eggs. And it’s fairly straightforward to do. You’ll must take them out of the shell, although; in one other case, the egg white will develop on account of it freezes and crack the shell. Whereas that might be okay contained in the freezer, it’s going to get fairly messy after they thaw.
Silicone or non-stick muffin tins are good for freezing specific specific individual eggs in. Then as shortly as they’re frozen, it is doable you may pop them out and retailer them in a freezer bag.
Don’t overlook to place these leftover eggshells to good use – they’re usually utilized in some clever methods.
11. Grapes
Some meals are a ache to purchase for smaller households, and grapes are one amongst them. Regardless of how shortly you eat them, they begin going dangerous earlier than it is doable you may end the bundle. I began popping the grapes contained in the freezer as shortly as I observed a pair making an attempt wrinkly.
Let me inform you, frozen grapes are actually a favourite family snack. My children have even requested that we freeze your full bundle as shortly as we get them residence from the shop.
You don’t should do one factor specific to retailer them; I toss them in as is.
Furthermore 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 type and texture than consuming it instantly after cooking. That is good knowledge due to pulling a bag of rice out of the freezer to affiliate with a meal is a lot further useful than ready for it to organize dinner dinner.
Make up loads of giant batches of rice and freeze them in batches in freezer baggage. Seal up the bag whereas it’s nonetheless heat and toss it contained in the fridge. You’ll have tender and moist rice in minutes for individuals who thaw it and reheat it.
13. Avocados
Oh, avocados; I’m ashamed to confess to the variety of them I’ve needed to pitch over time. You purchase a bag, and it’s frequently the same. Not ripe. Not ripe. Not ripe. Sorry, you missed it; we’re all brown and gross inside.
In case you wish to keep away from the disgrace of pitching half a bag of avocados, lower them in half, take away the pit and the pores and pores and pores and skin and smoosh them correct proper right into a freezer bag. Whereas they gained’t be good for topping salads or one factor the place you need them to look good, frozen avocado is sweet for avocado toast and guacamole.
14. Cheese
Oh constructive, it is doable you may freeze cheese. However not all cheeses freeze appropriately; softer cheese, as an illustration, doesn’t freeze appropriately. However haven’t any concern; Cheryl walks you thru your full course of in her good piece – Discover ways 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 finally ends up with fifteen? Yeah, I didn’t suppose so.
Freeze your further frosting and make spontaneous cupcake day a component. Bundle the frosting in an hermetic freezer bag, eradicating all of the air. Put it contained in the fridge for loads of hours earlier than popping it contained in the freezer. Thaw it contained in the fridge for the only texture, too.
16. Milk
Milk is one totally different staple that freezes surprisingly appropriately. When you’re freezing a full container, take away only a few half cup of milk to go away room for enlargement. While you thaw it, the milkfats will separate a bit. Give it shake, and can probably be virtually practically pretty much as good as trendy milk.
17. Chocolate
Did you purchase an excessive amount of chocolate for a visit or rating some good post-holiday product gross sales? Give it some thought or not, it is doable you may freeze chocolate with out the feel and magnificence struggling. To freeze chocolate appropriately, vacuum seal it in an hermetic container first after which put it contained in the fridge for twenty-four hours. After the chocolate is well-chilled, it is doable you may put it contained in the freezer.
To thaw it, put it contained in the fridge for twenty-four hours. Then take away it and let it come to room temperature completely earlier than opening the sealed bag.
18. Ginger
I don’t even drawback sustaining my ginger contained in the fridge anymore. It goes straight correct proper right into a jar contained in the freezer. Frozen ginger could be very straightforward to grate. I not often fiddle with peeling it every, nonetheless as soon as you choose peeled ginger, peel it with a spoon earlier than freezing it.
19. Pancakes and Waffles
We frequently do the massive, satisfying breakfasts on the weekend as quickly as we’ve obtained further time. So, I began making further pancakes and waffles on currently to freeze. As shortly as they’re completely cooled, they get saved in a freezer bag. Then, if the children need pancakes or waffles by means of the week, all they need to do is toss them contained in the toaster. And mother’s waffles are frequently larger than these cardboard ones contained in the freezer half on the retailer.
20. Tomato Paste
Just like buttermilk, tomato paste often is a exact ache contained in the can. In my three-plus a really very long time of cooking, I’ve nonetheless to make a recipe that makes use of an entire can of tomato paste. Inevitably, I might put the remainder of the can contained in the fridge solely to discover a dried-up, moldy can of tomato paste loads 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. Each time I open a can of tomato paste, I scoop out tablespoonfuls onto a bit of wax paper after which freeze them. As shortly as they’re sturdy, they go contained in the jar. No further moldy cans of tomato paste.
Get the well-known Rural Sprout e-newsletter delivered to your inbox.
Together with Sunday musings from our editor, Tracey, together with “What’s Up Wednesday” our roundup of what’s in season and new article updates and alerts.
Leave a Reply