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.
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