Freezer Hacks: 15 Everyday Foods You Did Not Know You Could Freeze, and How to Do It Right
Freezer hacks can save you real money, and right before the holidays is the best time to learn them. Every week, good food goes in the trash because we think it cannot be frozen: the half gallon of milk before a trip, the extra eggs, the end of a loaf of bread, the bunch of herbs you used once. Most of it could have gone in the freezer and come out tasting just fine..
Freezer tip videos are some of the most watched cooking videos online. One called 10 Freezer Hacks That Will Change Your Life passed 1.5 million views on YouTube in about four months, and a list of 40 foods that freeze well has more than 2 million views. People are clearly tired of wasting groceries.
Below are 15 everyday foods that freeze better than you think, with the simple way to do each one so it thaws well. Grab some zip bags, an ice cube tray and a muffin tin, and let us fill that freezer the smart way.
What Freezing Does, and What It Does Not Do
According to the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, food kept constantly at 0 F will always be safe. Only the quality slowly fades. Freezing does not kill bacteria. It makes them go dormant, and they can become active again once the food thaws, so treat thawed food like fresh food and cook or eat it soon.
Quality is the real clock. Air is the enemy, because it causes freezer burn, those dry gray spots. Freezer burn is not unsafe, it just tastes dull. Squeeze the air out of bags, freeze food flat so it freezes fast, and use most foods within a few months for the best taste. If you like to cook ahead, our freezer meals for busy weeknights pair perfectly with these tips.
Freezer Hacks for Dairy and Eggs
1. Butter. Butter freezes beautifully in its original wrapper inside a zip bag. Stock up when it is on sale before holiday baking. Thaw it in the fridge overnight, or grate it straight from frozen into biscuit and pie dough for extra flaky layers.
2. Cheese. Shredded cheese and blocks of cheddar, mozzarella or Monterey Jack freeze well. Shred blocks first and freeze them in flat bags. Frozen cheese can turn a little crumbly, so it is best for cooking: casseroles, mac and cheese, quesadillas and pizza. Soft cheeses like brie are better fresh.
3. Milk. Yes, you can freeze milk. Pour out a little first because it expands, then freeze it in its jug or in smaller containers. Thaw it in the fridge and shake well, because it can separate. It is perfect for cooking, baking and smoothies.
4. Eggs. Never freeze eggs in the shell, since they can crack. Instead, crack them into a muffin tin or ice cube tray, beat each one lightly with a pinch of salt or sugar, and freeze. Pop the frozen pucks into a labeled bag. With one egg per cup, it is easy to grab exactly what a recipe needs. The USDA chart lists egg whites at 12 months in the freezer for best quality.
Bread, Tortillas and Rice
5. Bread and bagels. Freeze bread already sliced and bagels already split. That way you can take out just one slice or half a bagel and toast it straight from frozen. It is the easiest of all freezer hacks, and it ends moldy bread for good.
6. Tortillas. Slip a small square of parchment between tortillas so they do not stick together, then freeze them flat in a bag. Thaw on the counter for 15 minutes or warm them in a dry skillet.
7. Cooked rice. Spread cooled rice in a thin layer in a zip bag, press out the air and freeze it flat. Flat bags stack like files and thaw fast. Reheat in the microwave with a splash of water, or use it frozen for fried rice.
Flavor Boosters You Can Freeze
8. Fresh herbs in olive oil. Chop leftover rosemary, thyme, sage or parsley, pack them into an ice cube tray and cover with olive oil. Drop a cube right into a hot pan for soups, sauces and roast potatoes.
9. Tomato paste. Most recipes need a spoonful, and the rest of the can goes moldy. Scoop the leftovers by the tablespoon onto a lined plate, freeze, then keep the frozen dollops in a bag.
10. Ginger. Freeze a whole knob of fresh ginger in a bag. Frozen ginger grates into a fine, fluffy snow on a microplane, and you do not even need to peel it first.
Fruit and Baking Freezer Hacks
11. Overripe bananas. Brown bananas are perfect for baking. Peel them first, then freeze them whole or in chunks in a bag. Thawed bananas are a little mushy, which is exactly what you want for banana bread and muffins. Frozen chunks also make creamy smoothies.
12. Avocado. Whole avocados do not freeze well, but mashed avocado does. Mash it with a squeeze of lemon or lime juice, press it flat in a small bag with the air pushed out, and freeze. Use it for guacamole, dips and smoothies rather than slices.
13. Cookie dough. Scoop cookie dough into balls, freeze them on a lined tray until firm, then move them to a bag. You can bake two or ten at a time, straight from frozen. Just add a minute or two to the baking time. Fresh warm cookies any night is the best of all freezer hacks.
Holiday Leftovers and What Not to Freeze
14. Turkey and gravy. Slice leftover turkey off the bone and freeze it in portions with a little broth or gravy so it stays moist. The USDA chart suggests using cooked poultry within about 4 months and gravy within 2 to 3 months for the best quality. Get it into the freezer within a few days of the holiday meal. For ideas on what to cook with it, see our Thanksgiving leftover recipes.
15. Cranberry sauce. Leftover cranberry sauce freezes very well in a small container. Thaw it in the fridge and stir it into yogurt, swirl it into muffin batter or spread it on a turkey sandwich.
Skip these. The USDA notes that some foods simply do not freeze well, including mayonnaise, cream sauces and lettuce. Raw cucumbers and celery turn limp, potato salad and egg salad weep, and fried foods lose their crunch. Eggs in the shell and unopened cans should never go in the freezer.
The Freezer Hacks That Make the Rest Work: Label and Freeze Flat
The last of these freezer hacks is the one that makes all the others work: write the food and the date on every bag with a marker. It takes five seconds and saves you from mystery bags in March. Freeze bags flat on a tray, then stand them up like books once they are solid. You will see everything at a glance.
Thaw food the safe way: in the refrigerator, in cold water that you change every 30 minutes, or in the microwave if you will cook it right away. Never thaw on the counter.
Which one surprised you most: A: milk, B: eggs or C: avocado? Pick one food from this list this week and give it a try. Your grocery budget will thank you.
