I am terribly selective about kitchen dwelling gear and doodads. If it’s going to take up space in my kitchen, it greater 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, nevertheless it’s moreover made an infinite distinction in our family’s meals waste.
All people is conscious of it’s attainable chances are you’ll defend meat and most greens contained within the freezer, nevertheless it’d shock you what variety of totally completely totally different meals will likely be frozen. Analysis 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 greater? It’s infuriating, applicable? 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 attainable chances are 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 it is advisable to make it simpler to take advantage of in the long term, freeze it in ice cube trays, so that you just simply might need pre-measured elements in a position to thaw and use.
2. Corn on the Cob
Storing frozen corn on the cob is good once 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 surroundings pleasant method to chop again meals waste. You nearly definitely have the spare cob of sweetcorn left over after a barbecue or summertime dinner, toss it in a freezer bag. You probably can add to the bag all by means of the season.
Frozen corn on the cob is good as is, or it’s attainable chances are you’ll slice the kernels off to be roasted or tossed in collectively collectively alongside along 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 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 definitely considered one of 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 additional cautious totally different. You want the freshest garlic you might uncover, with no brown spots or inexperienced shoots beginning to develop. And pure garlic gives you one of the best sort after it has thawed. The garlic bulb have to be agency, dry and papery; in a single different case, it gained’t freeze precisely. Place in an airtight container and take away the air sooner than freezing.
5. Overripe Bananas
It seems to be like my children will eat nothing nevertheless 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 situation 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 rapidly as I have to make smoothies, banana pancakes, banana bread, or banana muffins. Not solely is it helpful, nevertheless it’s just one additional 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 totally completely totally different nuts. While you buy in bulk, retailer greater parts contained within the freezer.
7. Flour
Most people do not understand how precisely flour freezes. And as quickly as you buy flour in bulk or catch a ravishing sale (these journey baking product product sales are good for stocking up on flour), it might 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 definitely have the realm in a big chest freezer, take into consideration storing your flour in a 5-gallon food-grade bucket. It’s among the finest method to guard flour fashionable, and it’s attainable chances are you’ll measure it out as you need it.
8. Potatoes
This one recurrently seems to shock of us. Certain, it’s attainable chances are 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 once you do it incorrect.
9. Minced Herbs
I don’t uncover out about you, nevertheless I’m not too eager on these bunches of herbs on the grocery retailer. You recurrently end up with method over what you need. Then they inevitably sit contained within the crisper drawer drying out or getting moldy. Eradicate the waste and cut 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 fully frozen, retailer the cubes in an airtight container. Now you might need one or two tablespoon elements in a position to go everytime you need them.
Related Finding out: How To Defend Grocery retailer Herbs Alive Endlessly
10. Frozen Eggs
Yup, it’s attainable chances are 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 may be okay contained within the freezer, it can get pretty messy after they thaw.
Silicone or non-stick muffin tins are good for freezing specific specific specific individual eggs in. Then as quickly as they’re frozen, it’s attainable chances are 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 wise 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 attainable chances are 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 children have even requested that we freeze your full bundle as shortly as we get them residence from the store.
You don’t have 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 greater sort and texture than consuming it immediately after cooking. That’s good info resulting from pulling a bag of rice out of the freezer to affiliate with a meal is quite a bit additional helpful than prepared for it to arrange dinner dinner.
Make up a great deal of large 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 recurrently the identical. Not ripe. Not ripe. Not ripe. Sorry, you missed it; we’re all brown and gross inside.
In case it is advisable to steer clear of 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 good for avocado toast and guacamole.
14. Cheese
Oh optimistic, it’s attainable chances are you’ll freeze cheese. Nonetheless not all cheeses freeze precisely; softer cheese, as an illustration, doesn’t freeze precisely. Nonetheless have no fear; Cheryl walks you through 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 additional frosting and make spontaneous cupcake day a part. Bundle the frosting in an airtight freezer bag, eradicating all the 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 one of the best texture, too.
16. Milk
Milk is one completely totally different staple that freezes surprisingly precisely. While you’re freezing a full container, take away just a few half cup of milk to go away room for enlargement. Whilst you thaw it, the milkfats will separate a bit. Give it shake, and may most likely be nearly nearly almost nearly as good as fashionable 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 attainable chances are 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 chances are 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 fully sooner than opening the sealed bag.
18. Ginger
I don’t even disadvantage 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 very easy to grate. I infrequently fiddle with peeling it each, nevertheless as quickly as you select peeled ginger, peel it with a spoon sooner than freezing it.
19. Pancakes and Waffles
We recurrently do the massive, satisfying breakfasts on the weekend as rapidly as we’ve obtained additional time. So, I started making additional pancakes and waffles on at present to freeze. As quickly as they’re fully cooled, they get saved in a freezer bag. Then, if the youngsters want pancakes or waffles by means of the week, all they should do is toss them contained within the toaster. And mom’s waffles are recurrently greater than these cardboard ones contained within the freezer half on the retailer.
20. Tomato Paste
Similar to 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 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 little bit of wax paper after which freeze them. As quickly as they’re sturdy, they go contained within the jar. No additional moldy cans of tomato paste.
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