10 Foods You Didn’t Know You Can Freeze

The freezer isn’t limited to ice cubes, frozen chips, and ice lollies. There are many foods you can freeze, but you might be guilty of throwing them straight into the bin or allowing them to expire in the fridge.

If you’re tired of wasting food and want to make your items go further, check out the following 10 foods you didn’t know you can freeze. It will save you time and money while preventing food waste.

1. Cheese

It should be a crime to place cheese in the bin, especially since many hard and semi-hard cheeses, such as cheddar, Red Leicester, Parmesan, Swiss, Pecorino, and Monterey Jack, can be frozen. You can even freeze low-moisture mozzarella available in blocks or pre-shredded bags.

While the cheeses might become a little crumbly, they will maintain the same flavour and freshness.

It is best to grate cheese before freezing, and you can grab it from a freezer bag or Tupperware container when needed. It’s perfect for use on pizzas, macaroni cheese, or even cheese on toast. 

If you want to freeze a block of cheese, don’t place more than 8oz in the freezer. To avoid freezer burn, tightly wrap it in plastic wrap before covering it with aluminium foil and placing it into a freezer bag.

List World Top Tip: Add a teaspoon of cornstarch to grated cheese to prevent clumps.

2. Milk

It might shock you to learn that milk is freezable. Rather than scurrying to the corner shop when you run out of milk for a much-needed cup of coffee or tea, you can defrost and use milk from the freezer. 

You can freeze the white stuff in a plastic bottle or an ice cube tray, and it will maintain its freshness for up to three months. Therefore, it’s a wise idea to label frozen milk with the date to ensure it doesn’t surpass its expiry date. 

Always give the milk a good shake once it has defrosted, as it will pull the fat together.

List World Top Tip: Leave a little space in a bottle to stop the plastic splitting.

3. Potatoes

It likely hurts your heart to throw away perfectly good potatoes, right? Let’s face it, next to cheese, it is a food from the Gods. Never throw away a bag again by freezing the food staple.  

All you need to do is peel, chop, and blanch the potatoes until they are nearly cooked. Next, spread them out on a tray and ensure they aren’t touching each other before placing them in the freezer.

Once Sunday rolls around, you can defrost and roast the potatoes to make dinner a doddle. 

List World Top Tip: Flatten left over mash in a freezer bag for easy thawing and serving.

4. Wine 

Wine is a terrible thing to waste, right? Well, rather than pouring half a bottle down the drain, pour it into an ice cube tray or a freezer bag.

Wine ice cubes are a great option, as you can drop one into a recipe when needed, or add it to adult-friendly gravy or a Bolognese sauce for extra flavour. 

List World Top Tip: Freeze wine in an ice cube tray before moving them to a freezer bag for easy access.

5. Herbs 

Fresh herbs might come with a more expensive price tag than their dried alternatives, but they pack much more flavour. If you avoid buying fresh herbs because you often waste half a bag, this hack will change your meals. 

Again, grab an ice cube tray and place in your chopped herbs, such as basil, parsley, or coriander. Then, top up the herbs with water and defrost a cube when you need herbs for a recipe, or drop it into a dish with hot water. Again, label the ice cube tray to avoid confusion during food prep. 

List World Top Tip: Cover your herbs in melted butter or olive oil to seal in the flavour before freezing.

6. Butter 

Got butter that’s about to pass its sell-by date? Pop it into the freezer in its original packaging to prevent freezer burn.

However, if you know you won’t use it for a while, place the butter in a freezer bag to protect it from various smells. You can then melt it into a recipe from frozen or grate it. The choice is yours. 

List World Top Tip: Always freeze butter in its original wrapper before placing it inside a thick freezer bag to help it keep for up to a year.

7. Cooked Rice 

We’re all guilty of cooking more rice than we need at some point. Avoid food waste by placing cooked rice into an airtight container and freezing it.

It will make fantastic fried rice at a later date, which can make your money go further. However, it must be piping hot after reheating to ensure it is safe to eat. 

List World Top Tip: Freeze cooked rice in a flat, thin layer in a freezer bag, and add a teaspoon of water before microwaving.

8. Eggs 

Eggs are one food you might not know you can freeze. You cannot freeze them in the shells, so ensure you crack your eggs into a small bowl and whisk them together.

Next, pour the eggs into a muffin tin, egg container, freezer bag, or a trusty ice cube tray. Once defrosted, they can be used in various dishes, such as omelettes or cakes.

If you want to use eggs to create meringues, freeze only the egg whites. 

List World Top Tip: Add a pinch of salt and sugar during whisking to stop the yolks from becoming rubbery.

9. Bananas 

Do your kids dodge the fruit bowl? Ensure they can never escape a much-needed dose of potassium by freezing bananas.

First, peel the ripe bananas, and then cut them into slices or freeze them whole. It’s perfect for families who enjoy fruit smoothies or banana ice cream. 

List World Top Tip: Freeze slices of banana on a baking sheet before moving them into a freezer bag to stop them from sticking together.

10. Bread 

Bread is a family staple, but you might often find you’re throwing various loaves into the bin.

Rather than allowing bread to go stale, place a loaf in the freezer before it exceeds its sell-by date. Before doing so, wrap the bread tightly in its packaging to squeeze out air.

If you’re freezing sliced bread, you can toast it straight from frozen, and your kids won’t notice a difference. 

List World Top Tip: Double wrap bread in a freezer bag or foil to prevent a stale odor.

Foods You Should Never Freeze

While the above items can be frozen, there are some foods you should never freeze, such as:

• Fried foods
• Soft cheeses
• High-water vegetables – think leafy greens, cucumbers, raw tomatoes, and lettuce
• Canned goods – they’ll explode due to expanding liquid
• Fully cooked pasta
• Eggs in their shells
• Mayonnaise, salad dressings, and hollandaise
• Yoghurt and sour cream
• Warm leftovers – it will increase the risk of listeria or salmonella

If in doubt, visit the Food Standard Agency to learn how to safely chill, freeze, and defrost various foods to protect yourself and your loved ones.

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