10 Foods You Can Freeze TODAY

10 Foods You Can Freeze TODAY

Freezing food is a great way to preserve food. Food waste is a big issue in today’s world. In fact, 6.6 million tonnes of household food waste is produced every year.

You may be thinking of foods you can freeze for different reasons. You may want to reduce your food waste, maybe you want to cook in bulk and save meals for later, or maybe you can’t get to the supermarkets as much as you’d like.

Here is our list of the top 10 foods you can freeze

Frozen food in the refrigerator. Vegetables on the freezer shelves. Stocks of meal for the winter.

Bread 

Is it okay to freeze bread? Of course, it is! Just make sure you freeze it while it’s still fresh. You don’t want to be defrosting stale bread, do you? You can freeze bread for up to 6 months. However, it will start to lose some of its flavour after a month or so.

Fruit

Fruit is one of the best foods to freeze! It can last for months on end and there is usually no need to thaw it before using it. Frozen fruit is great for smoothies and also adding to your cereal. There’s really no fruit you can’t freeze.

Vegetables

Vegetables are also another great food to freeze. However, most vegetables will need to be blanched or fully cooked before freezing to preserve the shelf life. This will help to stop turning the vegetables losing colour or turning mushy. Onions and peppers that don’t need the same treatment. They can be frozen raw!

It’s worth pointing out that vegetables with high water content will tend to go limp and mushy (cucumbers and lettuce).

Deli Meat

All deli meats can be frozen. They will typically be good in the freezer for up to two months. After that they will start to lose flavour and their texture may start to change. If you are going to freeze deli meat, we recommend that you freeze it in small batches, this means you won’t have to defrost large portions and potentially lose some as food waste if not used.

Nuts

This may surprise a few people, but nuts can and do go off. This is down to their high fat content which can make them go rancid. Freezing nuts is pretty straightforward. Simply place whichever nuts take your fancy, place them inside a freezer or resealable bag and throw them in the freezer. Nuts can turn rancid in as little as 2 to 4 weeks! They can last in the freezer for up to 12 months.

Uncooked rice

Did you know that uncooked rice can go off after a while? We’re specifically talking about uncooked brown rice. Unlike white rice, brown rice (uncooked) will only last 3 – 6 months on your shelf. Whereas it lasts 12 – 18 months if frozen.

Cooked rice? That will last up to 6 months in the freezer.

Cooked pasta

Pasta is another great food/dish to freeze. You can freeze cooked pasta by itself, or even with your favourite sauce on! Let it thaw and simply throw it into your microwave or oven.

Eggs

This may seem like a strange one. But it is possible! However, don’t freeze them whilst they are still in their shells. Crack them open and place either the egg whites or yolks (or both) into individual containers. A large ice cube tray may be a smart move.

Vegetable Stock

Have some leftover vegetable stock from a soup you were making? Throw it into some airtight containers or freezer bags and put it in your freezer. It should last between 4 and 6 months if properly stored.

Herbs

Fresh herbs don’t typically last that long. A perfect way to preserve their freshness is to put them in the freezer! Be aware that soft herbs, like parsley, basil and chives are fine for working into dishes but won’t be good for garnishes.

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