20 Foods To Stock Your Freezer With (And How To Do It)

I really like shopping for large bunches of grapes and freezing them, not solely as a result of I really favor to eat them that approach, however as a result of it’s additionally a straightforward approach to economize too! (If I don’t freeze them immediately, they often sit within the fridge lengthy sufficient that I by chance overlook they’re in there. And nobody likes mushy grapes!)

Occupied with my frozen grapes obtained me fascinated with different issues I could possibly be freezing. I knew I used to be in all probability throwing out far more meals than I needs to be, however I spotted that I knew subsequent to nothing about one of the best methods to freeze different types of meals!

So I made a decision to take a seat down and perform some research about what I can freeze and methods to go about it. After a lot analysis and studying,  I got here up with the next record of 20 issues you may freeze to avoid wasting your self money and time. However earlier than we get to the record, I wished to speak about just a few extra the explanation why freezing meals is a superb selection!

Why Ought to I Stock My Freezer?

• It saves cash! You should buy in bulk after which freeze what you gained’t use immediately.
• It’s handy! Having a stocked freezer will help you keep away from pointless journeys to the grocery retailer.
• It saves time! Prepare dinner issues forward of time after which freeze them for a fast meal or snack later.
• It’s recent and scrumptious! Freeze your favourite fruits and veggies after they’re in season, so you may benefit from the scrumptious bounty of summer time any time of the 12 months!

20 Shocking Foods You Can Freeze (And How To Do It)

1. Cheese

• You’ll be able to freeze cheese in complete blocks! Simply thaw it utterly on the counter earlier than placing it again within the fridge. You can too freeze shredded cheese and put a tablespoon of cornstarch or flour within the bag to stop clumping when it thaws.
• When you love recent parmigiano reggiano, purchase a giant block and grate in a meals processor. Retailer it in your freezer in a freezer bag, and it’ll hold for months. Simply scoop out a few tablespoons as you want it!

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2. Selfmade Pancakes, Waffles, French Toast

• Make additional pancakes, waffles, or french toast throughout your weekend breakfasts and freeze them for fast and straightforward breakfasts in the course of the week to return. Place your pancakes (or waffles, or french toasts) on a cookie sheet, then switch them to a freezer bag. Reheat them in your microwave, toaster, or toaster oven.

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3. Fruit

• When freezing fruit, it’s a good suggestion to freeze them on a lined cookie sheet first, after which switch them to a freezer bag. Freezing them on a cookie sheet first makes it so the fruit gained’t stick collectively, which makes it simpler to drag out a small quantity at a time as wanted.
• One in every of my very favourite chilly treats is a handful of frozen grapes! Give it a attempt someday and let me know what you assume! 🙂
• You’ll be able to freeze bananas complete and use them later to make banana bread. When you have bananas which might be beginning to get too brown, simply toss them into the freezer with the pores and skin on. Then while you’re prepared to make use of them, pull them out, microwave for just a few seconds, then squeeze the insides into your mixing bowl.
• Hold a “Smoothie Bag” within the freezer. Toss in additional apple wedges, peaches, pears, bananas, chunks of melon, or any sort of fruit. When the bag will get full, dump it within the blender and make a smoothie!

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4. Veggies & Herbs

• Cube onions, chiles, or bell peppers, then freeze them flat in gallon-size freezer luggage. As they’re freezing, press “rating strains” into the luggage utilizing a chopstick so you may break off as a lot or as little as you want in your recipes.
• You’ll be able to freeze ears of corn complete, then use your microwave cooking methodology to cook dinner it (see the hyperlink beneath for particulars). Prepare dinner a bit longer for frozen corn, or let it defrost earlier than cooking. You can too minimize the corn off the cob and freeze it that approach.
• Roast roma tomatoes within the oven at a low temperature (225 levels or so) with garlic, recent herbs, and a drizzle of olive oil for Four to five hours. When cooled, switch the tomatoes to freezer luggage. Use them in chili or or to make tomato sauces.
• Freeze recent herbs in ice dice trays with a bit of water or leftover inventory. Use the frozen herb cubes in soups, stews, or casseroles later within the 12 months.
• To freeze leafy greens like spinach, mix it up in your blender with a bit of little bit of water after which freeze in ice dice trays. Drop a few cubes in your blender with frozen fruit for straightforward inexperienced smoothies!
• Hold a gallon-size bag within the freezer to retailer leftover veggie items, together with peels, stalks, ends, and so on. Whenever you’ve crammed the bag, use the veggies items to make vegetable inventory. Hold one other bag for pan drippings or sauces which might be left after cooking meat, which you need to use so as to add taste to soups.

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5. Rice

• Prepare dinner a giant batch of rice, unfold it on a lined cookie sheet and freeze. When the rice is frozen, switch it to a freezer bag and also you’ll have frozen rice you need to use in a pinch. This tip is particularly nice for brown rice, because it takes so lengthy to cook dinner!

6. Baked Items

• When your favourite bread is on sale, top off and freeze it. Or while you’re in a baking temper, make extras of your favourite baked items and freeze them for later. (Right here’s a tip for defrosting baked items or breads – place them in your microwave in a single day, however don’t flip it on. The enclosed area helps to maintain them from drying out.)
• Make apple pies within the fall to get pleasure from all year long! Bake them, then freeze them in freezer luggage wrapped in freezer paper. Then when you will have a hankering for pie, simply take one out of the freezer, take away the wrappings, and place in your oven for two hours at 200 levels. (You can too freeze SLICES after baking a complete pie, or simply freeze the filling. Observe the hyperlink beneath for extra particulars.)

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7. Pasta

• Everytime you make pasta, go forward and cook dinner the entire package deal. Freeze any leftover pasta so as to add to soups and casseroles later. Simply put the cooked pasta in a freezer bag, lay flat, and ensure to squeeze out all of the air. Reheat the pasta by operating sizzling water over the bag for a couple of minutes.
• You can too freeze raw pasta simply to make it last more.

8. Flour and Different Grains

• You’ll be able to retailer flour within the freezer to make it last more.
• When you don’t wish to retailer flour within the freezer, you may freeze it for 3 days while you first deliver it dwelling to kill off any micro organism or critters trapped inside.

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9. Sauces, Shares, and Juice

• Freeze sauces in ice dice trays. As soon as frozen, pop the cubes out and put them in a freezer bag.
• The tip above can be nice for issues like canned tomato paste! Most recipes solely name for a small quantity of tomato paste, and you then’re left with an open can that’s almost full. Freeze it as an alternative!
• Squeeze lemon juice or lime juice into ice dice trays, then pop the cubes out after they’ve frozen and retailer them in freezer luggage. Now you will have “recent” lemon and lime juice everytime you want it. And also you by no means need to kick your self for letting one other bag of lemons from Costco go to waste! (Been there, performed that.) And don’t overlook to ZEST the lemons or limes first, and hold the zest within the freezer as properly!

10. Mashed Potatoes

• Utilizing an ice cream scoop, place even parts of mashed potatoes onto parchment-lined cookie sheet. Freeze till exhausting, then switch the potatoes to a freezer bag. These will hold within the freezer for at the least 2 months.

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11. Doughs

• You’ll be able to freeze all types of selfmade dough – cookie dough, pizza dough, focaccia dough, pie crust, and so on.
• For issues like pizza, pie, or bread dough, form it right into a ball and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap.
• For cookie dough, scoop it out onto cookie sheets and freeze. When they’re frozen strong, put them in freezer luggage. When a cookie craving hits, bake as few or as many as you need! Simply add 1 to 2 minutes to the cook dinner time laid out in your recipe. You can too make “slice-and-bake” cookie dough by shaping it right into a cylinder, and freezing it in foil.
• Freeze canned biscuits, crescent rolls, pizza dough, and so on. proper within the tube. Stock up when they’re on sale!

12. Soups and Chili

• Cool leftover soup utterly and switch to a freezer-friendly container, leaving about 1 cup price of empty area to permit for enlargement whereas it freezes. The day earlier than you wish to eat it once more, transfer the frozen soup or chili to the fridge to thaw safely. Then simply reheat and serve!
• For completely portioned soups, pour your favourite selfmade soup into paper cups and place them within the freezer. As soon as the soup is frozen, peel away the paper cup. Now you’ll have “canned” soup on the prepared anytime!

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13. Breakfast or Lunch Sandwiches

• Whenever you pack lunches for college or work, it’s an actual time-saver to drag a sandwich straight from the freezer. Simply throw it into your lunch field/bag within the morning, and it’ll be thawed by lunch time. It additionally helps hold the meat chilly. PB&J, or deli meat and a slice of cheese work properly. When you’re including condiments or veggies, pack these individually so as to add when lunchtime rolls round.
• You can too freeze breakfast sandwiches! Prepare dinner scrambled eggs and sausage/bacon in bulk, pile them onto biscuits or english muffins, wrap them individually after which freeze, Seize one out of the freezer within the morning, then microwave and revel in. You are able to do breakfast burritos or quesadillas as properly!

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14. Potato Chips, Crackers, & Pretzels

• Stock up on chips, crackers and pretzels when they’re on sale and throw them within the freezer. Personally, I believe frozen chips really style higher! When eaten straight from the freezer, they’re crisper and the flavors actually pop!

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15. Milk or Fruit Juice

• Ever marvel why plastic milk jugs have these circle indents on the facet? They’re there to permit milk to develop whereas freezing! (I had no concept!) To use frozen milk, let it thaw then shake properly earlier than opening to ensure any solids are remixed. You can too freeze buttermilk and heavy cream as properly, which suggests no extra losing it after utilizing a bit of bit in a recipe.
• Like milk, the one concern about freezing juice is leaving room for enlargement. An excellent rule of thumb is to go away Eight ounces empty for each half gallon of juice you’re freezing. Stock up when it goes on sale or at a reduction warehouse.

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16. Frosting

• Yep, it’s true! Freeze leftover frosting, then when you might want to frost one thing. let it thaw within the fridge. When it has thawed utterly, whip it up a bit and use such as you would if you happen to simply made it!

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17. Eggs

• Who would have thought you may freeze uncooked eggs? Simply crack the eggs right into a freezer bag, and freeze flat. Or crack your eggs into an ice dice tray (yolks and whites individually, to make it simpler) to make use of for muffins and cookies. Simply let your eggs thaw within the fridge, and use as you usually would.

18. Selfmade Casseroles

• When you’re cooking a casseroles (lasagna, mac and cheese, enchiladas, and so on), why not double up and freeze one for later? They’re nice to have readily available for when sudden firm drops by, or for busy weeknights. You are able to do this a few methods.
• Freeze your complete casserole by lining the bottom of the dish with freezer paper, including the substances, then place the entire dish within the freezer. When the casserole is frozen strong, take away it from the dish, rewrap the meals, and return the meals to the freezer. This protects room within the freezer and you’ll hold utilizing your casserole dish. Whenever you’re able to bake your frozen casserole, unwrap and place within the unique dish to defrost and cook dinner.
• One other approach to freeze a casserole is to cook dinner it, let it cool, after which minimize into particular person servings and freeze. Reheat in your microwave!

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19. Meat

• Prepare dinner a giant batch of rooster, shred it up, and freeze it. Or if you happen to get a rotisserie rooster from the grocery retailer, simply shred the leftovers retailer them within the freezer. Having shredded rooster within the freezer is a superb timesaver when making issues like enchiladas!
• Place meat in a freezer bag, pour your favourite marinade excessive, and freeze. Whenever you defrost it, it will likely be fully-marinated and able to cook dinner.
• Pre-cook floor beef and portion it out for meals, and also you gained’t ever need to stress about defrosting a pound of floor beef for dinner! Whenever you want floor beef for Shepherd’s Pie, Sloppy Joes, Tacos, and so on., simply pull it out of the freezer, add the seasoning, and microwave. (Prepare dinner for Three minutes, or 1 minute and 30 seconds if it’s going to be baked and doesn’t should be thawed all the way in which.) For crock pot meals, like chili, there’s no have to thaw first.

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20. Yogurt

• Freezing yogurt is straightforward, and it makes a scrumptious and wholesome frozen deal with. I like to stay a popsicle stick proper via the lid of the yogurt, then place the yogurt cup within the freezer. Then I simply pop the frozen yogurt out of the container later after I want a frozen deal with! (Or you may simply defrost them within the fridge in order for you non-frozen yogurt.) 🙂

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