Freezing food is one of the best and easiest ways to preserve it. It presses pause on the decomposition process and most produce will keep for months in the freezer if not longer. In this blog we share ten foods that you might not have thought about freezing before, but I guarantee you’ll be doing it in future.
If you are ever in doubt about whether you can freeze something or not, head to the website freezeit.co.uk to find out. They give detailed instructions on how to freeze each item to preserve it at its best. Their ‘recipe bot’ will also give you ideas for that random ingredient you find at the back of the fridge.
1. Eggs
Keeping chickens has grown in popularity, but it can mean having an excess of eggs. There are various ways you can freeze them to avoid wastage. Raw eggs can’t be frozen whole in their shell, but you can freeze the yolk and whites, either after whisking them together or separately.
When freezing multiple eggs, consider how much you will need at once and freeze in appropriate portion sizes. Ice cube or cup cake trays work well. Once frozen, transfer to freezer bags for storage up to six months.
You can freeze boiled or poached eggs, but the white tends to go a little rubbery. The cooked yolk freezes well or try scrambling the eggs first and then freezing.
2. Garlic
Whole, unpeeled garlic will keep for at least six months in a cool, dry place. So why freeze it? I recently discovered that if you freeze unpeeled garlic gloves, they are super easy to peel when they start to defrost – the skin literally slides off. The freeze-thaw process also softens the garlic, so once peeled, the cloves can be minced with a hand blender in seconds or crushed with a knife.
3. Nuts
Nuts are another pantry staple that have a fairly long shelf life, so you might not need to freeze them. Like me, if you tend to overbuy when on offer then they could become rancid. Rancidity occurs when the fats in nuts oxidises. Freezing doesn’t completely stop oxidation, but it does slow it down, meaning nuts can be stored for up to a year in the freezer. Exclude oxygen when you freeze them by first wrapping in cling film or pressing all of the air out of a resealable freezer bag.
4. Chillis
Some years I have managed to be self sufficient in chillis and although I often hang them on strings to dry, I find that this retains the heat, but not the fruitiness. Popping them whole in the freezer is a simple way to preserve a glut. If you forget to defrost them in advance, then a quick dip in a cup of hot water will make them soft enough to slice.
5. Wine
No one wants to be throwing wine away, but sometimes you end up with part of a bottle at the end of the evening. Avoid waste by freezing it in ice cube trays – the perfect portion size (around two tablespoons) to add to gravies or sauces.
6. Herbs
Herbs can be frozen whole, like these bay leaves and then chopped and crumbled into recipes. Alternatively, chop fresh herbs and freeze them with a little water or oil in an ice cube tray – I bet you wish you hadn’t decluttered your old trays now!
7. Avocados
Typically if you buy a bag of avocados they all ripen at once – fortunately they can be frozen. Adding a dash of lemon juice, either by brushing it on your avocado halves or mashing the avocado with it will help to prevent browning. Like with nuts, try to exclude as much air as possible when packaging.
8. Ginger
I was short of time and so stuck this whole ginger root straight in the freezer. Ideally, peel and freeze in thumb sized portions – then you can grate straight from frozen. If you have more time then grate it first and freeze in … you guessed it…an ice cube tray.
9. Hummus
Have you ever noticed air bubble in your hummus or has it tasted a bit fizzy. This is a result of fermentation and although it probably won’t make you sick, it doesn’t taste as good. To avoid this, freeze your leftover or extra pot of hummus. Hummus does tend to separate when frozen, so give it a good mix together when you thaw it out.
10. Citrus fruit
Recipes often require the juice of half a lemon or lime, or perhaps just the zest. Cut the remaining half into slices or segmants and freeze. This also works well with oranges. The perfect addition to your summer beverage – they add flavour and don’t dilute the drink like ice cubes.
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