An exciting thread about what does and does not freeze well!

[MrsFogi]

I have stuff in the fridge/cupboards that is unlikely to be used by its sell by date and I don't want to waste it so am trying to work out what to prioritise eating vs freezing. What are the thoughts on the following (feel free to add other stuff to the list of this thread no doubt we are all trying to think about eking out our stocks):

• creme fraiche
  
• cheese
  
• onions
  
• what fruit freezes okay
  
• what veg freezes okay
  

Thanks!!

[StealthNinjaMum]

Ooh glad you started this thread as I am going to freeze things too.

I can say that chopped onions and hard cheese like cheddar freeze because i’ve Frozen them before. The onions stuck together so I put them in small freezer bags.

Mashed potato freezes too. I presume other potato does too but when I do a cottage pie I usually make too much potato and freeze some of it.

Obviously none of these are as good as fresh but better than throwing food away.

[katmarie]

With veg, I find prepared veg dishes like cauliflower cheese freeze best, regular or sweet potato mash is good too.

[TroysMammy]

I freeze nearly everything, some stuff like creme fraiche needs a stir and to be used in cooking when defrosted. Grate cheese
chop onions (I do a few at a time in my food processor so I only have one lot of tears)
dice swede and carrots,
slice leeks p
slice peppers & celery (which can only be used in stews and soup)
shred cabbage
Cut aubergine into rounds and open freeze.
I buy frozen berries.

I have a tub of mascarpone and pack of mozzarella in the freezer, haven't tried it before but they were at their use by dates and I just put them in the freezer.

If I need an egg for glazing pastry I freeze the rest of it for the next time.

Fresh pasta & gnocchi.

[ShirleyPhallus]

Best to grate the cheese in to a tub and stir in a little flour to stop it sticking before freezing then you can get handfuls out as needed

Most veggies are fine apart from those with a high water content, ie lettuce. Same with fruit but you can stew those fruits and then freeze them.

Creme fraiche, make this, it is unbelievable:
Sauté chicken thighs and bacon cubes
Add in a sliced leak
Stir in creme fraiche, chicken stock and a spoon of mustard
Add a handful of peas
Top with mash and cheese or pastry

Absolutely delicious and freezes really well

[TroysMammy]

Garlic, chopped or crushed, ginger, peel and grate what you need and put it back in the freezer, whole chillies, chop off what you need and put it back, lemon juice and rind, likewise with limes, wine, cider. I put it in 100mls pots.

[ladybee28]

Remember to blanch most veggies in boiling water (briefly, and then plunge into cold) before freezing – it stops them going mushy.

Grandma taught me to freeze mashed potato on trays into portion-sized 'cakes', and then transfer to freezer bags to save space.

Fresh herbs (luxury, but one you'll appreciate if things turn bland):
Chop up any fresh herbs you have on hand.
Fill each section of an ice cube tray 3/4 of the way with chopped herbs.
Add olive oil until the herbs are just barely covered.
Freeze overnight, then pop the cubes out of the trays, and store them in labeled bags for later use.

[MrsFogi]

Thanks everyone - I foresee an evening of freezing stuff later...

[Finfintytint]

I’ve just frozen lots of herbs in olive oil as above in ice cube trays.
I’ve reduced surplus tomatoes to make tomato purée and have frozen numerous cubes.
Not a freezing solution but I’ve just bought a food dehydrator from Amazon and have dried tomatoes, onions, peppers, garlic and mushrooms for later use.

The fresh fruit and veg aisle in the supermarket is still well stocked.

People seem to be buying the tins and packets so making use of the fresh stuff still available seems sensible.

[gigglingHyena]

Double cream does not freeze well. Just defrosted a tub that I chucked in ther when we were I'll a few months ago. Very split, so ended up making butter with it.

Should have whipped it first, it survives much better then.

[MrsFogi]

Thanks for the recipe @ShirleyPhallus I used this evening and the whole family approved!

[LovingLola]

I’ve made about 25 portions of soup with the contents of the fridge veg drawer

• 8 tomato and basil
  
• 7 mushroom
  
• 10 random vegetables
  

All now labelled in the freezer
That’s 25 lunches

[LovingLola]

Tomorrow I’ll tackle the fruit
Planning apple purée, lemon curd and freezing berries and bananas for smoothies

[willowpatterns]

Cake-decorating leftover quandary, can you freeze ganache or salted caramel frosting? I have a dollop of each, and don't want to waste anything at the moment.

[GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER]

Milk freezes perfectly. You just need to take a little out of the plastic bottle to allow for expansion.

[Theyrecomingtotakemeawayhaha]

Cream freezes better if you do it in icecube trays first then transfer into bags.
Make soup to freeze and slightly past their best veg,this can include shredded lettuce.

[Theyrecomingtotakemeawayhaha]

And tomatoes last longer out of the fridge than in.

[OhLook]

Someone in a thread recently mentioned freezing eggs. Is that in their shells? Or do you have to crack them into something?

[MrsFogi]

Ooh yes I'd be interested to know about eggs too.

[DartmoorChef]

Watermelon will freeze fine if you chop it into small cubes or balls.

[DartmoorChef]

And frozen bananas are a fantastic alternative to an ice cream.

[ppeatfruit]

I find that if I freeze my home made curries with garlic they are NOT nice. I think it may be the garlic.

I have noticed that everything HAS to be well wrapped in the freezer, dh thinks he can put a loaf in, without a proper wrapping and he CAN"T !!!!

That's a lovely idea with the fresh herbs in olive oil , I'll try that.

Watermelon juices beautifully then that can be frozen. Or as lollies if you're feeling industrious

[ppeatfruit]

The higher the fat content of the cream the better it will freeze. So Marscapone is brilliant. I used some last Xmas (that had been frozen from the Xmas before) no problems but it needs defrosting slowly in the fridge. So of course proper butter will freeze well.

[Heismyopendoor]

Cream cheese/ soft cheese can also be frozen but once defrosted the texture changes, I would only use it for cooking in a dish, not to spread on a bagel etc.

I’ve got a variety of bread products in the freezer, even things like wraps. You can also buy dried beans (kidney, chickpeas etc) cook them up and then freeze them. In the supermarkets here all tinned things are still gone but dried are there as people don’t seem to know what to do with them.

[MikeUniformMike]

Hummus freezes ok, but like most things, it's not quite as good.

Fruit that we think of as veg (peppers, courgettes, aubergines, tomatoes etc) keeps much longer in a vegetable rack than in the fridge.
They don't freeze all that successfully, so are best in a sauce.