Stuff you recently discovered that actually freezes really well...

[MindYourUsage]

...or stuff you now freeze that has been a game changer

I'll start:

• Pesto portions. Dolloped in little tin foil parcels
• Ditto cream cheese (only good for cooking with once defrosted tho)
• A Fecking squeeze of fresh lemon 😂 for those poxy recipes that demand it
• Single portions of mashed potato - freezes exceptionally well with double cream and butter. Game changer for single living.

Left over chips from the chip shop.
Reheat in the airfryer.
Taste no different except perhaps a little crunchier.

random little pots! teeny salt and pepper shakers from some picnic basket eons ago (placed upright until solid obvs), those teeny jam jars, tiny salad dressing pots...I am a keeper of containers obviously...

I suppose you could use an ice cube tray...

I freeze pesto and cooked lentil portions in ice cube trays. A normal sized tray for the pesto, and one with big compartments for lentils.
If you mix pesto with rushed garlic it makes a lovely pizza topping, like the pesto you get on a Ristorante pizza.

Gather round and talk to me about freezing mashed potatoes.
The only time even I've successfully (or tastes nice) duvet v thus is when I added cream cheese.
And I see OP mentions ' with cream and butter)
Is extra fat the answer,?

I would love to see inside your freezer at all the little pots and containers 😆

Pomegranate seeds

Crisps?! That’s a life lesson right there I’m interested to know how this was discovered, like wise chippy chips!

Apparently! And it makes the loveliest mash you'll ever have eaten! Make a giant batch, grab fistfuls of it with sandwich bags and chuck in the freezer.

Reheated it tastes as lovely as the day it was made. Honestly! I do defrost in the fridge though. I haven't tried reheating from frozen.

Game changer for anyone who doesn't want to get in from work and start peeling bloody potatoes.

• I put my pesto in a ziplock bag and break pieces as needed (when it s frozen it’s very easy to break as I leave the bag to freeze aging down flat so it’s a thin- ish layer).

no need to fiddle peeling frozen foil off pesto.

• i also freeze portions of soup one any sauce based meals in ziplock bags laying flat as takes a lot less space than containers.

• when I buy say slice of cake I really like, what I don’t finish I cut it into smaller pieces (I find a typical slice can easily be divided into 4) and freeze. I eat it frozen and is tastier and more satisfying than when it’s fresh.

• grated: mozzarella , Parmesan, most cheeses

100% agree on the home made pesto. I freeze them in large ice cube trays.

I freeze the rind from Parmesan, Pecorino etc. I put them in a ragu and they give a fantastic umami kick.
You can also cut them into small pieces and microwave them on high for 60-90 seconds to make super crispy cheese puff things - defrost first. Cool for at least 5 minutes or you’ll incinerate your tongue!

You can freeze crisps?!! 🤯

I make the rind into cheesy treats for my dog like this! Puff up the rind in the microwave for 60 seconds, score it while it's still hot, wait for it to cool down and break up into delicious snacks in a vain attempt to get her to behave on walks.

Bro....i need more of your tips please. I NEVER would have thought to do this

Oh, you’re a lovely person. I can’t share the cheesy puffs!

THANK YOU! mine are always going bad because I can't eat them quick enough

I love the lemon idea (fab idea as I don't use them up fast enough) - thank you for the tip!

I freeze: bread (yellow stickered bakery bread that I slice and then freeze), baguette (sliced into single portion sizes and frozen), cakes, pastries, crustless quiche/fritata, stewed fruit, cheese, milk, rice pud, chillies etc. I peel and slice ginger root and freeze that. I also buy garlic when on offer/yellow sticker and peel/freeze the cloves. Also: usual stuff like rice/pasta, home made chips and roasties (not tried freezing mash!), soups, curries, stews, pasta meals etc.

I used to freeze the meals in 4-portion containers but then started using single portion take-away style containers. Much bloody easier, as me/the DC can pick what we want for lunches/evening meals. I work FT (shift work), DS works shift work and DD is at school. We defrost what we want and either cook at work (me), or heat up and put in food flask (DS and DD).

^this all saves so much waste (and faff*!)!

*I LOVE cooking but I'm a lazy bint, who hates wasting food/money and will do anything to make my life easier. So, batch cooking and freezing whatever the hell I can is a bonus: means at home/school/work, we can all eat healthy meals for less money and there's hardly anything wasted.

You don't need to peel ginger root, just chop the end off and grate if while its frozen. The peel stays on the wrong side of the grater.

Hummus

Chocolate mini rolls

avocado

I thought that stokked was a brilliant idea they do individual portion blocks of things like chilli con carne and chicken tikka etc etc. I mean they were ok. But I love cooking and can do most the meals myself so I bought silicone moulds of the same size and make and freeze my own then decant into a Tupperware in the freezer. I also freeze things like flat bread and pita bread which defrost in the toaster while I microwave the meals and it’s a game changer.

Where do you buy fresh curry leaves? I can’t find them anywhere.

Ground almonds and any other nuts I use for baking. Stops them going rancid as I don’t bake often enough to use them up freshly opened.
Also Parmesan rinds, perfect bunged into soups and meaty sauces/ casseroles

I freeze almost anything!
Lots of recipes demand eg 1/2 tin of coconut milk so I bag and freeze rest
Hate waste - always freeze stock, gravy, jus, leftovers