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.

I have an American fridge freezer that I use day to day. I also have a small chest freezer in the shed. This is where when I run low on something say frozen spinach I buy a bag and dump in there. Then replace into the main freezer when needed. I also use to stock up on an item is on special

Whole or diced?

Chopped ginger and garlic.... really adds a zing to my stir fry

I tried freezing single cream in ice cube trays...not a good idea. I put the cream ice cubes in a curry and they just looked horrible all separated and I couldn't taste the cream

Egg yolks left over from freezing meringues.
I use the cupcake/muffin baking tin to hold individual silicone cupcake holders,pop an egg yolk in each one and place the whole lot in the freezer.
When frozen,I take the yolks out of the tray and the cases and put them into a freezer bag marked with the date.

I buy IKEA freezer bags in bulk! The 4.5 ltr and 6 ltr box's are great for slow cooker grab bags

Boiled water - it freezes really well, and whenever I fancy a cuppa, I just take out a few and heat them up 😉🤔😀

I never used to believe in leftover wine until I became a bit of a lightweight and can't drink a bottle in one evening anymore

Fresh herbs

Sandwich ham
Mozzarella balls
Random Aldi reduced stuff
Tortilla (for wraps, you can put baking paper between each one to access them individually when your daughter wants a wrap for her lunch on Saturday)

I've been watching the batch lady do I also regularly freeze chopped chicken breast in tikka marinade ready for making curry, and chicken fillets wrapped in bacon for hunters chicken. And homemade beef burgers. I did always do the batch lady chicken tikka masala grab bags but my daughter doesn't like it

I never buy single cream so have only frozen double but assume it’s more stable due to the higher fat content. I would never use single cream in a sauce because it has a tendency to split and that’s what I’d use frozen cream for anyway

Exactly as @Aliflowers said, you need the fat content for stability. It's why single cream and low fat products split more readily when heated, too - there's not enough fat to hold the sauce together.

Homemade compound butters in rolls/slices. It's easy to grab to top a pizza (homemade cheesy garlic bread 😍) or steak.

I buy whole, peeled garlic cloves and then freeze them whole. Or chop a load in the processor and freeze in giant ice cube trays (garlic is measured with the heart).

Lemon slices for drinks.

Chicken carcasses and veg peelings for stock (and the resulting, heavily reduced stock).

Fresh herbs, ginger and chillies (to be grated from frozen).

I make up double batches of curry sauce (mowglis butter chicken is a firm favourite here) and freeze half for an easy dinner.

Parmesan rinds for umami/cheese puffs 🤌🏻

I freeze double cream in 2 tbsp ice cube trays for adding to sauces.

Egg yolks/whites/whole eggs that have been whisked up. If I have eggs that are coming up to their date, I'll often freeze them, whisked up, ready for Yorkshire puddings/pancakes.

I make up stuffing mix and freeze in portions, that can then be cooked from frozen.

Same with cauliflower cheese. I freeze in individual florets and then add to a bag. Then i can just pull out as many florets as i want and, again, cook from frozen.

I freeze the ends of loafs for stuffing/meatballs.

Cookie dough so I can just cook as many as I want at a time.

Butter. I like president spreadable, so I buy when on offer and keep it in the freezer.

Milk also (although thanks to whomever said about freezing it in ice cube trays!).

Also, I feel like this is a group who would appreciate a souper cube. They're basically giant, silicone ice cube trays.

I freeze leftover sauces in their jars, such as curry paste, cranberry sauce, Thai red curry etc

that can be dodgy, not all glass is freezer safe

Agree @godmum56 . The jar could look intact on the outside but could have cracked inside with shards in the sauce.

I usually store then in a ziplock bag or a takeaway container. They need (but don't usually get!) 5 minutes or so to make them a bit easier to bite. I learned the very hard way to freeze them on non stick baking paper... Sometimes I add bits of chopped berries or sprinkle cinnamon on if the yoghurt is plain. As they're on a stick it feels more like a treat. You can just blitz frozen banana chunks with a dash of milk to make the most perfect instant Ice cream!

I just stick it in the freezer unpeeled. You can grate it super easily from frozen.

I always put new bags of flour in the freezer for a while if I can to kill off any tiny flour mite eggs.

Diced celery, carrot, and onion. I make a big batch and then spread it out on baking parchment on oven trays and freeze it. Then when it’s frozen, bag it all up and just chuck in a pan a couple of handfuls for a quick start to soups, stews etc. I also do the same with potatoes, carrots, parsnips - straight into hot oil for roasted. All veg that I’ve got too much of. Even sliced mushrooms, get the same treatment.
Cooked bulgur wheat so I can make a quick tabulleh.
Lemon slices, in the summer chopped up orange, lime, lemon for drinks.
if I’m making an egg wash for pies or sausage rolls, unused egg gets put in a small box and frozen.

Bechamel sauce generally can be frozen. I did some batches recently when I found I had too much milk.

Going back to the PP and the bananas, freeze your bananas, melt some chocolate and then dip the frozen bananas straight into the melted chocolate and take them out of the chocolate. The chocolate will set on on it almost immediately. Sometimes, if I’m feeling really fancy I also stick a lollipop stick into the banana and maybe even add a few chopped nuts.

Yes me too. I put the whole bag in a mini chopper, then freeze in ice cube tray and empty in a bag once frozen so its easier to get a cube for cooking.

@Nezukokamado Cut up pieces of frozen banana and hurt can be whizzed up whilst still frozen to make excellent mock ice cream.