What's your best freezer "secret"

[Cratchit]

Probably everyone already knows this but ... mine is that you can freeze whole chillis. Red ones retain the heat better than green ones, but both work. It also means you can buy those little packets in the supermarket, which are often cut price down our way, and not waste any... Sometimes I defrost them in the microwave too. Ohmagawd I'm so 21st Century, or tight and desperate ...

I peel satsumas/clementines etc and freeze them in pieces for a summer snack, also strawberries/raspberries/banana

I've always frozen bread and i always keep a 2 pint of milk for emergencies.
Tried cream, but that was awful

This has to be one of the most useful threads that I have had the pleasure to read on MN. I have printed a copy and it is now sitting in my culinary folder . Thank you for startig it Cratchit!

What fantastic ideas, just in the process of restocking freezer as my DD left the door open and defrosted all the pureed and frozen baby food i had spend all day preparing! Will be adding some of these, especially the chillis and the vodka, could have done with the vodka when i found the freezer door open!

Can confirm milk does not "change" if frozen. I should know as I am a qualified Home Economist ......now that really dates me, children today don't do Home Economics do they?? To really scare you I should add that ds is only 4 .

I freeze everything.We live a 12 mile round trip from the nearest shops,so always have bread & milk in the freezer.When we moved here & my freezer was delivered,the guys who delivered it said that it was big enough to get a dead body in.

I freeze homegrown herbs in ice cube trays.You can then just pop out the amount needed.Also freeze,apples,blackberries,mushrooms,onions,chilies,squash,swede,tomato sauce for pasta,curries ect,applecake,crumbles,any leftovers for quick meals for the dd's,pasta bakes,chilli & rice.In fact,if you can eat it,you can freeze it is my motto.

This thread is good but I am getting a little depressed because my freezer is so titchy!(We have one of those under the counter fridge freezers that have a freezer that is smaller than a bread box!)
but just to add to it - we usually have a ciabatta loaf in there - very quick and easy to cook and slice up for bread and cheese as afters!

I read that if you freeze fresh herbs do it in an icecbe tray with a little bit of water.

Not tried it yet, and am unsure of how much water is needed. Will have to experiment

Someone mentioned banana loaf...anyone got a good recipe? Really fancy making that (and bunging some in the freezer, of course)

I cook red lentils and then freeze in ice cube trays - it freezes really well. Add to pasta and cheese or mix with mashed avocadoes to make yummy dip...excellent way of getting a great veg protein into the children.

Frozen pineapple chunks and melon balls - great for hot weather when you can grab one and suck on it. Last a lot longer than an ice lolly, tastes better, is better for you, has a fraction of the calories, and as just as refreshing!

I do 'base mince'.

Bog standard mince made as per usual (ie, in this house, with onions and carrots chopped small and gravy salt), then freeze in varying quantities. These will, with the addition of appropriate ingredients, turn into: mince'n'tatties; bolognaise (for with pasta or in lasange); chilli cc; shepherd's pie etc etc.

Probably not enough 'ingredient festering time' for the purists, but means things can be made v quickly on return from work.

I freeze eggs - whisked up together and then poured into ice cube trays.

I roast two chickens at the same time, carve the second one and put in bags for diferent meals, means I always have some thing for dinner on my work days.

I'm soooooo , I want to try all these good ideas but I don't have a freezer or the space in my tiny kitchen to put a freezer!

My parents always freeze real ground coffee, it stops it going stale apparantly and can be used from frozen.

lapsed runner..please tell me all about being a 'home economist'

Stewed fruit also crumble mixture, then have quick pud. Home made soups. As others`sauces /bakes/pies. My delecious home made ice cream, DH's bread. Prpblem is i'm not very good at labelling things so can be a bit hit and miss when defrosting eg; chilli instead of bolognaise.

Great thread

Those little petit filou/danonino yogs freeze well - my children like to put a slit in the top, then stick a lolly stick or teaspoon in and bung them in the freezer. Voila

frozen summer berries - get them from supermarket.

Work great as icecubes in the vodka.

I always freeze leftovers (like lasagne) for quick microwave meals.

meant to add you can also use the summer berries as sweeties - frozen they are hard and tast like sweeties, but healthier.

I was wondering if all these suggestions need to be defrosted before cooking, or can they be cooked straight from the freezer?? Bolognaise etc??

Great thread - our freezer only has bread, ice cubes and frozen peas in there, so I really could maximise it's potential!!

peel then freeze bananas (esp useful if they are starting to go off and use in smoothies, yummy

Ginger root and unwaxed lemons - grate much better and easier when frozen.

For making home-made chicken nuggets, chop a chicken breast into vaguely nugget-shaped pieces and bung a few each in a freezer bag with some buttermilk before freezing. Simply defrost, pat dry and coat with squashed cornflakes, Ritz crackers or Weetabix to feel like Super-mum in manner of Annabel Karmal/NIgella Lawson.

I think my freezer secrets lurk in deep corners of my chest freezer and are probably best left there frankly

OK OK< I keep a plastic tub of soft fruit which I justa dd to as I pick more until i have enough for home amde jam.

But I also have stray waffles in the corners