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 ...

My freezer is currently empty. DS must have been fiddling with the door yesterday and left it a fraction ajar. I came down to a giant puddle in the kitchen and everything semi defrosted, will use what I can over the next couple of days but a lot will have to be binned .

fresh grated parmesan in the freezer - ready to sprinkle over pasta straight from the freezer.
Food processor to whizz up stale bread into breadcrumbs - then poly bags into freezer.
Tortillas and croissants always frozen (stay fresher)
fresh basil and coriander
lippy and nail varnish keep longer in the freezer.
I have been known to freeze left-over gravy, mashed potatoes and Yorkshire puddings too.

Peachy, LOL at the stray waffles, me too! You have 3 boys as well, don't you?

of laden lime tree...

Everytime we have a roast I make stock with the bones and freeze it in bags of 1/2 or 1 pint. When I need to use it, I run the bag under the hot tap to loosen and drop the frozen stock straight into the pan for casseroles or soup bases.

Apparently you can also freeze milk..... !

No secret but frozen spinach is a godsend. much cheaper and I reckon much nicer than fresh.

You can whizz up frozen berries straight from the freezer with milk and a bit of honey if necessary and they make a lovely thick smoothie.

we zhooz fresh ginger and chillies (separately) in the grinder/mill and thinly fill a resealable freezer bag. Place it flat in the freezer then you can break off as much or as little s you like when you need it. Handy for curries, chillis etc. M-I-L does the same with garlic but I just bought that from Sainsburys.

califrau...

am so bookmarking this thread. my only freezer tip is to feed your children frozen peas. frozen frozen peas, that is, they love 'em.

hey treacletart, have you tried frozen chopped spinach..great cos you can bung a small portion into kids meals for that extra bit of iron (I speak as a veggie mum...most of you probably don't have to worry bout thast so much)

yogurts freeze into yummy ice lollies. Also fruit smoothies. And home made biscuits/cake/muffins. Biscuits are especially good coz they defrost in next to no time - or if you can't wait that long, they taste nice still frozen

BeeGee - recipe for banana loaf - treat version (there is a healthier version also)

heat oven @ 325

1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp white vinegar
combine these and let sit

1/4 cup of pure veg oil
1/4 cup apple sauce
3 rotten bananas
vanilla from one pod or 1 tsp vanilla essence
2 eggs
combine these 5 ingredients, then add milk

add 1/2 to 3/4 cup brown sugar (to taste)
1 and 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda

mix these but not too much - just to combine them - mixture should stay lumpy

for loaf bake for 55-60 mins or until golden brown
for muffins put into well greased muffin tray (12) or the paper muffin 'cups' for 25 - 30 mins
generously sprinkle with porridge oats

we also add blueberries, or lemon to the mixture with lemon and orange zest, or chocolate chips, or treble the vanilla and add sesame seeds on top. can be a joint effort for the little ones as its so simple - my little one has been cooking these with me since she was about 18 months old

hope this helps. there is also a healthier version but it doesn't taste half as good...

Brilliant brilliant thread! Is it sad or OK that I am so excited about this?

Brilliant brilliant thread! Is it sad or OK that I am so excited about this?

No one has yet mentioned breast milk. I used to freeze it in sterilized ice cube trays inside a plastic bag and store the cubes in sterilized Tupperware boxes. If I wanted to go out it was easy to defrost a few cubes in a bottle for the babysitter to use.

okay, following on from the frozen chillies, if you don't like the seeds then slice the chillies in half and then freeze them. Much easier to de-seed them once they are frozen.

I sautee onions and freeze in portions to use as base of couscous and curries. For curry base I usually add cumin, asefoetida (a.k.a. hing)and 'pop' some mustard seeds to oil before adding the onions.

can't wait to try the banana loaf recipe, mine always ends up like custard in the middle, and not in a good way!

part boiled potatos. can be put straight into hot oil to roast. this can be done weeks in advance and keeps the hob clear on the day (i only have small hob so this is great for big lunches etc). have already prepped all my xmas spuds!!(is that sad?!)

God this is all so useful, thank you to everyone. At the risk of doing my usual thread-killing, tho at least this time it would be my own thread, I also remembered that she who domestics godessly, freezes leftover wine (from people's glasses when they've left her DPs...) She uses them in soups and stews. She also freezes meat in marinades so that it takes hold as the meat's defrosting. Not much wine left normally in Cratchit-land...

Thanks so much, mammamic. Can't wait to try it and scoff.

Love MN!!

I use this recipe from Nigella Lawson all the time for banana bread. It's got rum in but I use creme de cassis (like for kir) and the alcohol burns off so the kids love the taste but don't get squiffy! It makes a really big loaf so I usally use half and freeze half cut into squares. Delicious! and i do freeze black bananas for this and although they go a bit runny when defrosted the work ok.

I aslo make up double quanities fo fresh tomato (or use tinned toms) and freeze it in bacthes for instant, almost, pastas. Pizza dough freezes well too.

and i love this thread - one of the best!!!
100g sultanas

75ml bourbon or dark rum

175g plain flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

half teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

half teaspoon salt

125g unsalted butter, melted

150g sugar

2 large eggs

4 small, very ripe bananas (about 300g weighed without skin), mashed

60g chopped walnuts

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

23 x 13 x 7cm loaf tin, buttered and floured or with a paper insert

Put the sultanas and rum or bourbon in a smallish saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat, cover and leave for an hour if you can, or until the sultanas have absorbed most of the liquid, then drain.

Preheat the oven to 170ºC/gas mark 3 and get started on the rest. Put the flour, baking powder, bicarb and salt in a medium-sized bowl and, using your hands or a wooden spoon, combine well. In a large bowl, mix the melted butter and sugar and beat until blended.

Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the mashed bananas. Then, with your wooden spoon, stir in the walnuts, drained sultanas and vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture, a third at a time, stirring well after each bit.

Scrape into the loaf tin and bake in the middle of the oven for 1 to 1 and a quarter hours. When it's ready, an inserted toothpick or fine skewer should come out cleanish. Leave in the tin on a rack to cool, and eat thickly or thinly sliced, as you prefer.

Makes 8-10 slices

what a fab thread!! cannot think of anything that hasn't already been mentioned; but laughed at person who was excited at this thread. When living in cyprus hubby in military i got excited at a new carrot recipe book arriving into libary now that is sad. oh just remembered instead of freezer packs blue square things use mini bottled water frozen. As dual purpose of keeping food chilled and you have instant water.(obviously a summer tip)

Meringues. You can eat them as soon as you take them out, and they are lovely and chewy inside.