You can freeze much more than you think. Regularly we receive a great tip where we think: huh, can you store this in the freezer too? Why didn't we know this? And so we collected the handiest freezing tips from recent years. From pizza dough to hot peppers and much more. Handy for keeping food good for longer and throwing less away.
Put it in the freezer before it goes off
We are still throwing away far too much food. Not just leftovers from dinner, but also ‘forgotten’ products that are languishing somewhere in the fridge or on the counter. Think of the banana that suddenly goes off very quickly, the grated cheese that suddenly develops blue specks, or that forgotten avocado by the fridge door that is slowly turning into a kind of brown mousse. And what are those spots? It is a waste, because if you had put it in the freezer just a little bit sooner, you could often still have eaten it perfectly fine later. And that applies to quite a lot of products. Once frozen, they often keep for months.
So you can keep this in the freezer too!
Right, time to reorganise the freezer. Because for a long time, we didn't know you could just freeze these products either.
- Grated cheese: An opened packet of grated cheese can go mouldy pretty quickly. What a waste, as grated cheese is well-suited to freezing and can be kept for months. For a pizza, pasta dish or bake, you can sprinkle the cheese straight from the freezer onto your meal.
- Eggs: No, not shell and all. But whisk your eggs first, then they can easily go into the freezer. Freeze them, for example, per portion in an ice cube tray. Handy for an omelette, scrambled eggs or a recipe that requires egg.
- Milk, yoghurt and quark: is that half-empty pack in danger of lingering at the back of the fridge? Freeze it, for example in an ice cube tray. Yoghurt and quark in particular can change in texture somewhat after thawing, but for smoothies, sauces and other dishes that isn't a problem.
- Bananas: That banana that suddenly turns brown very quickly doesn't need to be finished off on the same day. Peel it, slice it if you like, and freeze it. After that, it's perfect for smoothies, banana bread, or banana ice cream. And seriously: take the peel off first. A frozen banana peel turns black and slimy and is difficult to remove afterwards.
- Avocado avocados can also go in the freezer. Handy if three suddenly ripen at the same time, as avocados love to do. Cut it into pieces or mash it first. After thawing, the texture is softer, so it's especially nice for guacamole, a spread or a smoothie.
- part-baked rollsYou might already know that you can freeze unbaked bread rolls, but once they have been baked, they can go in the freezer too. Just let them thaw later on and pop them in the oven for a short while. That way, they will become nice and crispy again.
- Pizza doughDo you make your own pizza dough? Then feel free to make a little extra and freeze a ball of dough. On the next pizza night, all you have to do is defrost it, roll it out and add your toppings. View the recipe for making your own pizza dough here. Also other dough such as cookie dough you can easily keep it in the freezer.
- Herbs and spices: basil, parsley, coriander, chives, chillies, ginger, galangal and lemongrass: they can all go in the freezer. The best way to do this varies per herb. Some you can finely chop and freeze with a little water or oil in an ice cube tray, while others just go into the freezer in pieces. You can read more about freezing herbs here.
- Grapes: Can't finish that whole bunch? Freeze the grapes and eat them while they're frozen. Sort of like mini-lollies, but they're also fun as ice cubes in a drink. That way, they keep your drink cold without watering it down.
- Lemon and lime Is there another half a lemon drying out in the fridge? You can freeze the juice in an ice cube tray and the zest can go into the freezer too. Handy to add to a sauce, dressing or dish later.
- Tomato puree You often only need a single tablespoon and then the rest of the tin is left sitting there. Freeze tomato purée in small portions and next time you can grab precisely what you need. Such a frozen portion can simply go straight into the pan.
- Coconut milk: another one of those products where you very often don't need the whole tin for a recipe. Freeze the rest in small portions and use them later for a curry, soup, sauce or smoothie.
- Boiled rice: Measured out far too much rice again? Cool the rice down quickly and freeze it in portions. Reheat the rice thoroughly later on and you'll have rice in a flash to go with a curry or stir-fry.’
- Cooked pasta: even leftover cooked pasta can go in the freezer. Freeze it and use it later for a quick pasta dish or bake. Pasta that is still a bit firm comes out of the freezer best.
- Potatoes: Leftover boiled, baked or mashed potatoes can easily go in the freezer. It is best to reheat baked potatoes later in the oven, frying pan or air fryer so that they become nice and crispy again. After reheating, you can make mashed potato a bit smoother with a dash of milk or a knob of butter, if necessary.
You can store much more in the freezer than you think. Even avocados (though the tip is without skin and in pieces).
Use your freezer cleverly: stick a label on it
One more tip: label containers and bags with what's inside and when it went into the freezer. Rob Geus from The Taste Police and your mother was right: labelling! Because a freezer full of unrecognisable containers that nobody looks at anymore completely misses the point, of course. Before you know it, you end up throwing food away anyway because you no longer know what it is and how long it has been in there. Put new things at the back and bring older stock to the front. That way, your freezer doesn't become a place where food disappears indefinitely, but a pantry that you actually eat from!
Also useful: Here is how to clean your freezer in an eco-friendly way!
And while you're at it: the best fridge organisation according to experts.
Sources: Nutrition Centre on Instagram, seriouseats.com. Photo credits: thegreenlist.nl (main image), Lisa Fotios, Pexels (avocado).
