I saved hundreds of dollars on groceries by freezing these foods.
Unfortunately, Rona has the most of us coupon clipping, only buying sale foods, or buying in bulk from Costco only to be eating the same things over and over again. I did some research and played around with freezing various food items and came up with a list of food items you never knew you could freeze. These items tasted just as good as the day I put them in the freezer. Also, side note, pre-corona we ate mostly organic non-GMO in our house so this was definitely a challenge.
Fruits and Veggies
First off, since we ate mostly all organic I had to cook the foods in the beginning that I knew would go bad. As many of you may know, cooking your organic veggies and freezing them works just as good. If you go to Costco and buy your veggies in bulk don’t forget to freeze them. One thing I do, is after we have a meal and I have left over veggies, I put them right into a freezer safe bag and put them back in the freezer for another night. I make it a point that I do not waste any food. When I go to cook frozen veggies, I either steam them or put them right in a pan or oven frozen and cook them right away. No need to defrost them.
BBQ leftover tip – whenever we have left over corn on the cob, I take a knife and cut the corn off the cob and place into a freezer bag.
Tomato sauce tip – if you like to make your own tomato sauce. Freeze your left over tomatoes and reheat them in a pot and crush when heated.
I also buy fruit frozen and either put it in shakes, defrost them and eat them or put them in my yogurt and cereal. Frozen grapes and blueberries are the best snack and kids love it. I used to nanny for a family and I would always put a bag of organic blueberries in their freezer before they went to school and when they came back home to do homework they would go wild over it. Also, they would focus more on doing their homework and not complain because they knew they had frozen berries to look forward to. They said it tasted like ice cream.
Dairy
Now, this may sound crazy… but you actually can freeze milk as long as the expiration date hasn’t passed yet. Once you defrost milk, you should really drink it within 7 days. I also would not leave milk in the freezer beyond 3 months. I have yet to do this because we typically don’t drink milk but we have done this with almond and oat milk and honestly I didn’t taste much of a difference. If your feeling risky, I’d give it a try.
Shredded cheese is AMAZING to freeze. We have frozen bags of shredded cheese, whether its vegan cheese or regular dairy cheese. I buy bags especially, if they are on sale and put them right in the freezer. It has the same taste and consistency as before you put it in. You should let it defrost in the fridge overnight before eating.
Butter may also seem like a weird one, but I always have some butter frozen. Make sure to let it defrost overnight in the fridge before using but it tastes and will get the same texture as it once had.
We have hosted brunches where people would bring over cream cheese, or we had a ton of cream cheese we didn’t want to go bad. I put them in safe containers right in the freezer and took them out as needed. Tastes great.
I have yet to try this one, but I have read you can in fact freeze yogurt. That there are certain preservatives in yogurt and even sour cream that make the product taste the same after you defrost it. Comment down below if you have tried this and let me know.
I would not cook any of these dairy items frozen. Let them defrost in the fridge overnight before using.
Breads/Grains
I always have a loaf of bread sitting in my freezer. When the pandemic first started, we could not find bread anywhere so now I keep it in my fridge at all times. You can toast bread frozen, but again I let it defrost.
English Muffins are always on sale buy one get one free lately. I always buy two and again throw one in my freezer.
Hot dog and hamburger buns are great but make sure you toast them or throw them in the oven because these can get soggy if just defrosted regularly.
Tortillas are a new one I have been freezing. We love to make tacos, or fajitas in the summer and the tortilla’s always seem to go to waste. We started freezing them recently and they taste great. I always heat them up too before serving. Pro tip, put the tortillas in two separate bags because they could break if you do not defrost them first.
Bagels are a known favorite to freeze. After you have a bagel party, brunch or family over I always cut the bagels in half and put them in a freezer safe bag. You can throw the bagel in the toaster frozen and they taste great.
Pasta is a great item to freeze. I freeze any pasta left over’s we have in small containers and when we need a quick meal heat them up again in the microwave or a pot. It’s a great thing to pack for work lunches if you’re in a rush or need a quick dinner.
Meat/Chicken/Seafood
This really goes without saying; you can always freeze your meats, chickens and seafood. Costco has a great deal on Perdue frozen chicken. It’s an entire 10 pound bag for $20.00. Pro Tip- the supermarkets always have chicken and fish in the freezer section and its cheaper and usually you get more for your money. Just make sure it’s a brand that does not use antibiotics. Hot dogs and sausages are also a good item to freeze. You can defrost them and throw them right on the grill.
It’s important now then ever, to make sure we do not waste. With hurricane season approaching and the pandemic still around, we need to make sure we have food at all times. Recently, the east coast got hit with a tropical storm and food was sold out of the shelves at the market for days before and after. Please be mindful when buying in bulk if not at Costoc or BJ’s because other families need food and toilet paper as well.
Comment down below if you freeze other items that I should add to this list!
Stay safe
