15+ Items Perfect for Freezer Storage
The freezer in your kitchen is truly a wonderful and handy appliance that we often take for granted. Without it, we’d be extremely limited when it comes to how long food would last in our kitchens. But enough about all that. Are you aware of just how many different foods besides TV dinners and ice cream tubs that you can store? Keep reading to discover 15+ items perfect for freezer storage.
Items Perfect for Freezer Storage
You may be surprised by a few of them, and also be glad that you found a way to avoid tossing them out. Here’s more on things that you didn’t know you could store in your freezer.
Eggs
Did you know you can freeze your eggs? I used my blender to blend the yolk and the white clear liquid of the egg. Then I poured equal amounts into these Silicone Containers (12 eggs-approximately one egg in each section) covered tightly with plastic wrap or lid before placing in the freezer. When you need some eggs thaw the container in your refrigerator the day before you need them.
Eggs that are no longer in their shell are able to last in your freezer for about a year. You can also separate the whites from the yolks and freeze them in separate containers. You may find that egg yolks are more difficult to freeze, so be sure and add an ⅛ teaspoon of salt and place them in an airtight container.
Once you’re ready to enjoy them, move them over to your refrigerator overnight so they can thaw. You could also run them under cold water for the same results. Eggs that have been thawed from the freezer should only be consumed in dishes that have been well-cooked. In case you missed my article on eggs How Fresh Eggs are Different From Store Bought Ones
Breakfast Sandwiches/Burritos
If you’re ever in a bind in the morning and you don’t have time to cook up breakfast, not to worry. Take the time to prepare a few breakfast sandwiches or burritos ahead of time just the way you like them, and freeze them. It’s that easy!
Bread
At times it seems that there are one too many loaves of bread in your pantry, or it could be you wish you had some additional bread for your next meal. How about avoiding those situations by freezing your bread and skipping the dilemma? Place your package of bread in one or two resealable bags that you can store in your freezer for a few months. These are the bags I use for my homemade bread: Bread Bags with Ties
Rice and Grains
I make large batches of white rice and then freeze 2 cups of the cooked rice in freezer bags. They are ready when I need them.
Do you ever struggle with the problem of rice that’s not quite ready at the same time as your main dish? Maybe that’s just me, but freezing a second batch would make your next meal prep time so much faster.
Butter
If you ever find a super great deal on butter at your local grocery store, don’t hesitate to stock up and throw a block or two in the freezer. There’s really no reason that you ever run out when you’re halfway in the middle of a baking recipe.
Cheese
I love cheese, can you tell? We eat it on almost everything. I watch for the sales and stock up big time.
People often notice that cheese that has been thawed out has a crumbly texture. But if you plan on cooking with it, no worries. Cut your cheese up in chunks or even grate it if you want to. When I buy bags of grated or shredded cheese on sale it goes right into the freezer. I thaw it in the refrigerator overnight.
Another way I freeze grated cheese is in mason in jars. I use a canning funnel to fill the jars. Then all I have to do is grab a pint when I’m making tacos or burritos.
Fresh Herbs
You can stir your favorite herbs into softened butter and fill an ice cube tray or Silicone Containers as shown above. Place them in the freezer and pop one out when you need a little rosemary, shallots, or basil in your favorite hot recipe.
I find that many times when I use fresh herbs, the other unused half goes bad after being left in the refrigerator. Here’s another option for you to try.
Vegetables
You can be lazy like me and just buy frozen chopped onions (on sale) so they are ready to use at the last minute. I also buy freeze-dried onions, but these frozen onions rock for making so many meals. It’s awesome when the stores have red, yellow, and orange bell peppers on sale too.
I wash them, remove the core, and slice them before freezing them in freezer bags. You can chop them almost instantly when you bring them out of the freezer. These are the two things I use more often than any other vegetable for meals. My secret, I cleaned out my freezer for this post, these are the containers I purchased to organize my freezer: Freezer Baskets
Freezing your vegetables the proper way is done in a process called “blanching.” You’ll need to boil them in a pot for just about 5 minutes with the lid on top. Once you’ve drained them, place them in iced water between 5 and 10 minutes. Now they are ready for the freezer once they’ve been placed in resealable containers. In case you missed my post on How To Prepare Corn On The Cob For The Freezer or my post on How To Freeze Fresh Spinach
Fruit
Fruit can also be placed in your freezer, though there are a few different tricks for whichever type of fruit you’re looking to freeze. They make for a quick and easy ingredient for a tasty smoothie, or enjoying them just the way they are. Here are some of those tips to get you started.
Nuts and Coconut
When it comes to nuts, the best way to buy them is in bulk. It’s much cheaper that way, but then you’re dealing with the fact that they won’t last forever. If you’re having trouble eating them quickly, they’ll be just fine in the freezer for a later date.
This is one of those items perfect for freezer storage that not a lot of people know about. They will go rancid very quickly on your pantry shelves. I have walnuts, pecans, whole almonds, sliced almonds, and pine nuts all frozen in FoodSaver bags placed in my freezer.
I also freeze a few bags of shredded coconut as well, so I’m never out of the ingredients I need. I use it in cookies, on top of cakes, and granola bars. Life is good when your freezer or pantry is stocked and ready to cook any meal in minutes.
Milk
Yes, believe it or not, you can even freeze milk for longer periods of time. Just be sure that you place it in a larger container because milk, like other liquids, does tend to expand. Some people might argue that thawed milk has a slightly different texture, but give it a good stir and you shouldn’t notice a difference. Once it has been thawed, don’t waste any time drinking it for no more than 2 to 3 days.
Homemade Lasagna
As much time as you spend putting together lasagna and all the extra ingredients you have leftover, go ahead and just make an extra pan of it for the next time you have an Italian craving.
Well-ripened Bananas
You can slice them, mash them, or cut the bananas in half and place them in your freezer to use later.
If your family loves banana nut bread and banana smoothies as much as I do, freezing your bananas only makes sense. Especially since they turn out just as delicious. It’s up to you whether they’re peeled or cut and they make for a quick snack in the blender.
Chocolate
Every once in a while a lot of women (and quite a few men) get the urge for a chocolate pick-me-up. Plus, your kids might not think to look there for it. Place your chocolate in freezer bags and put them in the refrigerator for a few hours before moving them to the freezer. Now you have a way to indulge your sweet tooth when the time is just right.
Cookie Dough
Everyone loves cookies. The next time you go to make cookies, be sure to make a larger batch that you can tuck away for the next time. Your kids will certainly thank you! Here are a few wonderful cookie recipes that you can follow.
Slow Cooker Recipes
Being a mom of a family that’s constantly on the go makes meal planning and the time to cook and eat healthy meals nearly impossible. Avoid the drive-thru by making large batches of slow cooker recipes that you can freeze, and when needed place them in your slow cooker in just a matter of minutes. Dinner will cook throughout the day.
Final Word
This is by no means an exhaustive list of the surprising items that you can freeze in your helpful appliance. Here are a few other foods that may also surprise you. Freezing food is just so much better than allowing it to sit around and spoil. So next time, don’t hesitate to use your freezer. Do you agree with these items as being perfect for Freezer Storage? What would you add to this list? May God bless this world, Linda.
Copyright Images: Chicken Crockpot Recipes Deposit photos_63432029_s-2019, Frozen Food Depositphotos_131848078_s-2019, Herbs In Butter Depositphotos_369327516_s-2019
Everyone knows about freezing hamburger the storage is what it’s all about. We buy hamburger in large quantities at Costco. Naturally we can’t use it all at once with just two of us. We use quart freezer bags and divide the packaged meat into approximately 1lb to 1 1/2 lb amounts and then put them in the freezer bags. We burp them and flatten them out neatly. This way they stack on end and are super easy to pull out of the freezer for use. I know how much is in each bag so I know whether to pull out one or two depending on the recipe.
I also have alot of fruit trees – cherry, apple, apricot and peach – so there is alot of jam making going on here in the fall. The easiest recipes are for the freezer. I have the entire bottom drawer filled with jars of freezer jam.
Hi Robbie, I love the hamburger at Costco! You are so lucky to have so many fruit trees!! I love love love freezer jam! Life is so good with jam on homemade bread!! Linda
Linda ~
I also use baskets in my freezer (just the top of the refrigerator) to stay somewhat organized!! But, I buy mine at the dollar store to save money! They work well and I can get 2 fairly large ones on the top shelf of my freezer. Of course, then I don’t have the ability to use my automatic ice cube maker but the water here is such that I really don’t like those ice cubes because they are not filtered in any way. Not sure if the floaty things are ok for human consumption but in a glass of water or iced tea, not for me!!
When I freeze bread, I package 2 slices in a zippered sandwich bag then those bags go back into the bread bag. Since I live alone, I find that it takes me weeks or months to go through a loaf of bread so I have to freeze it! I also freeze onions and bell peppers for convenience in cooking. As for meat, I package my hamburger in 1/4 pound packages and other meats in 1 or at most 2 of something like pork chops or small steaks, 1 chicken breast to a package and ALL of my meat is packaged in vacuum sealed bags. I am not a huge meat eater so that, while a bit spendy for the bags, saves me a ton of money if I don’t use up the meat very quickly. Chocolate always goes in the freezer! keeps me from eating it all up too fast!
Thanks for the post.
Hi Leanne, great tip on the slices of bread. I make small loaves but I may have to resort to slices frozen in bags, good idea. It’s so fun to save money by rationing out the servings we will use to eat at one time! Linda
Nice article. I used to chop, slice and dice vegetables and fill several quart and gallon size bags. Then we could use the frozen items just like the commercially frozen bags of food.
And as you mentioned, you can even cut them up (onions and bell peppers) frozen and toss them into a hot pan to make a stir fry dish. I find it helpful to eliminate the water as the sizzling pan provides enough heat to quickly burn off the water as it pools a bit. And then they cook like usual.
It’s a little bit of work, but it provides great convenience when your pressed for time, busy or just want to do less work that night.
I put a paper towel in each bread bag & close it back up. Leave it in there when you thaw as well. Bread is just like the day I bought it.
Hi Linda, this is a great idea!! Linda