10 Things You Didn't Know You Could Freeze...
Growing up and living on a farm that is an hour drive from any stores, you really learn to stock up on groceries and figure out how to save/use everything you’ve got (also to substitute ingredients when you don’t have something - but that’s a whole ‘nother blog post!). Here’s a list of 10 things that maybe you didn’t know you could freeze in order to save them from the compost bin.
Cauliflower rice. Sometimes you can’t use the whole head! Make rice and freeze it to use in place of regular rice. Try to get all the moisture out before freezing. When you’re ready to use it, thaw and heat in a frying pan at a high temp in some oil and a tbsp of water. Add salt or any seasonings you like!
Potatoes. Parboil these bad boys and then freeze ‘em! I like to cut them in a medium 1/2” dice to use for breakfast. You can also freeze mashed potatoes & sweet potatoes on casseroles or by themselves. Making your mashed potato dishes ahead of time actually makes big dinners at Christmas and Easter go WAY smoother.
Dairy like sour cream, milk, and cream cheese. These change consistency but if you can plan to cook with them you’ll never notice a difference! These freeze well in our ready to cook meal kits because they are stirred in while cooking.
Eggs. This is how I meal prep every camping trip! Crack eggs into a medium zipper lock bag, add seasoning and shake. It so versatile and can be made into a quiche, scrambled eggs, egg burrito filling. Just about anything! AND frozen eggs double as an icepack in the cooler.
Herbs on their way out - crush them and freeze in oil in ice cube trays. A super easy way to use them up instead of throwing them in the compost bin!
Guacamole - don’t let it go to waste! Seal it well with plastic wrap or in a container/mason jar and leave in the freezer for up to 3 months. (If it lasts that long!).
Pesto. Same thing, this often comes in bigger containers and can’t all be used at once. Freeze in a container or mason jar and freeze for up to 3 months.
Grated Cheese. The grocery store often has additives in it. Use your food processor and grate a block or two. Freeze in ziploc bags and take one out as you need it. It’s beautiful, and way less expensive than buying grated cheese!
Bread. Buy it when it goes on sale and hoard it! Or don’t, but bread and buns freeze so well. Thaw them on the counter when you’re ready to use them. If they have a bit of moisture on them, broil on low or put the bread in the toaster.
Leftover beans and chickpeas. If you have to open a can of black beans for a recipe but don’t need the whole thing, bag it or throw it in a container and freeze. Just remember that it’s there the next time you need them… or better yet, put a recipe with black beans in it on the meal plan for next week!
There is a million more things that can be frozen, but this is a solid start! I hope that you learned something new in this post! For us, freezing food has a lot to do with lessening the amount of food waste in our society. Here’s a fact about food waste in Canada: The average Canadian household spends $1766 on food that is wasted each year. Wild, right? Now go forth, and freeze your food!
~Leah and Lori