Have you ever spent days and many hours planning everything you need to prepare for your vacation, and then open the refrigerator the morning you are to leave and “remember” that you forgot to empty it of perishables? Instead of throwing perishable items away or coming home to a fridge full of science experiments, here is a list of some surprising foods you can freeze.  This list is also great for those recipes that only call for a small amount of an ingredient and leave you with the rest.

• Milk
  • This seems like a better idea than rationing off the milk before a trip.
  • It is recommended that frozen milk be used a month after defrosting, so you may want to store in smaller portions (use a freezer container or well sealed freezer bag).
  • Defrost frozen milk in refrigerator and shake as it defrosts
  • If it seems grainy after defrosting, use it to bake instead of drink
• Eggs
  • Whisk together whites and yolks until just combined
  • Measure into an ice-cube tray, using 3 Tbsp. of the mixture per cube (3 Tbsp. is equivalent to 1 large egg)
  • Freeze until solid, then transfer cubes to a freezer bag for up to 6 months
  • Thaw in the refrigerator
• Cheese
  • You can freeze many hard or semi-hard cheeses, such as Cheddar, mozzarella, muenster, provolone, Swiss and Parmesan
  • They may become crumbly after you thaw them, so plan to use them in cooking rather than to slice or place on sandwiches
  • Wrap cheese tightly in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag for up to 4 months
  • Thaw in the refrigerator and use within a day or two of thawing
• Citrus
  • The best way to freeze citrus is to freeze the juice in ice-cube trays until solid, then transfer the cubes to a freezer bag.
  • Freeze it in 1- to 2-Tbsp. portions―it should keep indefinitely.
  • Thaw at room temperature or in the fridge (or use lemon cubes in iced tea).
  • You can also freeze the zest: Zest the fruit onto a sheet of plastic wrap, wrap tightly and place in a freezer bag.
• Tomato paste
  • It used to drive me crazy when a recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of tomato paste…now I freeze the extra!
  • Spoon tomato paste into an ice cube tray, freeze until solid, then transfer cubes to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
  • Be sure to measure how much you’re putting in each compartment (1 Tbsp. is a convenient amount) and label it on the freezer bag.
  • I do this same process with homemade pesto
• Celery
  • Wash and chop to desired size.
  • Freeze on a tray, and transfer to a freezer bag or another air-tight container
  • To use: add the frozen celery directly to soups or other heated dishes.
• Ginger
  • Another pet peeve I used to have with recipes that called for ginger…now it doesn’t shrivel up in my refrigerator
  • Peel and slice ginger into 1-inch pieces, wrap in plastic and place in a freezer bag for up to 3 months
  • Thaw in the fridge or at room temperature
• Bananas
  • Freeze in peels
  • The skin will blacken and the banana will defrost slimy but they are delicious in smoothies or baked good recipes
• Nuts
  • Place nuts in an airtight container, or wrap them tightly in plastic and place in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 6 months
  • Thaw at room temperature or in the refrigerator – or, if using them for baking, toss them into a recipe frozen (though you may need to add a few minutes to your baking time)
• Fresh Herbs
  • For whole sprigs, wash, pat dry with paper towels, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag
  • Freeze for up to 6 months
  • Or chop herbs and place in an ice cube tray
  • Pour a tablespoon or two of water on top of the herbs and freeze
  • Transfer cubes to freezer bags; freeze for up to 6 months
  • To use, simply toss a cube into a skillet when the recipe calls for herbs and let the water cook off

What other foods do you successfully freeze?

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