30 things I routinely freeze that you may or may not have thought about freezing yourself, PLUS how I organize my very, very organized freezer.
Some women have a well organized shoe closet, I have a well organized freezer. My love of food being greater than my love of shoes. And I have some footwear I'm pretty fond of.
I can open my freezer door any day and know instantly what's in there and what I have to choose from. Looking for the pumpkin ravioli I made 4 months ago, BAM there it is in the pasta bin. Sausage? BAM! Everything is stacked and labelled in clear containers.
What you see at the top of this post is the 3rd incarnation of my organized freezer. The drawers I bought to organize it last year were probably as expensive as the freezer itself. But I don't care because I love it and I never lose any food in it.
Prior to the pull out drawers I used stacking bins. First tubs, and then I graduated to tubs with lids. The problem with stacking tubs is you have to remove the whole tubs to get to what was in them or under them.
I freeze everything I possibly can for two reasons. So it doesn't go bad sitting in my fridge and so if I can always have random ingredients I may not use all of the time on hand. Galangal anyone?
Also this post will also show you how to possibly get TWICE as much into your freezer.
If you've ever thrown out a log of goat cheese because it turned on you before you could finish using it ... this post is for you.
30 things you might not have known you can freeze. Or maybe you did because let's face it, you're pretty clever - but hopefully there's at least one thing on here you weren't aware of.
Table of Contents
1. Whole Tomatoes
Freeze tomatoes whole. Just stick them in a container or even a plastic bag, skins and all and forget about them. When a recipe calls for tomatoes, you have them. Cut them when they're partially frozen for easy dicing or let them thaw for more of a whole stewed tomato thing. (they slip right out of their skins when they've thawed) Perfect for soups and stews.
2. Garlic
Stick whole cloves or heads of garlic in the freezer at the beginning of garlic season so in March, April, May and June you still have a garlic stash to grab. (you can freeze it any time before it goes soft and dry but the fresher it is when you freeze it the better the quality will be) Garlic is in peak season around mid-end of July.
3. Pizza Dough
I make a lot of pizza dough as you can imagine. See my backyard pizza oven here as proof. I like to make my dough fresh but always keep at least 4 balls of frozen dough in the freezer in case of a pizza emergency. Like what if Chris Isaak shows up one day and wants pizza and I don't have any dough made? What the hell then? Honestly.
DOUGH FREEZING TIP
(store bought or homemade)
Form the dough into tight balls around 250 grams each using the method in this post before it has started to rise. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze the balls. To use, remove them from the freezer, unwrap, and drop the frozen ball of dough into a bowl of room temperature water for 15 minutes. This helps them rehydrate and thaws them at the same time. Remove the balls from the water, and leave them covered on the counter for 2 hours to finish thawing.
(or just take the balls out of the freezer the night before and allow to thaw in the fridge)
4. Eggs
I wrote a post a few years ago about how to freeze eggs. But the gist of it is, you just crack the eggs, mix the whites and yolks together like you're making scrambled eggs and then freeze them. Don't stir them vigorously though. You don't want to incorporate any air or bubbles because that'll make them rubbery and tough. Freeze in food safe containers or in an ice cube tray.
3 Tablespoons of egg mixture = 1 egg.
5. Whipping Cream
Whipping cream is a miracle dairy product. You can boil it, scorch it, or freeze it and it isn't bothered one bit by any of it.
6. Milk
The trick to freezing milk is to let it thaw slowly in the fridge and to give it a shake to break up any bits that have solidified.
7. Coconut Milk
I've taken to using ½ cup of coconut milk in my Overnight Oatmeal recipe. That means I'm always left with part of a can which I sometimes use and sometimes don't use during the week. Enter ... freezing the coconut milk. It freezes perfectly. I just measure it out into ½ cup servings and stick it in the freezer door.
8. Ginger
I was the goon standing for ½ an hour picking out the smallest piece of ginger in the produce aisle because I know I'm never going to use a piece the size of a cob of corn. Now I pick whichever is the freshest and store the rest in the freezer.
9. Goat Cheese
Game changer. Goat cheese freezes perfectly. Use whatever you need when you first open it then immediately wrap the rest of it and store it in the freezer.
10. Cooked Pasta
I don't do this personally but apparently freezing cooked pasta is a thing. I do however freeze cooked lasagnas and other meals that have cooked pasta and they freeze well.
11. Cooked Rice
Ditto for rice. It freezes perfectly.
12. Tomato Paste
Because how often does a recipe call for an entire can? Rarely. Just plop it by the tablespoon on a piece of wax paper and stick it all in the freezer. Once frozen take it off the paper and store it frozen in a baggie.
13. Chocoalte
If you buy lots of Halloween candy and are sure to hand out all the stuff you don't like first, hoarding all the chips and chocolate bars for yourself, you'll be pleased to know you can freeze all those mini (or maxi) chocolate bars. Chocolate chips too.
14. Chicken/Turkey Carcasses
My freezer is always filled with carcasses from those pre-cooked grocery store chickens. I buy them when I'm in a rush, eat about half of them and then toss the other half into the freezer. When I have 4 or 5 of them in there I pull them out and make chicken broth. Here's my chicken broth method and recipe.
15. Wine
I would like to take a moment right now to acknowledge the thought that just went through your head, "WHO has leftover wine to freeze???". K. Good, now that we got that out of the way I can tell you who has wine leftover. Me. I don't drink wine. I think it's pretty gross. There are a select few vintages I like but for the most part I'd rather have a whiskey. Or beer. Or if we're being honest, a Diet Coke.
If you use wine for cooking, freeze it in an ice cube tray for use in recipes.
If you drink wine but can't down the whole bottle in a night because you aren't 20, store the rest of it in the freezer. (don't do this with an unopened bottle or you could end up with an exploded bottle of wine)
Before your amateur sommelier head explodes you can read all about this method here.
16. Pesto
Make huge batches when the ingredients are in season and freeze them in ice cube trays. When they're frozen take them out and store them in a baggie or Tupperware bin.
17. Tortillas
I must eat an inordinate amount of Mexican inspired food because I'm always in need of tortillas. But I rarely use a whole package of them. Any unused get stored in the freezer in their original package.
18. Flour, Oatmeal, Grains etc.
O.K. Remember that Overnight Oatmeal I'm so fond of? Well I went to make it a while ago and just about barfed when I saw it was filled with grain weevils. Filled might be an exaggeration. I saw 2. I noticed them before I ate it. I now keep my oatmeal in the freezer. I think the fact that I still eat oatmeal is a testament to my love of oatmeal.
19. Nuts
Nuts have oil and nuts will go rancid. Any nuts I only use occasionally I keep in the freezer.
20. Whole Peppers
Peppers are prolific. One plant will fill a wingback chair with peppers. I just freeze them whole the same way I do tomatoes. (not including the ones I make into Jalapeño poppers.)
21. Cold Cuts / Sandwich Meat
That's right. I like me some nitrites and nitrates every once in a while. Sometimes a lady just needs to tuck into a pastrami on rye without worrying the world is going to end.
But I'm notoriously terrible at knowing how much to ask for at the deli counter so I always end up with too much. Into the freezer it goes until the next time. You'll have to dry them with a paper towel, otherwise they're fine.
22. Donuts
Krispy Kremes, Tim Hortons, chocolate or sugar glazed - it doesn't matter. If it's a donut, you can freeze it.
24. Yogurt
This one I don't do but have planned on doing it for years if that makes any difference.
So I can't comment on how the consistency or texture is after freezing. If you have popsicle molds, just fill them with yogurt, stick a popsicle stick in it and you have an instant frozen yogurt.
24. Bread
You probably already know this one but bread freezes BETTER than it fridges. Keeping bread in the refrigerator will make it dry out and go stale. Keep it in the freezer and it'll stay fresh.
25. Birthday Cake
Sometimes the urge to eat a birthday cake comes over you even though it isn't anyone's birthday. And you only eat ½ of it, alone on a Saturday night. Freezing the rest of it accomplishes 2 things. It preserves it perfectly AND it hides the evidence that you bought yourself a random birthday cake to eat alone on a Saturday night.
26. Maple Syrup
You can put it in the freezer, but ... it doesn't freeze solid! So you can pour right from the freezer.
You might not make your own maple syrup, but if you do, you can freeze it instead of hot packing it. Even with hot packing if you aren't being careful your maple syrup can grow mould. (maple syrup mould isn't considered dangerous and can just be skimmed off and reboiled) But still. To be safe, keep your maple syrup in the freezer.
27. Whole Avocados
This is what I do with avocados; I buy a bag of them, stare impatiently for days as they ripen, eat one, then let the rest rot. It's our relationship. If you too have this type of relationship with avocados, when they're ripened to your liking, put the entire avocado in the freezer.
When you want to use it, remove it from the freezer and let it thaw until it's soft enough to cut. Don't wait for it to completely thaw because it'll be a bit of a mush mess.
28. Corn on the Cob
I freeze it every year the day that I pick it. It can come out mushy and gross, but if you use the method for freezing corn that I do you have a good shot at frozen corn on the cob that still has some crunch.
29. ALL the Side Dishes
After every Thanksgiving dinner at my house, I freeze ALL of the leftover side dishes. Mashed turnip, broccoli casserole, stuffing, gravy ... all of it. Everything gets put into individual sized servings before freezing.
30. Shredded/Grated Cheese
Semi-hard cheese like cheddar, mozzarella (any of those you buy in a rectangular or brick shape at the grocery store) can be frozen whole but you can make things even easier for future you by pre-shredding it.
I make a lot of pizza so when pizza cheese is on sale I buy it, shred it, and put it in containers in the freezer. When it's time to make pizza I can just pull out a bag and it's ready to toss on top.
*If you can, avoid using pre-shredded cheese from the grocery store. The cheese is dusted in cellulose or potato starch to stop it from sticking together in the package. WHICH MAKES IT LESS MELTY. Nobody talks about that. If you use pre-shredded cheese and your cheese still looks like little strings after cooking, that's what's happening.
31. Lick Mats/Kongs
Soak your dog's kibble in water until it's soft and saturated then spread it onto a lick mat or fill a Kong with it. Pop the lick mat or Kong into the freeze for a couple of hours and your dog will be entertained and fulfilled licking his frozen dinner for at least an hour.
I use this 3 tiered lick mat and give it to Philip on Sunday nights. He'll work at it for an hour and a half and is zonked afterwards.
I first wrote this post 14 years ago and it had 5 things on it. I remember writing the post because I was SO amazed at how well Krispy Kreme donuts would freeze. This was about the time that Krispy Kremes made their way into Canada - Costco had them if I remember correctly.
And now I have a freezer full of delicious healthy foods and NOT A SINGLE KRISPY KREME. There are however, several slices of apple pie and pumpkin pie from Thanksgiving. And yes. They both freeze perfectly.
Christina Houston
OMG, Game changer...wine! So what CAN'T I freeze?
sargual
Instead of disposable zip bags, use silicone ones! https://www.amazon.com/silicone-ziplock-bags/s?page=2&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Asilicone%20ziplock%20bags
Maureen
This is revoluntionary. I had no idea. And I spent several hours last Sunday cleaning out my fridge, and ay yi yi, the ginger.
But really. Who has leftover goat cheese?
Avril
Havarti cheese freezes very well. Cut with a serrated edge knife when thawed. You can buy that big block in Costco and cut it in thirds. Two in the freezer, one in the fridge.
Mary W
YEA for freezing tomato paste - always have to throw away half the can. Last time I bought the toothpaste tube tomato paste and then promptly lost the box in the closet somewhere. I really wasn't sure how long it would last that way anyhow. I always freeze my nuts taking only a handful out for oatmeal in morning. I fill freezer bags with fresh citrus juice, lay them flat to freeze then stack them up for storing. Something else I always eat frozen is baby green peas. I got my grandkids hooked also. Fun treat that we eat while watching the tube together. I keep any extra $20 dollar bills under the pea bags so I always have some cold cash on hand. LOL
Amy
You can freeze hummus as well! I usually make about 10 cups of the stuff at a time, then freeze in 1-2 cup containers. It changes the texture a bit, it's not as creamy as fresh, but we like ours a bit chunky anyway and it does taste fresh.
Sherrill
I never thought of collecting poultry carcasses in my freezer (that kind of sounds a bit weird) but what a great idea to use for broth! I have chucked out so many of those little grocery store birds I buy when I’m too lazy to cook, what a waste! I’m going to do that from now on. My husband will wonder what I’m up to if he ever looks in our freezer, but who am Ikidding he never will.
Megan
I use my freezer a lot, since my husband and I both like to cook, but don't eat much. Karen, in general, how do you defrost these items? Are they all defrosted the same way? // I freeze veg scrapings (carrot, green beans, celery, etc) and use them to augment veggie bouillon ( and then strain it before using). You get a surprising amount of these if you eat a lot of salads. // I always make chicken stock from the cooked chicken. I freeze my soups/broths into small baggies and then stack them on their side. // Herbs into oil and then ice cube trays. // Frozen grapes are great. // Will try out more of these ideas.
Karen
Most of them I defrost in the fridge, but it depends. If I'm in a hurry, the microwave or in a sink of cold water. Things that are O.K. to do so I just set on the counter a couple of hours before dinner. ~ karen!
Karen Hamilton
They Christmas cookies (they don't last long if you know they're there calling you) and grass seed (the mice always seem to find it if it's outside in the garden shed).
Toby Fouks
I omitted one of the main things -- cooked beans. I buy a variety of dried beans, soak and cook them under pressure, and then freeze them in one-cups, when frozen transfer to a penny baggy and freeze. I always have beans to add to soups or casseroles this way -- salt free.
Sandra D
I love this idea. I buy dried beans, then don't make them for years, so they never get soft when I get around to it. This way, I can do it right away, and (I'm sure) I wouldn't leave them in the freezer for years, because they'd be ready to be cooked.
Jane JACOBSEN
I also freeze the cooked beans. Be careful to label them. Frozen black beans look just like frozen blueberries. I once made a black bean and banana smoothy. It was surprisingly good, just not what I was expecting.
Jane JACOBSEN
A couple of tips: 1) A customer comment from the Bakers Creek website. The customer grows the tooth shaped little red peppers. He slices off the top and pulls out the seeds and freezes them flat on a cookie sheet and then bags them. When he wants some he pulls out a few and squeezes out the pulp like toothpaste, leaving the skin behind.
2) If you can still buy whole shiitakis, pull the woody stems off and freeze them in a little bag. then drop a few in the pot when making chicken stock. Just a few stems perfume a whole pot.
3) Cranberriies are hard to find out of season so every November I buy several bags and toss them in the freezer. No processing needed and the bag keeps them safe from freezer burn. They taste wonderfully refreshing in a summer smoothy.
Debbie
I just read recently an article on freezing avocados too! Slice or dice and freeze on trays first, then put in freezer containers. Mine also last longer if kept in the fridge.
Lise Cameron
Karen ...It is always a pleasure to see you first thing in the morning...I lived on a farm and had a huge garden..I also froze my tomatoes whole but when I needed some I just took them out of the bag and ran them individually under water...Voila...The peel would crack and come right off....Thanks for all your great blogs...
Eileen
I chop and freeze herbs and scallions too. Who ever needs all of one of those giant overpriced bundles they force you to get at the store? This works particularly well with dill, chives and scallions. Parsley and basil work better if you make a paste with some oil and then put in ice cube trays till frozen. I also freeze the woody ends from asparagus until I have a bagful and then make a lovely broth. I always have packages of tortillas and pita bread in the freezer. When I use the tortillas I thaw them quickly in the microwave (probably not necessary), and then toast/char them over the burner of the gas stove. Save the rinds from parmesan cheese in the freezer too: they add wonderful umami flavor to soups and stews.
Den
Karen, I highly recommend vacumn packing stuff when you freeze it. (You probably know the most advertised brand). I use it all the time, no more freezer burn. That’ll probably extend your list of freezer stuff.
Meg
Yeah, but does this happen because you have a self-defrosting freezer? I feel I never had issues with freezer burn until I had a self-defrosting freezer.
Jackie
The self-defrosting freezers pull all the moisture out of the foods stored within, especially if stored incorrectly. The old manual defrost models don't do that. Think of the self-defrosting freezers as the old manual defrost freezer with a continuously running defrost cycle. (local farmer told me this)
Shelagh
You can freeze cheddar cheese too...but only if you are going to crumble it into a sauce or on top of a casserole...it won't slice nicely
Bonnie Harris
Thanks, found some new ideas to try here. About cooked pasta- I never used to do this, but last year I started. I always cook way too much. My family always asks me whose army I'm expecting whenever I cook pasta and that meant a lot of waste in the past. I started bagging and freezing it, then I pull it out and reheat it in a pot of boiling water. It's not likely going to be al dente if that's what you prefer, though.
Toby
This reminded me. You can shred cheese and then freeze it.
Cathy Reeves
I’ve been freezing pesto and ginger for years and recently added whole washed blueberries to my list. They make a fabulous snack on a hot summer day. And I freeze watermelon chunks-no seeds-for a refreshing doggie snack as well. I have noticed though that my ginger doesn’t always hold up when I need to grate it. How do you (and readers) wrap it up? I’ve used my vac sealer but don’t want to drag it out for a teeny piece of ginger.
Perhaps grate it first?
Janet Hughes
I freeze my ginger just in a ziplock bag without any issue
Heather
We are HUGE fans of frozen grapes ! I have found it helps greatly with hot flashes .
Jane S
I grate my ginger before I freeze it and put it in little piles on sticky plastic wrap. Then I just pop a dollop into whatever I'm making.
Megan
This is a good idea.
susan
I discovered the joy of frozen tomatoes last year and still marvel over their convenience. Pick, wash, throw in freezer bags and voila! The skins just slide off when you run water over them right out of the freezer. But cream is a game changer. I've got a pint in the fridge right now that is past its expiry date and it's going straight in the freezer. Same with cheese - if you can freeze goat's cheese, feta should be fine. So thanks from someone who despises waste.
Beth W
We also freeze tomato/pasta sauce in an ice cube tray - we never make it through a jar before it goes bad (we don't eat pasta, but use it for mini pizzas). Now we can just grab a cube each for our pizza and away we go! Seems like a war-era stretch to be saving $2.99 in pizza sauce, but I couldn't stand tossing the moldy half jar all the time