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19 Foods You Didn’t Know You Could Freeze

January 8, 2021 By: Sweet Frugal Lifecomment

Foods you can freeze to save money.

Have you ever wondered what foods you can freeze??  There are many common freezable foods, but today I want to share about a few food items you probably didn’t know you could freeze!  These are all food items that freeze well, but aren’t talked about as much as the other common freezable foods.

Sweet Frugal Life is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.  As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Supplies Needed to Freeze Food

There are a few supplies you will need to help you freeze food.  The initial investment is worth the amount of money you will save!

  • Freezer Containers
  • Freezer Bags
  • Vacuum Sealer

I use each of these products when freezing food, and they all work great!  A vacuum sealer does the best job of getting all air out of the bag, which is important!  So if you will be doing a lot of freezing, I do recommend getting the vacuum sealer.  But, each of these products will work.

Benefits of Freezing Food

You might be wondering why it’s important to know how and what foods to freeze.  Freezing food is a great way to save money on groceries.

Here are three of the most common times I freeze food to save money:

1.  Freezing Leftovers

Have you ever had to throw out food from your fridge or pantry because it had past it’s expired date before you could use it?!?!?

This happens to me All.The.Time!

The trick????  I’ve learned to freeze my leftovers, rather than storing them in the refrigerator.  This one simple change has saved me so much money and has prevented a lot of waste in the kitchen.  Win, win!

You can easily freeze leftovers by putting them into a freezer ziplock bag or container and tossing them into the freezer!  Most leftovers will stay good in the freezer for 3 months.  These frozen leftovers are perfect for a quick meal on busy days.

2.  Freezing Sale Items

Another reason to freeze food items to stock up on sale prices.  When I find a great sale on perishable foods, I stock up on a few and freeze most of it to use for later.  I just really love not having to pay full price for groceries (or really for anything!).

To find grocery items on sale in your area I recommend downloading the free Flipp app.  This awesome app scans all of the local grocery sale ads so you can easily see what’s on sale each week.

When you find a good deal, stock up and freeze the excess!  

3.  Freezing Foods Before They Expire

If you have items in your pantry that are close to reaching their expiration date, you might want to stick these items in the freezer!  The freezer will prolong their shelf date and give you more time to using it, preventing you from having to throw it away.

Foods You Didn’t Know You Can Freeze

Alright, now let’s get to the fun part!  Most people know that you can freeze strawberries, onions, chicken, etc.  Today’s article is all about foods you probably didn’t know that you can freeze.

1.  Butter

Butter is a great item to buy on sale and freeze for later use.

How To Freeze:

To keep butter fresh for a few months you can easily freeze it in it’s original packaging.  If you are wanting to store it in the freezer for longer, I would put the butter in a freezer bag.

Use the butter within 4 months for best results.

How To Defrost:

You can defrost butter in the refrigerator overnight, or set it on the countertop to let it thaw at room temperature.

2.  Flour

Another great item to buy on sale and freeze for later is flour.

How To Freeze:

To freeze flour put it in an airtight container, like a freezer bag, or one of these storage containers.  Fill the container as full as possible, the less air the better!  

You can keep flour in the freezer for 6-12 months.

How To Defrost:

Let flour thaw at room temperature before using.

3.  Eggs

Most people are shocked when I tell them that eggs are freezable!  But, it’s true!!!  You can freeze eggs.

How To Freeze:

To freeze eggs, just crack them into a bowl and whisk together with a fork.  Next, you will pour the eggs into a freezer bag or container, get out as much air from the bag as possible and put them in your freezer.  So easy, right?!?!

Eggs will stay good in the freezer for 6-12 months.

How To Defrost:

Thaw eggs in the refrigerator and then use them to make scrambled eggs, omelets, or in baking.

  • Related:  8 Foods You Should Freeze in an Ice Cube Tray

4.  Avocados

Another great food to freeze is avocados!  Frozen avocados can be used in dips, baking, or I like to put ours in smoothies.

How To Freeze:

You can freeze avocados by chopping them into small pieces and placing the pieces into a freezer bag or freezer container, and then putting the bag into the freezer.

Use your frozen avocados sometime between 3-6 months.

How To Defrost:

Let the frozen avocados sit in the refrigerator overnight to defrost.

5.  Cream

Many recipes call for a small amount of cream, which is great except for it leaves us with a large container of leftover cream.  Save this excess in the freezer to use at a different date.

How To Freeze:

I love to freeze cream using an ice cube tray.  It makes it easy to pull out a few tablespoons for recipes!  Learn exactly how to freeze cream using an ice cube tray here.

Frozen cream cubes will stay fresh for 3-6 months.

How To Defrost:

You can pull your cream cubes straight from the freezer and directly into your soups or recipes.  They can also be defrosted by placing them in the refrigerator overnight.

6.  Bread

Buy bread when it is on sale, and then freeze it to use later!

How To Freeze:

Bread is one of the easiest thing to freeze!  All you have to do is put it in the freezer, and done!

The packaging the bread comes in from the store is enough to keep the bread fresh for a few months!  See how easy?!?! 

Bread can stay in the freezer for 3 months before using.

How To Defrost:

Your bread will taste best if you defrost it in the oven.  Just warm your oven to 325 degrees, remove bread from packaging, and let it sit in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

7.  Grated Cheese

Cheese is a great item to buy on sale, or in bulk and then grate to freeze for later.  Cheese can turn a little crumbly when frozen, so it works best to grate it first and then freeze.

How To Freeze:

After grating your cheese, simply put it in a freezer bag, remove all of the air, and place in the freezer.

You can keep frozen cheese in the freezer for 6-9 months with best results.

How To Defrost:

Let the cheese defrost in the refrigerator overnight before using.

8.  Milk

Yes!  You can freeze milk!  Shocked???  I was too!

How To Freeze:

You shouldn’t freeze a milk carton that’s full.  So, use about 3/4 of a cup from the carton before freezing.  This allows room for expansion.

Once you have a small amount of milk out of the carton, you can stick it in the freezer.  That’s it!

Milk will stay good in the freezer for 6 months.

How To Defrost:

Defrost milk in the refrigerator overnight before using.

  • Related:  Cheap Foods to Buy For a Well Stocked Pantry

9.  Chips

Found a deal on chips?  Buy a few and throw them into your freezer to save for your next party (or midnight snacking if you’re like me….).

How To Freeze:

Chips can be frozen in the sealed bag they came in.  All you have to do is toss them into the freezer, bag and all!

Make sure to use your frozen chips within three months of freezing. 

How To Defrost:

To use, just thaw them at room temperature!  Easy peasy!

10.  Pizza Dough

When I make our Friday Night Pizza Dough I always double the recipe and freeze half for the next Friday.  This gives me something easy to pull out and use for a quick dinner (and it totally looks like I spent all day making it….when I really just got it from the freezer, win!).

How To Freeze:

To freeze pizza dough you need to put it in a freezer bag, get all of the air out, seal tightly, and freeze.

Use your frozen dough within 3-6 months.

How To Defrost:

When you are ready to use your frozen pizza dough, let it defrost in the refrigerator overnight.  

11.  Cooked Pasta

Freezing cooked pasta is a great way to preserve any pasta leftovers you might have from dinner.  You can freeze spaghetti, rotini, fetuccini noodles, and more!  As long as they don’t have the sauce on top, they can be frozen.

How To Freeze:

To freeze cooked pasta, you will first need to let it cool completely and then lightly toss the pasta with olive oil.

Next, lay the pasta in a single layer on a cookie sheet.  This doesn’t need to be perfect, but flash freezing does help prevent the pasta from clumping together in the freezer.

Stick the cookie sheet in the freeze and let the pasta freeze for about 1-2 hours (this is called flash freezing).

Once frozen, scoop the pasta off of the cookie sheet and put it in a freezer bag or a freezer container.

Place in the freezer and use within 3 months. 

How To Defrost:

You can reheat your frozen pasta in the microwave or by boiling it in hot water.

  • Related:  Easy Pasta Dinner Recipe

12.  Sauce

While freezing pasta, you might as well freeze some sauces too!  Right???  Right!

You can freeze almost any sauce, including:  spaghetti sauce, enchilada sauce, tomato sauce, pizza sauce, and more!

How To Freeze:

To freeze sauce just put it into a freezer bag or container, get all of the air out, and seal tightly.

Use your frozen sauces within 3-6 months.

How To Defrost:

Defrost sauces by placing them in the refrigerator overnight.

13.  Herbs

Herbs are definitely freezable!  If you enjoy gardening (like I do!) freezing your home grown herbs is a great way to save money!

How To Freeze:

I love to freeze my garden herbs in an ice cube tray.  This gives me quick access to them when I need them.

To do this you will need to fill an ice cube tray cube with herbs to about 3/4 full, next add olive oil until the cube is full and freeze.

Once frozen, take the individual cubes out of the tray and place them into a freezer bag.  

For best results use frozen herbs within 3-6 months.

How To Defrost:

You can put the frozen herb cubes straight from the bag into soups and stews.

14.  Pancakes

Pancakes are my busy mom hack to less stressful mornings!

How To Freeze:

Check out this article for all the details on freezing pancakes.

How To Defrost:

You can defrost your pancakes using the microwave, which is great because the kids can do it themselves if they need to!

15.  Sandwiches

I first heard about freezing sandwiches from Fun Cheap or Free!  This is a great way to save your kids uneaten sandwiches, or to prepare for an upcoming busy day.

Be sure to check out their freezing sandwiches article here for all of the details!

16.  Grapes

Frozen grapes are one of our very favorite snacks.  They are juicy and delicious!  My kids claim (and I have to agree!) that frozen grapes taste just like a grape snow cone!  You must try this!  When you find grapes on sale, buy a few extra bags to freeze. 

How To Freeze:

The first step to freezing grapes is to wash them and then let them dry thoroughly.  Once the grapes are dry place them into a freezer bag, take out all air, seal tightly and then place in the freezer.

Use within 3 months.

How To Defrost:

Don’t defrost your frozen grapes!  Eat the grapes straight out of the bag for a delicious snack!

17.  Nuts

To keep your nuts fresh for longer, freeze them! 

How To Freeze:

Nuts are easy to freeze!  Just put them into a freezer bag, get out all air, and seal tightly.

Frozen nuts should be used within 6 months. 

How To Defrost:

Let your frozen nuts sit in the refrigerator overnight to defrost and then use.

18.  Mashed Potatoes

I grew up on an Idaho potato farm, so I am alllll about the potatoes!  My husband loves to make mashed potatoes at our house, but he always tends to make more than we eat (eyes bigger than the stomach thing…..).

Instead of throwing these extra potatoes away, we freeze them to use for another day!

How To Freeze:

Freeze your mashed potatoes in a freezer bag or freezer container.  Remove as much air as possible, seal tight and put into the freezer.

How To Defrost:

To use frozen mashed potatoes, let them thaw in the refrigerator and then reheat in a small pot over the stove.  While heating on stove add a couple of tablespoons of sour cream.  This will give them a yummy and creamy consistency.

19.  Frosting

Yep!  You can freeze frosting!  And it’s very easy to do!

How To Freeze:

Just scoop the frosting into a freezer bag, get all of the air out and seal tightly.   Done and done!

The bag can then be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.  

How To Defrost:

To thaw frosting, let it sit in the refrigerator over night and then it’s ready to use!

In Conclusion

These are just a few suggestions of the many, many foods available to freeze.  I encourage you to start trying to focus on buying sales, and freezing for later, and freezing foods before throwing them away.

You will begin to see a huge savings in the amount of money you are spending on food if you start using your freezer more!

You Might Enjoy These Related Articles:

How to Freeze Raspberries

How To Freeze Fresh Corn

Best Ways To Store Produce To Keep It Fresh Longer

Don’t Forget To Pin For Future Reference:

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I hope this helped you learn what foods you can freeze!

How to Freeze Raspberries

August 3, 2020 By: Sweet Frugal Lifecomment

Check out this easy freezing fresh raspberries tutorial.

Last week my dad invited me to come pick raspberries at his raspberry patch.  I look forward to this all year long!  He has a huge patch and is so kind to share these berries with us.  We always pick a few gallons and then freeze most of them to use throughout the winter months.  Today I am going to show you just how easy it is to freeze raspberries.

I like to flash freeze my berries.  This is one of the easiest methods I have found!  All you will have to do is pull your bag of frozen berries out of the freezer, dump out the amount of berries you need (they don’t clump together!) and enjoy!

Raspberries are one of my favorite fruits to preserve.  They are so easy to freeze and stay fresh and delicious throughout the year.  I planted a raspberry patch a few years ago and still haven’t seen any berries!  I’m hoping to get a good crop next year!

  • Related:  9 Vegetables to Grow in Your Beginner Garden

How to Freeze Raspberries

To freeze raspberries you will want to do a flash freeze.  This process is very easy, everyone can do it!

We love to use our frozen raspberries in smoothies, pies, jam, or just eating frozen right out of the bag.

Frozen raspberries will stay good for 6-12 months after freezing, which is perfect timing for the next raspberry season!

Prep Raspberries

After picking your raspberries, wash them very gently in the sink.  Raspberries are fragile, so do this part carefully.  To be honest with you, sometimes I skip washing just because of how fragile the berries are.  I’ll leave the decision up to you!

Toss out any bruised or bad berries, we don’t want to freeze those!

Lay raspberries on a cookie sheet.  Try not to let any of them touch each other, but squish as many on as you can!  This is a perfect job for kids to help with.  I love talking with my kids as we take time placing each raspberry on the pan.

Freezing Raspberries

Now just stick those cookie sheets in your freezer to let the raspberries flash freeze.

Leave them in the freezer for 2-4 hours or until the raspberries are frozen.

Once frozen pull the cookie sheets out of the freezer and you will want to quickly put the berries in a ziplock freezer bag.  Don’t worry, this is super easy to do!

Just grab a spatula and scrape the berries off the pan.  They will come off really easily.  Put them all into your bag, get out all excess air and seal tightly.

Date and label the bag and pop it into the freezer.  You want to move quick on these last steps so that your raspberries don’t begin to thaw.

Use your frozen berries within 6-12 months.  Enjoy!

  • Related:  How to Freeze Strawberries (the easy way)

You can use this same method for freezing all the berries!  I have used it for raspberries, strawberries, huckleberries, and blueberries.  

Related Articles:

Freezing Peas Tutorial

How To Freeze Fresh Corn

How To Cure And Store Your Garden Onions

 

Pin for future reference:

Tips to freeze raspberries - how to preserve raspberries freezing raspberries tutorial how to freeze raspberries for beginners

I hope this tutorial helped you understand how to freeze raspberries.

How to Freeze Fresh Strawberries

June 3, 2020 By: Sweet Frugal Lifecomment

Wondering how to freeze strawberries???

I found the BEST deal on strawberries last week.  I could not contain my excitement!  They were only $1.25/pound!  So….naturally….I bought 16 pounds.  My kids eyes were wide open as I walked through the door with my two large flats of strawberries.  They for sure thought they would get to eat every last one of those beauties!  Sadly, I had to tell them that I would be freezing most of them (but, of course we also ate a bunch!).  It was fun to spend the afternoon in the kitchen with my kids while I showed them how to freeze fresh strawberries.

It’s so easy to freeze strawberries and a great way to save money on produce.  If you can find a good deal, buy them in bulk and freeze them to use all year long!  I’ll be showing you exactly how to do that in this easy tutorial.

  • Not sure what is a good deal?  Grab my free grocery stock up price guide here.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.  As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Gather Your Supplies

The first step to freezing fresh strawberries is to gather all of the supplies.  You probably already have everything you need at home (yay!  love when that happens!).

What You’ll Need

  • Fresh Strawberries (yum!)
  • Small, sharp knife
  • Ziplock Freezer Bags
  • Cookie Sheet

Prepping the Strawberries

Now that you have gathered your supplies it’s time to wash your strawberries.  This is a really important step to wash off any dirt and grime.  

I like to place the strawberries in a strainer in the sink.  I think lightly rinse them with water and gently scrub them with my fingers to help loosen up any dirt.

 

Once your strawberries are clean, set them on a paper towel and let them dry for 30 minutes or so.  While they are drying, look through the berries and throw out any that are mushy or dark colored.  This is a sign the strawberries are going bad and won’t freeze well.

 

 

Next, use your knife to cut off the strawberry tops and slice the berry in half. 

You can keep your strawberries whole if you prefer, but I think they defrost a little easier when sliced in half.

Lay your sliced strawberries side by side on a cookie sheet.  Fill the cookie sheet as full as you can, but don’t let the berries touch each other.

 

 

How To Freeze Strawberries

Once your cookie sheet is full, stick it in the freezer for 3-4 hours, or until your strawberries are frozen.  This is called a flash freeze.

 

  • Related:  8 Foods You Should Freeze in an Ice Cube Tray

Once the berries are frozen it’s time to put them in your freezer bags.  This part is so quick and easy!

Take your cookie sheet out of the freezer, use a spatula to scrape your strawberries off of the cookie sheet and put them into a Ziploc freezer bag.  I like to use the gallon sized bags, so I can fit more inside. 

Once your freezer bag is full, squeeze out all the air, seal it tightly, and write the date on the outside.

Throw your bag of strawberries into your freezer and enjoy!  These berries will stay good for 6-12 months.  I like to use them in fruit smoothies, pies and other desserts.  My kids love to eat them frozen straight out of the bag!

 

 

Quick Freezing Strawberries Tutorial

  • Wash strawberries thoroughly
  • Let dry for 30 minutes, discard any berries going bad
  • Cut off tops
  • Slice or quarter each strawberry
  • Place strawberries on a cookie sheet
  • Put cookie sheet in the freezer for 3-4 hours, until berries are frozen
  • Once frozen put all strawberries into a large freezer bag
  • Get all air out of bag, seal and date
  • Toss the bag into your freezer
  • And done!

 

How To Keep Strawberries From Spoiling

If you don’t want to freeze your strawberries, but instead prefer keeping them fresh, try this easy hack below to keep them fresh for longer!

 

 

Related Articles:

8 Foods You Should Freeze in an Ice Cube Tray

How To Freeze Fresh Corn

How to freeze Pancakes for a Quick Frugal Breakfast

 

Don’t forget to pin to use this tutorial again!

tutorial for freezing strawberries

easy way to freeze strawberries

quick and easy way to freeze strawberries

 

I hope this easy tutorial helped you learn how to freeze fresh strawberries.

Hello! I’m Melanie!

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