Just chillin' ... foods you didn't know you could freeze
Nobody likes food waste so we're always on the lookout for ways to reduce it. One way is to make use of your freezer to save leftover or excess ingredients. Here, we bring you the scoop on foods that you may not have known that you can freeze. Check out our list of surprising things that you can save in the freezer for another day.
Buttermilk
The only thing better than eating buttermilk pancakes in your pyjamas is eating buttermilk pancakes in your pyjamas without making a last-minute dash to the shop to buy buttermilk. You can freeze buttermilk in ice cube trays, then transfer to a resealable freezer bag. The cubes will last for three months.
Egg Whites
If you’re an avid home cook you’ll know that all that culinary creativity often calls for lots of egg yolks. But what to do with the orphaned egg whites? Freeze them! Egg whites can be frozen for up to 12 months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge before use but be aware that frozen egg whites don’t always whip up a foam as well as fresh ones, so these are best used for macaroons, cakes and marshmallows. Save the fresh whites for your best pavlova.
Bread
Too much bread in the pantry? There’s a lot of things you can do with bread... hello breadcrumbs and bread and butter pudding! But you can also freeze bread and best of all you don’t even need to thaw it before eating it because it revives quickly in the toaster. Sliced sandwich bread is good for three months in the freezer, and even a good baguette will last for one month in the freezer. Sprinkle it with a little water and bring it back to life in a warm oven.
Milk
Murphy’s Law dictates that you will either have a glut or a famine when it comes to milk levels in your house (it’s the same with bread). For those times when your cup runneth over with milk, don’t waste it, because you can safely freeze milk for up to three months.
Grains
Pantry staples like quinoa and bulgur last for up to three months at room temperature, which is plenty of time for most people work through their supply. But if you have extra grains you can pop them in the freezer for up to six months.
Tofu
The texture will become much denser, but you can freeze tofu for up to five months. Tofu that has been frozen works well in smoothies or casseroles.
