Before throwing away that food item in your pantry, please look at our list of unexpected foods you can freeze. You probably never imagined these uncommon frozen items would find a place in a freezer, but get ready to be surprised.
Alternatively, your concern may be making fewer grocery trips than food getting spoilt. Irrespective, we have you covered with the following list of food items that never have to go bad, with the right food storage tips and freezing techniques.
1. Avocados
The average home enjoys a steady traffic of avocados from the grocery store shelf to its pantry. However, having them in large quantities can be challenging, as the shelf life of avocados can prove difficult to regulate.
So, to keep your excess avocados from going bad, using food preservation techniques, follow these steps:
- Peel and dice the avocados
- Place the avocado pieces on a parchment-lined tray
- Freeze food until avocado cubes are solid mass
- Transfer the frozen avocados to a freezer bag and store them at freezing temperatures until when needed.
ALSO READ: Keep It Fresh: Smart Food Storage Hacks You Need to Know
2. Ginger
Ginger shrivels easily or may even get moldy when stored inappropriately. Many people store excess ginger in a fridge; however, storing it at controlled temperatures does not prevent the deterioration.
So, you can store ginger for a long time by following the highlighted steps:
- Wash and dry excess ginger rhizomes
- Cut into thumb-size pieces
- Place ginger pieces in a zip-lock and freeze
Like frozen avocados, such freezing techniques permit people to use their excess food straight out of the freezer.
3. Fresh Herbs
Most people enjoy fresh herbs, like sprigs, and seldom use them dry. Instead of throwing away excess fresh herbs, you can freeze them and use them to spice up leftover meals. These frozen vegetables have become popular in homes and even restaurants. However, the supply chain logistics of fresh herbs used by restaurants make it impossible to store large quantities for long.
So, the best bet is to de-stem the fresh herbs and freeze them in iced cube trays after filling the remaining spaces with cold water. After freezing over, simply thaw the right number of cubes to recover your fresh herb.
4. Jalapeños and Other Chili Peppers
Other uncommon frozen items include jalapeños and different types of chili peppers. Like ginger, the concept of frozen food is great for jalapeños and other chili peppers because it preserves their flavor. However, the volatile compounds in these food items are susceptible to flavor loss when subjected to drying or heating.
Depending on your use, you can freeze the pepper whole or slice it. Alex Guzman, a renowned chef, suggests freezing pepper as a food storage tip that can help you keep fresh food for more than one year.
5. Lemons and Limes
People refrigerate fresh foods; however, you seldom come across frozen fruits or vegetables. Lemons and limes are some of the most expensive fruits at farm markets and are often sold in lump quantities. So, looking for the best food preservation method to store these costly fruits is a given.
There are two ways to preserve fresh fruits, such as frozen fruits. One is zesting the citrus fruit and freezing it as is. Alternatively, you can squeeze the juice into ice trays and freeze it.
6. Cheese
Dairy products like cheese can be costly, and all available food storage tips should be used to prevent them from going to waste. Of course, cheeses bought at a grocery store come pre-portioned, and you may end up with some leftovers.
Hard cheeses freeze easily and stay longer than the soft cheese variants. Soft cheeses like ricotta and brie are difficult to freeze and may even lose some of their sensory attributes after thawing from their frozen state.
7. Seeds, Nuts, and Nut Flour
Many of the edible nuts, like almonds and seeds, are often rich in oils and start going rancid soon after uncontrolled storage. While they are some uncommon frozen items, freezing nuts and seeds can help keep them fresh and retain properties that make them palatable.
So, next time you’re away from the apartment and have a substantial stash of nuts and seeds, consider freezing them to keep them wholesome for longer.
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8. Grains, Like Quinoa and Rice
Staple grains like rice and quinoa usually retain their quality on the shelf. However, cooked grains contain a lot of moisture and easily go bad. So, leftover meals of cooked grains can be frozen to prevent them from ending up in the trash can.
Interestingly, frozen cooked grains are not just unexpected foods you can freeze but are also a subtle tip for easy food preparation. For example, if any of these grains are a consistent component of your diet, you can boil and freeze a large amount of them. A thawed cut of the frozen whole is all you need for a meal.
From frozen fruits to frozen grains, we hope this list of unexpected foods you can freeze has helped you reduce waste.
