11 Surprising Foods You Can Freeze (PHOTOS)

You should think of your freezer as a savings account. Not for storing stacks of bills, but for saving you money on your groceries. So often we find ourselves throwing out withered, rotten or spoiled food that could have been salvaged with just a little bit of forethought. You know that half used can of tomato paste? You can freeze that. And the quarter of a glass left in that bottle of wine, don't let it turn to vinegar -- freeze it. Click through the slideshow below to learn which surprising foods you can freeze; and start saving money.

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Comments

[kareemachan]

05:44 PM on 06/06/2012

I store my gingerroot in a jar of sake in the fridge. Lasts forever, and you can flavor things like stir-fries with the ginger-infused sake as well.

[noahpuppup]

01:29 AM on 06/05/2012

If you have very ripe bananas and it's too hot out to bake banana bread or you don't have time...you can mash them up and freeze them in a container. They will turn more brown when you go to thaw them again but will make great banana bread or muffins. Not sure how long they keep in the freezer but I've had some I froze for at least a couple months and they kept very well.

[MInnieDaMulcher]

03:32 PM on 06/05/2012

You don't even have to peel the bananas and mash them - just freeze them whole. Mash them when you want to use them in baked goods - delicious. If forgotten, they will eventually get dehydrated and shrivel up (mummified relics in the back of the freezer) and will be fit only for the compost.

[noahpuppup]

01:27 AM on 06/06/2012

I never tried that and I would think it easier and less messy just to mash them first...I would think taking whole bananas out of the freezer and letting them thaw would be real messy compare to just quickly mashing them before hand and putting into a plastic freezer safe container. They won't dehydrate that way either...never had a problem that way. But thanks for the tip anyway.

[Xanadutu]

10:33 PM on 06/04/2012

I was surprised with the comment about butter. -- "Unless you're an avid baker......"
I'm not Paula Dean, but what do you suppose people use on their toast, muffins etc., if not butter??? I'm sure no one 'butters' their toast with EVOO!!! I can't see using anything but butter when poaching an egg - or scrambled. Margarine on toast??? UCK!!

[RayJones]

04:52 PM on 06/07/2012

Plus, doesn't butter seem to stay good a long time?

[Xanadutu]

09:15 PM on 06/07/2012

I purchased butter on sale a couple weeks ago and the 'used by' date is 09/15/12. That is about 4 months, so I guess it does stay good for quite a while. I certainly use mine well before the use by date, and if I notice that one is dated about a month out, it goes in the freezer!
I live in a major dairy state, and I do not know the market for butter and other dairy products in states that are not heavy into dairy farming.
PS - I've never had butter go rancid on me!!

[odaat52]

10:09 PM on 06/04/2012

Can't watch the "how-to-freeze" video. So can somebody tell me how to freeze bread so it doesn't get freezer-burned? Does it have to be a whole loaf, or can it be smaller pieces? I love to get a baguette of French bread, but often don't end up eating the whole thing before it gets stale.

[Xanadutu]

10:38 PM on 06/04/2012

I usually just use a couple of plastic bags. It doesn't take too long to thaw. Whole loaf or sliced - very easy to do!!

[Antonette]

12:02 PM on 08/29/2012

To freeze bread, wrap entire loaf in paper towels ( this will absord any moisture which will chrystalize and make bread taste bad) then return to original bag. Bread will keep for months and will thaw out nicely. You can do the same with homemade waffles. I wrap two waffles at a time in paper towel or napkin then put in plastic bag. Later you can just remove what you need and put in toaster. This can cut down on time and all the additives in pre-frozen waffles.

[SunsetKid]

05:28 PM on 06/04/2012

I make my own raisins in the fall and use them during the year. I freeze some of them and they are perfect when thawed. This works well with any dried fruit - especially those that will sugar if you don't use them.

[scollingsworth]

04:27 PM on 06/04/2012

I always keep ginger root in the freezer in a plastic baggie and just grate it with a microplane grater when needed. Works great.

[whoissilvia]

04:03 PM on 06/04/2012

Freeze wine??? If there is any wine left in the bottle, I probably 1) passed out before finishing it, and 2) need it immediately to soothe my hangover. If there were wine in the freezer, I probably 1) was drunk when I put it in there, and 2) am now hungover and pissed off that I can't find the rest of the wine.

[alaskan]

03:51 PM on 06/04/2012

If you freeze wine in the bottle, the cork will be destroyed and the wine will quickly turn to vinegar once thawed.

[drjay79]

03:36 PM on 06/04/2012

Buy butter when on sale, around the holidays, throw it in the freezers and take out a stick at a time. Works great.

[heymack]

03:35 PM on 06/04/2012

I usually freeze mabuttoff in the winter time.

[mygailbaby]

08:38 PM on 06/04/2012

LOL!

[MeMeezer]

04:59 AM on 06/05/2012

Must be from Wisconsin? Freakin' cold here.

[onionboy]

03:16 PM on 06/04/2012

Actually, you can freeze just about anything.

Taste, I can't guarantee.

[kareemachan]

05:45 PM on 06/06/2012

Or texture.

[onionboy]

06:03 PM on 06/06/2012

That too.

[seehowtheyrun]

03:12 PM on 06/04/2012

I'm onboard with all of this, except the wine. There's usually not any left, and the next time I need some for cooking, I'd prefer to have some that I can sip while cooking.

[Vita Voyager]

03:00 PM on 06/04/2012

Wow! I did not know you could freeze eggs. I just learned something new today!

[toomany2choose]

03:00 PM on 06/04/2012

Not only can you freeze the citrus juice, but you can freeze orange and lemon peel for a few months. Grate and store in a sealed container and it's ready when a recipe calls for zest.

[hswanson2]

03:31 PM on 06/04/2012

I actually disagree with the author not to freeze lemons and limes whole. I do it all the time then just cut them up when I need them.

[ejackson21st]

02:51 PM on 06/04/2012

Can fresh veggies (cauliflower & broccoli) be easily frozen ... and still be tasty for cooked rice/pasta dishes and omelets? What are some common foods that don't freeze well or need a little special preparation before freezing? I live alone and hate grocery shopping. I am always tossing out expensive food that gets hidden in the back of the fridge.

I freeze bulk sized canned fruits, olives, mushrooms etc. Should I drain all the water first. (I drink the fruit water). Got any rules to follow? I'm a senior and I often lose my appetite for long periods and so much of the food I've purchased go bad. Thanks for any help.

[GeeBee]

03:21 PM on 06/04/2012

Some veggies (most I believe) need to be blanched in hot water for a short time before being frozen. This preserves flavor. Time was you used to get an instruction booklet telling you the details of this when you bought a freezer. I'm sure if you Google it you can find some guidance.

[ejackson21st]

12:25 AM on 06/05/2012

I search the internet every day about something or another - but did not think to do it re freezing. I guess I should also google "how to cook" maybe my appetite will improve. Thanks!

[hswanson2]

03:34 PM on 06/04/2012

I freeze vegetables such as zucchini, summer squash, mushrooms, peppers and eggplant in a bag, usually whole. They defrost and can be a little watery but since I usually grill them or saute them they cook up great.

[ejackson21st]

12:20 AM on 06/05/2012

Thanks. I didn't think about how grilling or sauteing can save the taste! I'll be trying this.