I’m a home cook. I’m constantly accumulating new ingredients, making new recipes, and trying to offload my leftovers from friends and family. There’s only so much food you can pass off to your friends, and I use my freezer more and more. Here are some clever freezer hacks you can use to save money, time, space, and ingredients.
1. Freeze in Portion Sizes
Freeze your food in portion sizes- not in large amounts. That way, you won’t run into issues when you thaw an entire casserole pan but only need a single piece. This hack is perfect for leftover nights or when numerous people in your area want to eat different things.
2. Label Everything
Figuring out what food is in what container is extremely difficult when it’s frozen and stacked in a pile- especially if you have a chest freezer. Labeling your food eliminates doubt about what you have stored away. I use blue painter’s tape and keep a roll in my cupboard for easy access. Remember to write the date you freeze the food on your label!
3. When In Doubt, Ziploc
Use Ziploc bags to freeze smaller amounts of food, like leftover raw chicken tenderloins or a single hamburger patty. You won’t waste food, and you’ll save space.
4. Keep Surface Area In Mind
Make sure you flatten out whatever you plan to freeze, whether in a bag or reusable container. The food will defrost faster and more evenly- perfect for when you’re in a rush!
5. Use Bags To Freeze Sauce
Gone are the days of jars. Fill up a waterproof bag with sauce, fold it in half to create two flat portions, and freeze. The next time you crave spaghetti, you can take the half bag of sauce and have extra to spare.
6. Use Ice Cube Trays
They’re not just for ice anymore. This is one of my favorite hacks. I cook with a lot of stock, which goes bad if left in the fridge after opening. Sometimes, I don’t need a whole carton; in those cases, I pour the leftover stock into designated ice cube trays and freeze. Once the stock is solid, I transfer the cubes into a one-gallon bag. Ensure you aren’t freezing sauces and making ice in the same trays. Gross.
7. Freeze Fresh Herbs
Fresh herbs taste better than dried ones; that’s an indisputable fact. One commenter recommended you remove your herbs from their stems and pop them in the freezer (in a container). When ready to use them, take the container out and season away. Be careful not to let the frozen herbs thaw too much, or you’ll have a mushy mess on your hands.
8. Invest In A Vacuum Sealer
If you want to get fancy, buy a vacuum sealer. You can reseal tons of items, from meats to vegetables and Everything in between. You’ll pay a hefty upfront cost, but it may be a price you want to pay for organization and less food waste.
9. Freeze On A Sheet Pan
I love making tons of meatballs at a time and then freezing whatever I don’t need that day. Spoiler alert: if you drop a ton of meatballs, or fruit and veggies, for that matter, into a bag before they take their freezer nap, they’ll solidify into one giant food brick. Instead, freeze your fruit, vegetables, meatballs, whatever your heart desires, on a parchment paper lined sheet pan. Once they’re solid, take the pan out and transfer your food into a bag.
10. Remove The Shelves
If you want to live on the edge, take the shelves out of your freezer. It will open up space and allow you to organize your items more efficiently. I recommend this, especially if you need to store larger cuts of meat.
11. Group Your Foods By Type
This one is self-explanatory. Store your vegetables with your vegetables. Store your fruits with your fruits. Store your sauce with your sauce. When you’re investigating your freezer, trying to find that one thing you know you have, it’ll be much easier to find.
12. Freeze Individual Slices Of Bacon
This is a niche hack, but it’s such an important one. If you feel like cooking up only part of the package of bacon, this will save you time, money, and cleanup.
