Home freezing. What vegetables can be frozen at home?

Freezing for the winter, how to properly freeze vegetables, fruits, berries, mushrooms, herbs

Summer is a generous time for fruits, vegetables, herbs, and berries. It is in seasonal products contained greatest number vitamins and microelements. But no one has canceled winter, winter is coming... Of course, today and in winter you can find vegetables, fruits, and berries on supermarket shelves. But who will undertake to claim that they contain both vitamins and beneficial properties?! After all, they were grown in greenhouses, because it was not the season. And the prices are steep.

Freezing vegetables, berries, fruits and other gifts from your garden or the nearest market for the winter - great solution . Moreover, you can freeze almost everything that grows in the garden. All you need is a freezer, food plastic containers, bags, ice cube trays and a little time.

But Are the beneficial properties preserved when frozen?? Yes, they are stored up to 90%, provided that freezing rules are followed.

Here they are, the rules:

You can only freeze fresh berries, vegetables, fruits, mushrooms. It is better to freeze the berries immediately after picking them from a bush or branch. Freezing mushrooms as soon as they were brought from the forest. Overripe fruits or berries cannot be frozen - when defrosted they will turn into porridge.
Frozen food lasts from 8 months to 1 year, then it is better to use them before next season.
Before freezingBe sure to wash the products and dry them on a towel. Once defrosted, they cannot be washed.
Small products(berries, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes), as well as slicing, shredding,Distribute small slices on a board and place in the freezer.And only after they are frozen, put them in bags or containers. Large slices dense foods can be initially frozen in bags and containers.
Place the frozen food tightly in a container/bag and release excess air.. The less air remains, the less evaporation and the better “presentation” when defrosting. And also pack it tightly so that the smell does not spread and is not absorbed from other products.
It is best to pack in small portions - 1-2 servings. For example, freeze currants not in a kilogram bag, but in small bags of 200 grams. The same applies to greenery and vegetable mixtures. Notice the small square containers. They fit very well into the shape of the drawers in freezer.
The correct temperature is from 18 C to 22 C, otherwise the frozen food is stored for no more than 3 months.
Thaw food at room temperature.Microwave or hot water pressure will lead to loss of presentation. If you want to remove a frozen product from the container, simply hold it in cold water for 1-3 minutes.
Food cannot be re-frozen.Once thawed, the product is either used or thrown away.
Well, the last rule is thatcannot be frozen:

And now the details:

Freezing berries for the winter

What berries can be frozen? Absolutely everything. Any berry is first frozen on a sheet or board, and only then you put it in bags or containers. Frozen soft berries (irga, and others) are best stored in containers to preserve their shape. And hard berries (for example, currants or gooseberries) can be stored in bags.

Freezing mushrooms for the winter

There is a belief that mushrooms must be fried or cooked before freezing. This is not at all necessary, because you can freeze and fresh mushrooms. It is better to freeze honey mushrooms whole, first on a board, and then pour them into a bag or container. It is better to chop large mushrooms.

Freezing fruit for the winter

Before freezing, the pit is removed from the fruit. Next, we freeze them in slices in containers to avoid crushing. Fruit can be frozen as a puree. If you want to add sugar, let it be brown sugar.

Spray peaches and pears with lemon before freezing, but they may still darken slightly. It’s better to freeze them in the form of puree.

Freezing vegetables for the winter

Blanch first or freeze in fresh– here opinions are divided. During heat treatment, some vitamins are lost, but some vegetables need to be blanched, otherwise they will become very bitter after defrosting.

Eggplant– this vegetable must be processed, otherwise strong bitterness is guaranteed after defrosting. There are 3 options here. First, cut the eggplant into slices, and then: 1. Sprinkle with salt, let stand for 30 minutes 2. Place in boiling water for 2 minutes, then dry well 3. Bake lightly in the oven, let cool. And then freeze it.

Peas and cornOnly the grains themselves are frozen. Can be frozen raw. Or you can put it in boiling water for 3 minutes, then dry it on a towel and only then freeze it.

Broccoli and cauliflower need to be kept in salt water for 30 minutes (to remove insects). Next, separate into inflorescences and freeze. Some cauliflower is first blanched with citric acid. If at your home small child, then you can immediately make puree.

Pepper.Freezing peppers can be different options. First, remove the stem and seeds. Wash thoroughly, dry and place the pepper in the pepper (like a nesting doll) to maintain its shape. You can also cut the pepper into slices or cubes. Or make a blank right away stuffed peppers— freeze the peppers with the filling: mixed minced meat with rice, onions and carrots.

Tomatoescan be cut into slices (convenient for pizza) or cubes before freezing. Place them on a sheet and put them in the freezer, and after freezing, pour them into a bag. You can immediately make puree in a meat grinder or blender and pour into ice cube trays. Next, place the frozen cubes in a bag or container. This cube can be added to soup or stew- the taste will be amazing. Make punctures in the cherry tomatoes so that they do not crack when frozen.

If cucumberssmall ones, they are frozen on a board and poured into a bag. Average and large cucumbers It's better to cut it the way you like.

Freezing for the winterzucchini and pumpkin similar . Before freezing, remove the seeds and boil lightly. Many people freeze zucchini and pumpkin in their raw form, but when defrosting they may develop slight bitterness. FreezingzucchiniIt is done on the principle of freezing zucchini.

Carrotbefore freezing, rub on coarse grater or chop into cubes.

Freezing greens for the winter

Dill, cilantro, tarragon, basilIt is necessary to rinse and dry very well from moisture on a towel. Then finely chop and distribute into bags of 50 grams or a pinch - it all depends on the size of your family and how much you spend in one sitting. Remember to tie the bags tightly and let the air out of them.

You can also freeze greens in ice cube trays. 1 cube = 1 soup.

Mint, lemon balm, arugulafreeze separate leaves. If you want to freeze sorrel, first plunge it into boiling water for 60 seconds and then dry it on a towel.

Frozen greens can be used for cooking or tea without defrosting.

May your tables be full of healthy and nutritious food!

With love and care for your mood, the Food and Figure blog team

about storing in the refrigerator, we learned how to arrange jars correctly. And if a refrigerator is just a way to preserve food for several days or weeks, then a freezer involves storing supplies “for centuries.”

When it comes to order in the freezer, I always remember our old Soviet refrigerator, which had to be defrosted manually, and at the same time an audit of everything edible was carried out there. I collected a whole bag to throw away - stale greens, a wasted piece of lard, 5 dumplings... Have you looked in your freezer lately? What is usually stored there?

The freezer is a super thing! It is needed not only for preserving food, but is also a wonderful recycler of everything that has not been stored for long and is impossible to eat right now.

You can freeze everything! Well, raw meat/fish/vegetables - that goes without saying. What else?

Broth for soup (vegetable, meat and fish)
Frying for soup or cutting vegetables (mono or mix)
Herbs and herb butter
Tomato juice and tomato paste
Milk
Dough

All kinds of preparations for soup and tomato paste are the most common products frozen in a special way. Each housewife comes up with her own way to make it convenient to store and use. Bags, molds, containers, universal mixtures - let's look into other people's freezers?

Yaroslav: “One of the compartments in my freezer is filled with ready-made soup mixtures - a bunch of bags in the form of rolls. Each package is for one soup, and it doesn’t matter if it’s borscht, pickle soup or soup with meatballs, the dressing is universal!”

Elena: “I have different mixtures for soups in the freezer - I choose them according to purpose or mood, and there are separate bags with herbs or some specific vegetables.”

Sveta: “If you get into my freezer, you can immediately put together soup - there’s meat, different dressings, and broth.”

Olesya: “I use tomato paste a lot, so I always buy it in large jars. But to prevent it from spoiling in the refrigerator, I put it in plastic cups and freeze it. There are regular ones for 200 ml., or for 100...”

Oksana: “And sometimes I need to add 1-2 tablespoons to a dish tomato paste, here’s another thing - open the jar, wash the spoon... I immediately lay out the “piles” on the board and freeze them, then pour them into a bag and know for sure: one “ball” - one tablespoon!”

You can freeze not only semi-finished products, but also ready-made dishes:

Stuffed zucchini and peppers
Ratatouille
Cutlets and meatballs
Chicken and fish in batter
All kinds of pates
Stuffed cabbage rolls
Pancakes with filling
Lasagna
Vegetable soups and puree soups
Sauces for meat and spaghetti
Cupcakes and oatmeal cookies

Can you imagine how convenient it is to always have strategic reserve for any occasion - guests are on the doorstep, and you have a “freshly baked” cupcake, heated in the microwave. The husband and children are not full of dinner, or they are simply too lazy to cook - you can find pancakes or a ready-made cutlet.

Svetlana: “In general, almost every time I cook, I put something in the freezer for an emergency, all I have to do is reheat it.”

Kate: “I cook specifically for freezing. I choose a quiet day, shop, cook and really fill the freezer with ready-made and semi-ready dishes, but then I’m free for two weeks from active cooking.”

You can also freeze everything that your family hasn’t eaten and isn’t going to finish eating yet. It happens that there is a portion of pasta or a couple of cutlets left in the pan - everything goes into the freezer! It has been verified that there will come “hunger times” when such reserves will be very helpful.

Here's my experience:"Tenderly beloved vegetable soup minestrone - it makes no sense to cook it in small portions, I cook 7 liters at once, but the family will eat it once or twice and they are tired of it. Therefore, I immediately pour the soup into half-liter plastic glasses, it cools faster in them, and I pack it and freeze it.”

But if it were all that simple, I’d throw it in the freezer and it’s beautiful. No, there are some tricks here too.

Safe storage

The ideal (non-hazardous) temperature is considered to be storage at -18 degrees Celsius. At this temperature, the vital activity of bacteria and microorganisms almost completely stops.

Important! Low temperatures do not kill bacteria, but only slow down their reproduction! Therefore, it is necessary to observe the shelf life for various products. In the instructions for each refrigerator you can find the manufacturer's recommendations, and in many models, icons and temperature conditions are drawn on the drawers.

To summarize:

Chicken and other poultry pieces, beef, pork, lamb, not fatty fish- stored for 6 months.
Semi-finished products (dumplings, dumplings, cutlets, cabbage rolls, pancakes and cheesecakes), minced meat, seafood, fatty fish - 3-4 months.
Ready-made dishes, broths and soups, sauces, fried cutlets- 2-3 months.
Almost all vegetables, fruits, berries and mushrooms home frozen- up to a year, tomatoes - 2 months, peppers - 3-4, zucchini and pumpkins - a month, apples and peaches - 4-6 months, greens and herbs - 2-3 months, berries - six months, nuts - up to two years.
Bread, muffins, puff pastry - 2-4 months

The faster the better

When storing food, average temperatures from +65 to +5 degrees Celsius are very dangerous - it is in this range that bacteria multiply especially intensively.

Certain studies have proven that if the temperature drops to +3 degrees Celsius in 90 minutes or less, then such cooling processes will not affect the quality of the product, and bacteria will not have time to do their “dirty work.”

Therefore, the faster the product is cooled and frozen, the less likely it is that you will have digestive problems.

Enterprises use shock freezing - when a very low temperature (down to -40) is constantly pumped into the chamber, which is maintained until the required -18 is reached inside the frozen product.

Some household freezers have an analogue of QuickFreeze or SuperFreeze blast freezing, of course, not as powerful as in special factories, but you can quickly freeze several kilograms of minced meat.

Thinner and smaller

The smaller the volume you freeze, the faster the product/portion will freeze to its full depth, and the temperature inside will reach a safe -18 degrees. For example, chopped vegetables in a briquette 2 centimeters thick will freeze twice as quickly as the same briquette 4 centimeters thick. But there is a catch - if you put two two-centimeter briquettes on top of each other, then in the end we still have the same 4 centimeters!

For example, a two-centimeter briquette with meat or fish will freeze in 2-3 hours; if we increase the thickness to 4 centimeters, the time will also increase to 4-6 hours.

With berries, fruits and vegetables it is even sadder: 2 centimeters - 3.5-4 hours; 4 centimeters - already 8-10 hours.

And mushrooms are generally “out of competition”: 4 and 12 hours, respectively!

Rosalia: “Before freezing, I form everything into a rectangular shape, be it berries, cottage cheese, butter or meat - this way it saves a lot of space than just haphazardly putting it in a bag and throwing it in the freezer. And then such a product can be defrosted faster.”

Luda: “We recently visited my grandfather in the village, and I spied on him. He stores all frozen food that can be shaped (chopped vegetables, herbs, minced meat) this way: he inserts a bag into a juice box, fills it with what he needs, and freezes it. And then he takes out the “brick” and stores it without a box, just in a bag.”

Alena: “By the way, this is how I freeze many berries: I beat them several times with a blender, but not until smooth, and so that there are pieces, I transfer them into rectangular portioned containers and freeze them. Once everything is thoroughly frozen, I shake it out into bags and put it in piles and rows. Due to the fact that the berries are frozen in the form of bricks and stored without containers, a lot of space is saved in the freezer!”

Portion packaging

Because the thinner the layer with the product to be frozen, the faster it will freeze, then freezing in small portions will occur by itself. The second indisputable advantage of such packaging is that it is convenient for further use when cooking (there is no need to defrost the entire kilogram of minced meat, or a whole container of soup).

Elena L.: “I freeze minced meat like this: I put it in a bag, give it a flat shape 2 centimeters high (it’s convenient to do this with a rolling pin), and then with the blunt side of a knife or a chopstick I divide the minced meat into squares directly through the bag. Easy to break off after freezing required quantity, and such a thin layer defrosts very quickly!”

Elena: “My personal multi-mom life hack “Fed baby” - prepare children's lunches and dinners once or twice a week, pack them in 10*15 (servings!) and freeze them in layers (saving space, convenient to open and defrost).

Do not refreeze!

We often see such inscriptions on store-bought frozen semi-finished products. Such temperature fluctuations, plus or minus, greatly affect the taste of the product, its texture and color may change, but the worst thing is that at -10 degrees Celsius, the product is still hard, and the bacteria inside are already multiplying at full speed.

Order and markings

It is advisable to sign all products indicating the name, volume and date, because... it is impossible to distinguish between frozen chicken and fish broth, boiled carrots and pumpkin and cherry jam and liver. You can write notes directly on the packaging, stick pieces of masking tape, or use special ones.

Firstly, these are minimum sanitary standards; secondly, protection against confusion in products, because sometimes it is difficult to determine in a frost-covered package what is there (if it is not signed).

This sorting into boxes will also prevent the mixing of odors.

My experience:“In the top drawer of the freezer I keep small stock ready meals(usually those that were not eaten immediately) and vegetable side dishes. The middle drawer is for fish and meat, and the bottom one is for small containers with sauces and salad dressings, berries, frozen baked goods. Anything that cannot be clearly identified at first glance - I glue pieces of masking tape with marks on everything.”

Airtightness and what to freeze in?

Some people probably already have the sad experience of how one poorly closed bag of fresh dill “infected” everything in the freezer with its smell - from dumplings to ice cream.

Use for storage:

all kinds of containers (disposable and reusable),
regular bags and ziplock bags,
plastic bottles,
cling film,
foil,
jars of baby puree.

Containers from the list below require additional packaging in bags:

various forms of foil and paper,
plastic cups of different sizes (+ volume is immediately known)
any other disposable plastic tableware
silicone muffin tins
ice containers

Saving

Time:

You can cook a lot at once - we’ll eat some for dinner, and freeze the rest.

It takes about the same time to fry 1 or 2 onions, chop a couple of carrots or a dozen, roll up a kilogram of minced meat or all five. But cooking the same dish from scratch several times takes a lot of time and effort. And how many dishes to wash!

For example, almost any borscht, rassolnik or cabbage soup is cooked for 2-3 hours - because... you need to cook the broth. And if you have it ready-made frozen, then the soup will cook for half an hour! And if you have a universal dressing/frying for the soup in the freezer in advance, then the time is reduced to 20 minutes (peel and cut the potatoes, bring to a boil).

And if there is ready-made frozen soup in the refrigerator, then you only need 10 minutes to warm it up, hehe...

My experience:“When I cook chicken, I always have broth left over - I pour it into half-liter glasses, freeze it - the base for the soup is ready, you can throw in a handful dried vegetables and pasta - that's it! Or you can make it more complicated and add dressing. Or even right away ready soup freeze."

Money:

In summer, greens cost pennies or grow for free in the garden, but in winter, any decent twig is worth its weight in gold. Most types of frozen greens are no different from fresh ones if they are used in chopped form.

It has long been known that it is more profitable to buy whole chicken or fish, divide it into portioned pieces and use some for the main dish and some for the broth.

It is also convenient to store meat trimmings and bones in the freezer, so that later they can be used as a base for soup (you can get a special bag for this), all root trimmings (carrots, celery, green leaves of leeks and hard stems of dill and parsley, “butts” of tomatoes ) - freeze everything, and then into the broth!

My experience: “In addition to the main refrigerator, our family also has a chest freezer, which is located in the basement (we live in a country house). When the gardening season comes, I fill the freezer with all kinds of containers with berries, soup dressings, I make salad sauces (greens + butter + garlic), vegetables and semi-finished products from them (stuffed peppers, cabbage rolls, ratatouille). A supply of bread is also stored right there - no, not in such quantities in case of war, but so that you don’t have to run to the store for a loaf of bread if there are unexpected guests. And of course, everything is marked so that without me my family won’t die of hunger.”

Well, I’ll also share my freezing life hacks:

Greens with olive oil.

This is perhaps the most famous “freezing” advice from social media newsletters. I took it and did it!

Egg whites.

For some reason, it always happens to me that I need either yolks or whites in my baked goods. In order not to think about how to dispose of unnecessary things, I came up with a container for proteins - I pour the “unnecessary” into it and make notes on how many proteins were added there. But! Yolks cannot be frozen!

Lemonade preparations

We have a small refrigerator in the bathhouse, which usually works in the summer. In one of the drawers we set up a “lemonade corner” - here you can find different containers of ice, frozen whole oranges, limes and lemons. Just chop it up required quantity with a knife (they are cut with a little effort) and pour mineral water.

There are also lemons twisted with sugar and mint - a 200ml glass for a three-liter jar.

And frozen berries chokeberry Can be used instead of ice cubes in drinks!

Mimimi-Ice

By the way, in the bottom glass there are just chopped citrus fruits from the previous picture, and on top there is frozen wine - sangria light.

Ice stack

And this is a real man's life hack that my husband shared. There is a small container in the freezer drawer that holds two sets of shot glasses. No matter what temperature your hot drink is, an ice pack will fix it!

What are your proven freezing secrets? Share your experience in our groups

1. To make home multi-layer cake looked like it came from a candy store, freeze it for a while. Then you can easily cut top layer to cover the cake with cream or glaze. It will turn out very neat.

To make it easier to cut the top layer of the cake evenly, freeze it briefly.

2. Many people haven’t even thought about freezing bread. We suggest you try making toast from frozen slices, the taste is completely different! Just remember that before you put the bread in the freezer, you need to cut it, separate the slices with baking paper, wrap everything in foil, and only then freeze it. Otherwise, you will ask yourself more than once why there is no saw in the kitchen in addition to a knife.

3.Green It wilts quickly, but there is a way to always have fresh herbs on hand. And not only parsley or dill, but also spinach or arugula. Wash the greens, dry them, chop them, put them in different freezer bags and put them in the freezer. Use as a base for salads, an addition to rice, noodles, and pasta dishes.

4. Frozen meat it's much easier to cut into thin, translucent slices, and you don't even need to be a skilled chef to do it. 15 minutes will be enough for bacon; fresh meat will need a little more.

Olive oil can be frozen along with different herbs and add to salads, hot dishes or when frying.

5. In case you need it for the broth vegetables, store a separate bag with frozen “trimmings”. Parts of celery, carrots, and even mushroom stems that are unnecessary for dishes are quite suitable.

6. If broth in freezer bags is no longer uncommon, then fat, leftover bacon after frying, frozen in ice cube trays - something new. Store these frozen cubes in a separate bag. This method is also suitable for olive oil . Heat it with the herbs, let it boil and remove from the heat. Pour into molds, freeze and take out a couple of minutes before you need to fry or season anything.

It is easier to obtain zest without the bitter white part if you first put the lemon or lime in the freezer.

7. The freezer trick is great for whole citrus- orange, lime, lemon. They are frozen in order to obtain the perfect fragrant zest, without the bitter white part.

8. When you prepare a salad, quinoa and other grains Sometimes you need to cool quickly, and the freezer is an indispensable assistant here. 5-10 minutes, and the temperature will drop to room temperature. The same technique will work for nuts, which were slightly overexposed in the oven. To prevent them from completely burning, freeze them.

9. Homemade jam And jam Can be stored in the freezer for up to a year. Fresh fruit cook in water with pectin, sugar, herbs and spices for several minutes, cool, and then pour into jars. Be sure to leave some room in the jar because the liquid will increase in volume when frozen.

The healthiest and most delicious ice cream is easily made from frozen bananas and berries.

10. If you don't want to experiment with freezing different products then just try banana ice cream. This is incredibly useful and tasty alternative ordinary creamy dessert. Frozen bananas are sent to a mixer with berries, nut butter or simply without additives until you get a delicate cold cream.

Modern people use frozen foods - with varying degrees of frequency, but quite regularly; this is a fact that you cannot argue with. Ready puff pastry, Pacific fish, blueberries in winter, convenient bags of broccoli and even regular ice cream - we all eat processed and frozen foods, and this can already be quite difficult to combat, even if you are an ardent opponent of deep-prepared food.

However, you must agree, it’s convenient - at almost any time of the year you can afford something that you couldn’t even dream of before: soup with green peas, strawberry pie, pasta with mussels are always available thanks to supermarkets. A what can you freeze for the winter?, if there is still room in the freezer, at home?

Homemade frozen semi-prepared meals- this is first of all convenient: there is nothing easier than puree soup from vegetables that can be found in the freezer. Secondly, of course, it is useful: when frozen, most products retain the vitamins that they can boast of. Thirdly - economically: compare prices for, for example, sweet pepper now and at the end of winter, you won’t need any other arguments.

What can you freeze for the winter?

10 simple and affordable ideas.

1. Soup set

Yeah, strange as it may sound, it’s the soup set that can serve as the basis for a rich vegetable broth that now costs several times less. Celery root and coarse parsley sprigs (now they are already coarse, thick and tasteless, but still very aromatic and healthy), cauliflower bases after you have prepared a stew from it, substandard bell pepper(here is the one with the ugly side cut off and a slightly dried out, wilted top), a couple of thin carrots that are inconvenient to grate (you also had a poor carrot harvest this year?), parsnips, pumpkin, tomato - peel everything, cut into two if necessary - three parts (vegetables should be large), mix and pack into freezer bags. In winter, by taking out a portion of this preparation, you can easily cook incredibly aromatic and healthy vegetable broth- cheap and excellent basis for any soup.

2. Eggplant

Now is the season for blue ones. If you have already tried to freeze eggplants and were disappointed, do not rush to move on to the next paragraph - there is an option in which these vegetables will not taste bitter, will turn out tasty and very, very interesting. To freeze eggplants, you must first... bake them. In the oven or over a fire, cook them until soft, then cool, peel the skin, cut into pieces (or rather tear them) and freeze. In winter, you have a wonderful base ready (you just need to defrost it and puree it in a blender along with a couple of cloves of garlic, a spoonful of olive oil and a handful of herbs), component vegetable stew, cream soup, tart.

3. Greens

Of course, greens! Lots of parsley, cilantro, dill, basil, tarragon and everything, everything, that you can add to soup, pasta, stewed potatoes, pie filling, stew. To properly freeze greens, wash them and dry them well, then chop them and place them in plastic containers. Cover with a lid, place in the freezer, and use as needed. Simple, cheap and flavorful.

4. Tomatoes

Few people know that tomatoes can be frozen. And yet - it is possible and necessary! Now, at the peak of the season, they are cheap, they are tasty and as aromatic as possible, which means we go to the market, buy tomatoes, return home, wash them, cut the skin, scald with boiling water, peel, and then puree with a blender. Pour into bags (containers or disposable cups) and freeze. In winter, you will thank yourself when you can cook amazingly delicious borscht, fill stewed cabbage fresh tomato puree, prepare an unreal pasta sauce and stew the fish in a cheap tomato marinade.

5. Beans

Now it is not only cheap, but also young, soft, juicy. Once you dry it, the cooking time will increase significantly. If you freeze, you will always have a portion of young legumes on hand for soup or. Cheap and convenient.

6. Watermelon

Now that the markets are flooded with this miracle berry, buy a couple of watermelons, peel and seeds, cut large pieces and freeze. In winter, you can get a taste of summer by simply placing the mixture in the bowl of a food processor and turning it into wonderful watermelon ice cream or adding a couple of cubes to any smoothie.

7. Carrots

Do you also have nowhere to store your carrot harvest, do you have no cellar and a box of sand? Peel it, grate it and place it in containers. From now on, preparing soup will become even more fast process, because you won’t have to waste time manipulating carrots! Among other things, autumn carrots are much cheaper than winter and even more so spring carrots.

The freezer can be filled not only with meat, fish and berries. There are many foods that can be frozen without loss. taste qualities. Frozen foods will calmly wait their turn, and you won’t have to throw them away or quickly finish them to avoid spoiling. Here are 20 foods you can freeze and how to do it.

1. Cheese

You can freeze big piece cheese, and after defrosting it will not crumble. If you prefer to slice the cheese before freezing, add a teaspoon to the container. corn starch or flour so that the slices do not stick together during defrosting.

If you like to add to dishes grated cheese, you can buy a large piece of Parmesan, chop it in a food processor and put it in the freezer in special freezer bags. It can be stored in the freezer for several months, and while preparing it, all you have to do is open a container or freezer bag and remove a couple of teaspoons of cheese.

2. Homemade pancakes, waffles and French toast

If you'd like to enjoy homemade pancakes, waffles, and toast for breakfast more often, you can simply bake a larger batch on the weekend, freeze on a cookie tray, and store in freezer bags.

At any time you can take them out of the freezer, heat them in the microwave and have breakfast. In any case, it will turn out cheaper and tastier than buying frozen baked goods in the store.

3. Fruit

It is better to freeze fruits parchment paper, and only after that place them in freezer bags. It is better to immediately freeze the cut pieces so that you can take them out for desserts and smoothies as needed.

If you're a smoothie lover, you can make your own frozen fruit blend right away. Separately freeze pieces of apples, pears, peaches, bananas and other fruits you like. At any time you can make yourself a new smoothie by mixing different types fruit.

If you don't like cooking slimy, defrosted banana pieces, freeze them whole, skin and all. When you decide to cook something with a banana, you need to take it out of the freezer, defrost it in the microwave, cut off the top and squeeze the contents into the cooking mixture.

4. Rice

To avoid waiting too long for the rice to cook (especially brown rice, which cooks for about 50 minutes), you can freeze it. The rice is first frozen on a tray or parchment paper and then placed in a freezer bag.

Thawed rice can be fried or used for soup or casserole. The cooking time will be reduced by about an hour (including not only cooking, but also rinsing and soaking).

5. Pies

Can you do more? apple pie and enjoy it for several months. Wrap it in freezer paper, place it in a bag and put it in the freezer. When you want to taste the pie, place it in a preheated oven (about 150 degrees) for 2 hours.

6. Corn

The easiest way to freeze corn is not to take it out of the leaves, but just stick it in the freezer. When you want corn, just take it out and heat it in the microwave for 5 minutes. The leaves protect the corn kernels so it tastes fresh.

7. Tomato paste

Simmer Roma tomatoes over low heat with garlic, fresh herbs and olive oil for about 4-5 hours. Once the mixture has cooled, place it in freezer bags. You can use this mixture as a base for chili or tomato sauces.

8. Pasta

Cook more pasta and freeze small portions in different bags - you can use one small bag for soups and casseroles.

Before freezing, make sure to release the air from the bag - it should be as flat as possible. To defrost, place the closed bag in hot water for a few minutes.

9. Mashed Potatoes

Use an ice cream scoop to scoop out a portion mashed potatoes and place the ball on baking parchment.

Freeze until the balls are firm and then store in freezer bags. The puree will keep in the freezer for at least two months.

10. Cookie dough

Cookie dough is frozen on parchment paper and stored in a freezer bag. You can divide it into separate portions or immediately make it in the desired form.

Using this dough, you can cook cookies in 1-2 minutes, without dirty dishes and table.

11. Potato chips

If you buy enough chips and freeze them in the same package they came in, you'll always have a snack.

Plus, frozen chips taste even better than regular chips, so there's no need to defrost them before eating.

12. Milk

If your milk is used very slowly, and the remains turn sour and are poured out, it is quite possible to freeze it until next time.

Just be sure to choose a bottle that has room to spare since frozen liquids expand. Thawed milk needs to be mixed well and can be used (just do not defrost it in the microwave).

13. Juice

The only criterion for freezing juice, like freezing milk, is that the bottle is large enough so that the frozen drink has room to expand.

14. Bread

To avoid having to throw away dry bread, you can cut up several loaves and freeze them. As needed, remove the pieces of bread you need and defrost them in the oven or microwave. To prevent the bread from drying out until the morning, you can leave it overnight in a switched off, tightly closed microwave.

15. Vegetable pieces

You can freeze chopped onions, bell peppers, or chili peppers in freezer bags. Once they're frozen enough, you can mark the bag with "portion lines" so you know how much to take at a time.

16. Lemon and lime juice, lemon zest

Squeeze the lemon and lime into ice cube trays and place in the freezer. Now you will have fresh citrus juice at any time. The zest can also be frozen and used to prepare various dishes.

17. Herbs

You can freeze aromatic herbs in ice cube trays with a little water or broth to use for soups all year round, stew or casseroles.

18. Marinated meat

Place the meat in a freezer bag, cover with marinade and place in the freezer. When you take it out, it will already be marinated and you can cook it right away.

19. Homemade casseroles

When you're making a casserole like lasagna, why not make a big batch and freeze half for a home-cooked meal during the work week.

There are several freezing options you can use:

Freeze the whole casserole in a dish lined with freezer paper. When the casserole is frozen sufficiently, remove the dish, repack the casserole in freezer paper, and place it back in the freezer. The advantage is that you can use the dish while the casserole is stored in the freezer. When you need it again, place it in the same dish and cook it.
Freeze in parts. Prepare the casserole, let cool, cut into pieces and freeze. Can be reheated in the microwave.

20. Fish fingers

Semi-finished products sold in stores can hardly be called tasty, so why not make them at home? fish sticks?

To do this, you need to buy fresh fish, cut it into small pieces, roll it in egg, flour or breadcrumbs, place on a tray and freeze.

After this, you can store homemade fish sticks in freezer bags - they are much tastier than store-bought ones, inside of which there is strange minced meat instead of fish.

Have you tried freezing any foods?