Going on vacation and wondering what you need to toss out in your refrigerator so that it won’t be stinky when it spoils? Well, before you start throwing money away you’ll probably want to know what items you can freeze instead of throwing away.
You can save even more money by stocking up on these items when they go on sale at the grocery store and tossing them in your freezer until you’re ready to use them.
Here are 15 foods you probably didn’t know that you could freeze:
Butter
Butter can get pretty pricey so this is definitely something you’ll want to stock up on when it goes on sale. Keep the butter in its original wrapping and place it inside an airtight bag or in some tightly wrapped foil. You’ll need to take it out and let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight when you’re ready to use it.
Milk
Milk is the number one thing people think to toss out because it spoils easily. But why not freeze it? Just pour a little bit out so it has enough room to expand inside the milk container. It will have to thaw out in the refrigerator for a day or two before you can drink it. Make sure you shake it up so you don’t drink any separated milk. It shouldn’t be kept frozen for no more than four weeks.
Wine
You can thank us later for this one. You can even freeze wine! If you have some leftover wine you know you won’t drink you can pour it in some ice cube trays or a plastic bag and freeze it so it won’t go bad. It won’t affect the taste.
Eggs
Crack your eggs open into a bowl and whisk them a little bit before you pour it into a freezer bag or ice cube tray. You can also freeze the egg whites and yolks separately.
Rice
You can freeze cooked rice by first letting it cool, then place it in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container. You can defrost it by adding the rice into a microwave-safe bowl with a little bit of water and microwave until it defrosts.
Nuts
Nuts can last up to eight months if you place them in an airtight container in your freezer.
Baked Goods
Those Christmas cookies that you were bombarded with don’t have to go to waste. They’ll be good for about a month as long as you wrap them tightly in plastic, then in aluminum foil and put in an airtight container. Make sure they are cooled before you freeze them. They can be thawed out at room temperature. You can also freeze dough and thaw it in the refrigerator.
Cheese
Leave your cheese inside its original packaging and then wrap it in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. Soft cheese will be good for one month and hard cheese can last six months. It can be thawed out overnight in the refrigerator.
Pesto
Spoon some pesto into an ice cube tray and freeze it. Once the cubes are frozen, place them into a plastic bag or airtight container for six to eight months.
Flour
Place your flour in an airtight container outside of its original packaging. You will kill off any insects living inside of it after freezing it for 48 hours. You can then put in the refrigerator for lengthy storage.
Cream Cheese and Sour Cream
You can only freeze cream cheese if you’re using it for baking or cooking because its consistency will change after its frozen but its flavor and purpose will be just fine. It will stay frozen in its original packaging for up to three months. The same goes for sour cream, except you should place it in its original container, then inside an airtight bag.
Herbs
Place your herbs on parchment paper and freeze them. Once they are frozen you can place the herbs inside an airtight container and put back in the freezer until you’re ready to use.
Jam
You can place your jar of jam directly into the freezer and let it thaw out overnight in your refrigerator when you’re ready to use it.
Fresh Squeezed Juice
This is also best when frozen in an ice cube tray. The frozen cubes should be kept in an airtight container.
Tomato Paste
Spoon your leftover tomato paste into an ice cube tray and freeze it. When your cubes are frozen, you can place them in an airtight bag.
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