Before you throw something out because it's about to turn, ask one question: can I freeze this? The answer is yes way more often than people think. Freezing pauses the clock, and it's one of the easiest ways to stop wasting food and money.
Freezes great
- Bread, bagels, and tortillas. Freeze the loaf you won't finish, toast slices straight from frozen.
- Cooked meals. Soups, stews, chili, cooked meats, casseroles, sauces. Batch cooking's best friend.
- Raw meat and poultry. Freeze it before its use-by date, not after.
- Fruit. Berries, bananas, mango. Perfect for smoothies and baking. Freeze on a tray first so they don't clump.
- Shredded cheese and butter. Both freeze well. Soft cheeses do not.
- Cooked rice and grains. Cool, portion, freeze. Reheat with a splash of water.
- Herbs. Chop and freeze in a little oil or water in an ice cube tray.
Freezes badly (skip these)
- High-water raw veggies like lettuce, cucumber, celery, and radishes. They turn to mush when thawed.
- Raw potatoes. They go grainy. Cooked or par-cooked potatoes freeze fine.
- Cream-based sauces and dairy-heavy dishes. They can separate and turn grainy.
- Fried foods. They lose their crunch and come back soggy.
- Soft cheeses and eggs in the shell. Both are a mess frozen. (You can freeze cracked, beaten eggs, though.)
How to freeze so it's actually good later
- Freeze it fresh, not on its very last day. Freezing pauses quality, it doesn't improve it.
- Portion before freezing so you can thaw exactly what you need.
- Push out the air. Wrap tightly or use freezer bags with the air squeezed out. Air is what causes freezer burn.
- Label with the date. Most things are best used within a few months.
The catch, same as always
The freezer only saves food if you remember to freeze it in time, and then remember it's in there. A freezer full of forgotten mystery containers isn't saving anything. If that sounds like yours, it's worth doing a quick inventory so you actually know what's at the bottom of it.