7 surprising foods you can freeze

Freezing your food can help you to cut back on food waste and save money in the long run.

Freezing your food also comes in handy for batch cooking and takes the stress out of planning your meals.

1. Eggs

Many people hold off on bulk buying eggs since they can have such a short shelf.

But if you crack open an egg and put it into a freezable container or a freezer bag, you can freeze a raw egg for up to a year.

If you stored all your eggs in one container, you obviously wouldn’t be able to separate them again once they defrosted. But if you usually have three eggs every time you scramble them, you could store three eggs per freezer bag and use them as and when you fancy. Alternatively, you could freeze your eggs in a muffin tray, so you have individual portions.

You can freeze raw eggs after you've cooked them as well. For example, you could cook an omelette and store it in your freezer for up to 3 months.

2. Bread

Bread is one of the main culprits for going mouldy and unnoticed in the back of the breadbin.

When you buy a loaf of bread, keep as much of it out as you’d usually eat and then put the rest in the freezer. If your loaf hasn't been sliced already, make sure you do that before putting it in the freezer. That way, you can defrost slices one at a time.

It doesn't take long for bread to defrost, so you can leave it out on the counter to thaw or pop it straight in the toaster. Your bread will be defrosted and toasted within a couple of minutes.

3. Bananas

Bananas are a great candidate for freezing. You could freeze them just as they are or slice them up for porridge, or cut them into chunks for smoothies. You can keep them frozen for 3-6 months.

If you want to freeze your banana in chunks or slices, lay the banana out flat on a tray covered in parchment paper. This will stop the pieces from sticking together. Once your banana is frozen, you can make them more compact by transferring them to a freezer bag and putting them back in the freezer.

Another plus point is that it works out cheaper than buying pre-packaged sliced bananas from a supermarket.

4. Cheese

When freezing cheese, you’re probably better off grating it or cutting it into slices first. You could freeze the full block, but you’d have to defrost all of it at once and use it within a short space of time.

By grating it and putting it into bags, or by cutting it into slices, you’ll be able to use the amount of cheese you need without having to waste any.

5. Marshmallows

If you’ve ever opened a bag of marshmallows and left them in the cupboard for a few days, you’ll know they don’t stay fresh for long. Once opened, they start to go a little crispy on the outside and lose their bounce.

To keep them fresh, divide your marshmallows into portions and put them in freezer bags to keep for up to 6 months.

They only take a short amount of time to defrost. But if you're using them for something like hot chocolate, then there's no need to defrost - just pop them straight in the cup.

6. Tofu

If you cook tofu and then freeze it, it can change the texture, making it chewier than usual. But other than that, it's safe to freeze.

If you've already cooked it as part of a dish, you can pour it all into a freezer-friendly container and freeze it for up to 6 months.

When it comes to defrosting it, you’d need to leave it out overnight.

7. Fresh herbs

If you like to keep fresh herbs at home but can’t seem to use them up before the plants droop – freeze them instead.

Pick the fresh herbs and put them into an ice cube tray. For things like basil, oregano and sage, you could add oil to the ice cube tray. Then when you're ready to use them, you can put them straight into the pan.

For a summery feel, freeze mint in water to make refreshing ice cubes and put them in iced tea or gin and tonic.

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