There are countless things you can store in your freezer to use when the need arises. From a food safety and quality perspective, it’s one of then best places to keep things. According the FDA, “…freezing 0° F (-18° C) keeps food safe indefinitely…” Cool, right? In general, I try to consume what I store in the ice box within a few months, but I will keep things for up to a year. After that, the taste takes a big turn. (And not a good turn, catch my drift?)
Before you start stocking up, it’s a good idea to go through your freezer and see what you have. I organized my freezer in a big way recently, and I shared how to do it here. Basically, you need a white board, trash bag, some coolers, some markers and some zip top bags. Oh, and patience and an hour or two to get it done. You’ll be glad you did. By the way, you have my permission to toss that unidentifiable item in the dark corner of the freezer. (Let’s face it: you’re never going to eat it anyway.)
So, now that your freezer is organized, what can you store in it besides ice, desserts and frozen waffles? A lot! Not only will you have great stuff on hand for cooking but you’ll be protecting your grocery budget with longer term storage. (We’re thrifty like that, right?) Here are some things I always have on hand in my freezer. It makes me feel like a kitchen hero, and you will too. So don your superhero cape (and maybe a sweater), and let’s stock that freezer!
5 Things I Always Have In My Freezer
Nuts
Did you know nuts can go bad rather quickly if stored at room temperature? Yessiree. So, I keep mine in the freezer. I stock up when my local store runs a sale, and store them in quart or gallon-sized freezer bags. I label the bags indicating if the nuts are raw or roasted, and I also include the date. I keep nuts for up to about a year. They are great for making granola, roasting for snacks, and for recipes I find on Pinterest.
Seeds
I love pumpkin, sesame, and ground flax seeds. I use them in oatmeal, granola, baked goods, salads and yes, again, recipes. They are little powerhouses of nutrition, and it’s easy to grab a spoonful and throw them into whatever you’re making. Their small size means they defrost in a flash. Bonus!
Oatmeal
This lovely grain is one of my favorites. I have old-fashioned, quick cooking and steel-cut oats. I love them all. During the summer months I don’t eat oats as much as I do in the winter, so they take a little ice nap in the freezer until the school buses roll again in September. I use oatmeal in granola and recipes, and to make porridge for breakfast or lunch.
Pesto + Sauces
Yes, you can store pesto in the freezer. How? Well, look no further than your humble ice-cube tray. When I make a big batch of pesto (or buy it at the warehouse store), I save about half of it in ice cube tray portions. Freezing in ice-cube trays is super easy, and the portion size is very handy for slow-cooker meals and salad dressings. I also use this same method for those leftover bits of tomato sauce and stock. These are dinner and lunch “easy buttons” my friends! (Here are some more ideas on what to freeze in that handy ice cube tray.)
Whole Grain Flours
I’m one of the gluten-free people, which means I have a pretty good variety of flours floating around my house. They are superb, and I love the nutrition they offer. What they don’t offer is storage beyond a week or two. I don’t recommend consuming rancid whole grain flour. (Ick.) These flours can be pretty spendy (and I think we’ve established I like to protect my food investments), so I store them in the freezer. They are ready and waiting when the mood strikes for for fruit crisps, muffins, pizza or whatever else I have cooking up in the kitchen.
Keeping my freezer stocked with these five items simplifies meal prep and helps protect my food investment. A win-win. What do you store in your freezer?
This is genius! I never even thought to throw some of those things in there but I will now.
Thanks Catherine! Glad you enjoyed the ideas. 🙂
I always have real butter in my freezer. When we need a new stick for the butter dish, we head to the freezer. I can buy it on sale and stock up, then I don’t have to make a special trip to the store.
I do this, too, Dawn! Thanks for mentioning it!
I make apple butter in the fall and freeze it in 1-cup containers.
I roast large cuts of meat (chickens & turkeys, roasts) when they’re on sale, portion the meat, and freeze the individual servings. I do the same with rice, and then I have a ‘grab and go’ portable lunch when I need it.
Some casseroles are sort of a pain to make, but so delicious that they are worthwhile. I make four meatloaves at a time, but before cooking I freeze three of them — I write the cooking directions on the package — for future fast dinners. I’ve done the same with shepherd’s pie, doubling or quadrupling the recipe and freezing the extras. Then the next time that I make mashed potatoes I make lots of extra. I’ll use the leftovers with the shepherd pie mix to make a fast dinner later in the week.
I keep a homemade bisquick-type gluten free mix in the freezer for fast biscuits, pancakes, etc.
I buy chicken tenders on sale, and package them into freezer bags. A couple of pounds goes in each bag, along with a marinade. I’ll make up several different flavors at once, this lets it be sort of an assembly-line process. Later I can pull out a bag and the chicken will defrost and marinate at the same. It’ll be ready for fast grilling or pan-frying when I get home that night.
I find my seal-a-meal to be indispensible!
You are all so thrifty! I like to prep one extra “something” occasionally too. This week, it was zucchini bread. The recipe made two loaves, and one is now in the freezer. Love to be prepared!