Freeze your Food Costs - leitrim County Council

Freezers are a great friend to every kitchen but they can become a disorganised food black hole in no time. We put food in with the best intentions of future use, but it often comes out and goes straight into the bin because we can’t remember how long it’s been in there! So this week why not go to your freezer and make a list of what’s in there. Put the list on the side of your freezer. Then plan a series of meals around these items - this is food that will cost you nothing but if forgotten may be wasted.

Here are Stop Food Waste’s series of tips for
GREAT FREEZER MANAGEMENT!

Try and keep your freezer
organised - this will take a bit of regular maintenance but is always worth it. And remember to date and label what goes in otherwise it might never be re-discovered!

Make a list of what's inside your freezer (including the date the food went in). This can be updated regularly or if you are a techno-chef check out some of the freezer apps for smartphones.

Use freezer bags – they take up less space than containers and can store most foods. Lay partially filled bags flat in the freezer and once they’re frozen, stack them upright in rows, like books on a shelf!

Try and use the “first in first out” policy – this is what supermarkets do for stock control and is a good idea worth following.

When cooking casseroles & stews, why not cook double & freeze in portions for convenient homemade ‘ready meals’.

Instead of wasting lemons by not using them all up, cut a lemon into slices and freeze on a tray – once they’re frozen you can store in a bag, that way when you’re fixing yourself a gin and tonic after all that cooking for your freezer, you have lemon slices and ice cubes all in one!

While freezers run more efficiently when full, this is not a reason to keep them full all the time. A freezer clearout every 3 months will ensure you use the food you already have and not waste it.

8 items you might not have known you can freeze...

Cheese
Most cheeses can be frozen for about 6 months however if you package them in air tight bags cheese can last a year or longer in the freezer.

Lunch Meat
Lunch meat is another expensive food item that can be frozen for use later. Meat sliced fresh from the deli as well as pre-packaged deli meat can be frozen for up to 6 months. Roll individual slices so you can then take out just what you need.

Eggs
The easiest way to freeze eggs is to crack them into a container and beat them until the white and yolk are combined. Put the beaten egg into small containers and freeze.

Fruit & Veg
Everything from berries, melons, corn, green beans, peas, tomatoes, potatoes and more can be frozen.

Milk
You can easily freeze milk for 6 months to a year.

Rice
Did you know that you can store cooked rice in your freezer?

Wine
You can save that wine by freezing in ice cube trays and placing the frozen wine cubes into plastic freezer bags - that is if it hasn't all been guzzled!

Nuts
Nuts stored in the freezer can last 6 months to a year.

Note: Please ensure that you freeze and thaw the above items properly to ensure food safety. For more information on freezing and thawing techniques go to Safe Food

Brought to you by the Stop Food Waste Programme